An Intrinsic Correlation between Shanghai-Style Culture and the Jiangnan Culture：A Study Focused on Literati Gatherings in Shanghai before and after the Opening of the Port

Shanghai，formerly known as Haishang and Shangyang，was next to the Yangtze River and the sea. In the Song Dynasty，it burgeoned as a market town due to commercial exchange. In the Yuan Dynasty，the town was upgraded to a county owing to the flourishing ports. When it came to the Ming Dynasty，a city was built in the region in resistance to Japanese invasion，gradually shaping the old city of Shanghai. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties，the economy boomed and the city was well received by the world. The Shanghainese have always had high regard for literature and education，for which reason the imperial examination system prospered and talents emerged in various fields such as literature，art，connoisseurship，craftsmanship and Sino-Western cultural exchange，contributing significantly to the Jiangnan culture by and large.The practical spirits of humanistic pragmatism，which seek to revitalize the city through port trade，commerce and immigration，were particularly prominent in the development of Jiangnan culture in Shanghai during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In the early years of the Jiaqing reign，the circuit official of Shanghai Li Tingjing initiated the Pingyuanshanfang literati gathering. Then Li Yunjia followed suit and launched the Wuyuan literati gathering. The latter event lasted for a long time，rich in content and involving a wide variety of participants. With a considerable number of celebrities gathering in Shanghai，it is safe to say that it was an“unprecedented”gala following the Yangzhou and Nanjing literati gatherings. After the opening of the port of Shanghai，the Pinghuashe literati gathering，the Feidange literati gathering，the Yuyuan Painting and Calligraphy Charity Association and Haishang tijin Calligraphy and Painting Association were transformed from traditional calligraphy and painting literati gatherings to modern calligraphy and painting societies. There were fixed venues， administrative organizations and regulations for these societies，and prestigious calligraphers and painters were recommended as presidents to boost the commercial promotion of calligraphers and painters. Literati gatherings that feature calligraphy and painting appreciation give special weight to cooperation，charity and mutual assistance，encouraging artists and literati to learn from each other and to integrate new styles，forming a unique Haipai（Shanghai Style）culture that accentuates mutual appreciation of calligraphy and paintings that appeal to both refined and popular tastes，freestyle， diverse genres，and innovation. Before the opening of the port，the Jiangnan culture in Shanghai nurtured the genes of the Haipai culture，and was the source of the Haipai culture. This article analyzes the genes of Haipai culture within the Jiangnan culture in light of Haishang literati gatherings before and after the opening of the port of Shanghai，and probes into the causal nexus between the Jiangnan culture and the Shanghainese culture.