Here is what Jiaxing, Jinyu, and Benqing from Shanghai had to say about the urban legend that Shanghai is one of the world's most modern cities:

"About traditions and festivals, it seems that foreigners like it, we Chinese ignore it. But the truth is that from the bottom of our heart, we originally have it. As what we have said, try to keep some, try to break some. Places like Xintiandi shows that we no more ignore the architectural heritage of our culture. People like Shikumen, some houses of classical style, also essential of the culture.

[Note: Xintiandi is a pedestrian area of Shanghai where traditional houses from the mid 19th century have been preserved and renovated to include shops, restaurants, and theaters, similar to South Street Seaport in New York. These traditional houses are called shikumen or “stone gate” houses. They were mostly built by the British for Chinese workers who moved to Shanghai in the early 1900s, and they illustrate Shanghai's cosmopolitan history through their blend of eastern and western architectural styles.]

We appreciate our city not only because of its modernization. The character which Shanghai have is different from NY’s. At a word, we have history. Yu Garden as well as Jinan Temple is the calling card of Shanghai. The foreigners seem very curious about them. But what about our youths? Fewer youths are familiar with the gorgeous history. To make our city a better one, we hope youths to learn more about our history. To protect the old buildings and to inherit the tradition is demand for all of us. Since we’ve been both stylish and traditional, our city would be shaped as a individual place."