History | Ancient History on Instagram: "Life in Shanghai in the late 1890s was defined by sharp contrasts, as the city rapidly transformed into one of the most cosmopolitan and complex urban centers in Asia. Following the establishment of foreign concessions after the Opium Wars, Shanghai became a bustling treaty port where Chinese traditions coexisted uneasily with Western influence. Along the Bund, European-style banks, hotels, and trading houses symbolized global commerce and imperial power,