There is a popular story amongst Shanghai’s elder generations. It describes a romantic encounter between a wealthy teenage girl and her servant. They met each other, and as time passed, they eventually fell in love. The road where the couple met for the first time was called “Tian’ai Road” (甜爱路). “甜" means sweet while "爱" translates to love. Thus, the road has become a symbol of true love and is regarded as one of the most popular date locations for young couples in Shanghai. Located in the Hongkou District, Tian’ai Road is not only famous for its relationship to this story, but also for its romantic decorations, including twenty-eight carefully chosen love poems carved on the walls. In addition, there are special heart-shaped mailboxes located near the end of the road, which add to the romantic atmosphere. Couples are also encouraged to send love letters to each other, or they can even send letters to their future selves. In Chinese tradition, love has long been tightly bound with the concept of “responsibility”. Many ancient poems connected true love with distance and time - young soldiers writing to their lonely lovers far away or women looking forward to their husbands getting back from the farm work. The conventional love story of Romeo and Juliet can also be found in Chinese history - love, sacrifice and death are recurrent themes throughout Chinese art and literature. But this changed. As feudal ethics became more and more prominent in Chinese society, people’s free will to express love and adoration were restricted. Since the Song Dynasty, individuals have begun to convey their love in an implicit manner. Images such as red beans, autumn geese, spring fish and lutes are all typical ways of expressing love indirectly. However, Tian’ai Road suggests something different. Today, the poems and postmarks on this street of love are an example of the way in which Chinese culture has started to move towards outward declarations of this strong emotion, rather than viewing it euphemistically.

This article was written by Emma Tao. Send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: