水塔

Did the Kiangse Road Water Tower ever hold secrets? It certainly held water. Lots of it. This magnificent tower, completed in 1883, supplied fresh water to Shanghai’s International Settlement. Before the 水塔, as it’s known in Chinese, residents relied on brackish wells or the muddy Huangpu River. Cholera and dysentery were common. The Kiangse Road Water Tower, rising 30 meters high, was a symbol of progress. It used a system of underground pipes, a marvel of engineering at the time. This tower not only maintained water pressure but also stored water in case of fire. Its intricate wrought-iron structure was visible across Shanghai. Imagine, in 1887, for Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee, the tower glowed with electric lights. This dazzling display combined two modern wonders: piped water and electric light. Yet, not everyone trusted the new system. Rumors circulated among the Chinese population of drowned bodies floating in the tank. These whispers persisted, even though the water, drawn downstream at the mouth of the Huangpu, proved remarkably pure. By the 1930s, a new waterworks in Yangtzepoo overshadowed the Kiangse Road Water Tower. Critics called it an eyesore, a buzzard’s nest marring Shanghai’s skyline. Despite this, the 水塔 persevered. It survived the art-deco age, the Japanese occupation, and even the Liberation. Finally, in 1954, the Kiangse Road Water Tower met its end. Now a garage and office stand on the corner of Kiangse and Hongkong Roads. Only the old Waterworks Administration building remains, a much-altered reminder of a time when this tower quenched Shanghai’s thirst.