This intervention is designed to help newcomers to Shanghai build connections to both the city and their home cities through the dual lenses of food and urban exploration. The focus is on how participants can use these experiences to create a sense of belonging in Shanghai while maintaining their connection to their cultural roots. By exploring Shanghai’s urban spaces and preparing traditional dishes, participants will weave together their past and present, creating a bridge between their home cities and their new life in Shanghai.
Structure of the intervention:
Part 1: Urban Exploration and Memory Mapping
Meet at a Central Location: The group will gather at a central meeting point in Shanghai, such as the Yuyuan Garden, which is rich in cultural significance and traditional Chinese architecture.
Memory Mapping Walk: Each participant will be asked to choose a place they have a special affinity for before the Intervention, and I will design a route based on these locations. This might include exploring a neighbourhood with similar architecture, a market that sells ingredients from your hometown, or a secluded park that gives a sense of peace.
Participant Sharing: As the group explores, participants will be encouraged to share memories of similar places in their home cities, discussing what these locations mean to them and how they feel connected or disconnected in Shanghai.
Discussion Points:
“Does this place remind you of anywhere in your home city?”
“What feelings does this location evoke?”
“How do you think this place could help you feel more at home in Shanghai?”
Part 2: Culinary Exploration and Cultural Bridging
Market Visit and Ingredient Gathering:
Visit a local market that offers a wide range of ingredients, such as the Dongjiadu Road Market. Participants will be tasked with finding ingredients that they would use to prepare a dish from their home city, discussing how shopping in Shanghai compares to shopping in their home cities.
Discussion Points:
“What ingredients from home do you find here, and what’s missing?”
“How does shopping in Shanghai feel compared to shopping in your home city?”
“How do you adapt your recipes when ingredients from home aren’t available?”
Collaborative Cooking Session:
Participants will gather in a communal kitchen to prepare dishes from their home cities. Each participant will introduce their dish, explaining its significance and the memories it evokes.
During the cooking process, participants will discuss how they have adapted their cooking practices to fit their life in Shanghai and how preparing these dishes helps them stay connected to their home cities.
Discussion Points:
“How do you feel when you cook this dish in Shanghai?”
“Are there any Shanghai influences or ingredients you’ve incorporated into this recipe?”
“How does cooking this dish help you feel connected to your roots?”
Shared Meal and Reflective Dialogue:
After cooking, the group will share a meal together, continuing their discussion about the role of food in maintaining a connection to their home cities and how these culinary practices help them navigate life in Shanghai.
Discussion Points:
“How does sharing these dishes with others affect your sense of belonging?”
“What have you learned about how others connect to their home cities through food?”
“How might you blend your culinary traditions with Shanghai’s food culture to create new connections?”