Chen Gang, 79, Composer

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His father Chen Gexin penned one of the most famous Chinese songs of all time, Rose,Rose, I Love You (1940), which was later recorded by Frankie Laine and became a chart hit in the US.

The younger Chen wrote The Butterfly Lovers in 1959 with He Zhanhao. He still serves as a composer at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.

"The 1930s was definitely a golden age for Shanghai. It ranked as the economic, political and cultural center of China. It was the most glamorous city in Asia and probably No 4 or No 5 in the world after London, Paris and New York. I recall the Park Hotel near People's Square as the tallest building in Asia in the 1930s.

"French culture had the biggest influence on the city. White Russians were the biggest advocates of this and there were lots of them in the city. Many had fled the (1917) revolution in St Petersburg.

"I grew up in the French concession, which was very different back then: romantic and culture-centric, with lots of theaters and cafes.

"Everything was centered around people's mental and spiritual life. Now it's all luxury buildings, big logos and designer shops. Too many.

"The richest people would hold parties in their homes, but even these didn't have good facilities inside. We lived in a well-to-do shikumen, but we still had a wooden bucket for a toilet and it had to be poured out every day.