Behind the name-blame game

"What's in a name?" Shakespeare asked. "That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet."

The bard evidently never met the kind of people who were fulminating in cyberspace last week about that part of Shanghai often referred to as the former French concession. Most of us will be aware of the unfortunate associations the name holds, as a part of the city under foreign control between the years of 1849 and 1943. And, of course, words matter. This was a painful, and shameful, period of Sino-Western relations that can't, and shouldn't be, forgotten.

The incident that aroused the ire of netizens was a British-based pizza company advertising their business as being based in the "French Concession." Their nominal mistake has cost them dearly. Local officials have seen fit to fine the restaurant chain 47,500 yuan ($7,534). The reason for such a hefty penalty can only be because of the evident offence caused to local people who do not want to be constantly reminded of the city's history of occupation.

This then begs the question of why so many people still refer to this part of town by this name. Speaking as a foreigner, I can state that most expats have no idea this title is taboo. I had been living in Shanghai for more than a year as a journalist before it was pointed out to me that I should refer to this area as the "former" French concession.

And this was only because the nature of my job brought this to my attention. Non-journalists who I have questioned about this express incredulity that such a subject even merits debate. But, as I said, words do matter. In 2011, we wouldn't go to Zimbabwe and call it Rhodesia; nor would we go to Belize and call it British Honduras. Times change, and names change.

The difference with Shanghai is that this area, which has its own distinct culture and architecture, has not been renamed at all. Sections of the former French concession were in the former Luwan district, which is now part of the merged Huangpu district, a huge expanse of more than 20 square kilometers that stretches from Xuhui district in the south to Hongkou district in the north.

The rest of the former concession is now part of the even larger Xuhui district.

The problems this poses for businesses hardly need stating. Trying to promote a venture as being "at the heart of Huangpu/Xuhui district" will only lead to blank stares - from both foreigners and locals. And this then brings us to why the name is still used. From the foundation of the People's Republic of China back in 1949 until the early 1990s there was virtually no foreign population in Shanghai to speak of.

So what is obvious is that expats have learnt the term from local residents who evidently never stopped using this term. By all means clamp down on foreigners using outdated names. But maybe the authorities should ask themselves why these names have persisted in the first place.