Xujiahui often appears to be one of those places in Shanghai that one just passes through regardless where you are heading. As the entry point to Shanghai proper from the southwest its function is as much about keeping the traffic flowing than anything else. However, behind the glass globes and dating retail malls hides a story of one of China's most illustrious statesmen, Xu GuangQi.
Brother Swain will explore three major times in history starting with an outline of some of the key influences of the Ming Dynasty on Xu GuangQi and indeed his influence of the dynasty itself. He will expand on the influences that established the foundations of XuJiaHui before mapping it's transformation to what we see today.