The Sonic Construction of 'Shanghai-Ness': Subcultural Music Venues and the Regulation of Street Performers

Building on the increasingly topic of soundscape research in urban ethnomusicology, this article focuses on the city of Shanghai, China, as a case study to explore the cultural formation of "Shanghai-ness". Through extensive fieldwork and the analysis of two representative cases, including the spatial distribution of subcultural music venues and the institutional regulation of street performers, this study investigates how musical practices reflect broader urban dynamics. It argues that Shanghai's soundscape is shaped by a complex and evolving cultural tension involving both mainstream recognition and marginal creativity, as well as structured governance and grassroots expression. Rather than viewing these tensions as contradictions, the study interprets them as part of a dynamic cultural ecology that supports the city's vitality during ongoing social transformation. In conclusion, the article suggests that "Shanghai-ness" is not a fixed identity but a continuously negotiated process formed through the interaction of space, sound, and power within the urban context.