At some point in late 1933 the decision was made to hold Chicago's Century of Progress Exposition over for another season, to run from May through October 1934. This re-run version of the Exposition was to feature several new attractions, including a locally-financed Chinese concession called the "Streets of Shanghai" that would compete not only with stage-set communities representing such places as Ireland, Mexico, and France but also with the "Chinese Village" that had been built near the Lama Temple in 1933 and was still to be open in 1934.
One of the big differences between the two Chinese attractions was that the Chinese Village had been partly financed by the Chinese government whereas the Streets of Shanghai was entirely a private venture of Chinese Chicagoans. Another big difference was that the Streets was built according to a truly interesting design by the architectural firm of Burnham Brothers and Hammond, "assisted by" the Chinese architect See Wing Louie.
As described by the Tribune, the Streets were to be "lined with authentic reproductions of gorgeous hued structures ... housing far eastern shops, a Chinese theater, and eating and drinking places ... the main entrance will be flanked by two tall eight story pagoda towers. Entrance to the village will be free. On one side will be a large Chinese restaurant and a big cafeteria, where oriental dishes may be had." The shops were to be filled not with "the hodge-podge of atrocities usually sold as so-called souvenirs" but with "authentic Chinese merchandise" such as rare silks, bronzes, porcelains, and jades. Although not mentioned by the Tribune, a theater and a temple were also included.
The Streets of Shanghai were also to include cultural features -- an exact reproduction of an existing Confucius temple (seemingly replaced by a Buddhist "Lohan temple"), an art gallery with old Chinese masterpieces, and Chinese portrait painters to make sketches of Yankee visitors. Tom Chan, a Chinatown leader, was to provide an operating noodle factory that would include an exhibit of the way bean sprouts were grown. The president and general manager of the Streets was another local businessman, K. Bernard Kim. The vice president and concession manager was H. Jen-Kin, owner of the Pagoda Inn at 22nd and Wentworth.
Construction went quickly. The Streets opened on May 8. But finances were weak. A bankruptcy petition was filed against the Streets on July 20, and it went into receivership shortly after that. Interestingly, the main petitioner was its vice president, H. Jen-Kin. He claimed that the concession owed him 450 dollars.
The Streets stayed open after bankruptcy and may still have been run by H. Bernard Kim. The advertisement on the right shows that not all of the attractions were as high-minded as the art gallery and the noodle factory. While we do not know anything about the singers Olive Young Lun and Key S. Youn, or about the sensational dancer Blossom Chan, we are sure they were just as popular as the Confucius/Lohan temple
Data from Chicago Tribune: Mar 11 1934, May 8 1934, and Jul 20 1934 and from the souvenir issue of the Chicago Daily News
