In that sense, Tiananamen Square's influence is still felt. On the other hand, residents of Shanghai exhibit greater freedom in their personal lives than they did before. Over the long term, access to autos and cellular phones, the presence of Western advertising and goods, and cooperation with foreign visitors will make the population ever harder to control. Economic freedom may not be sufficient to free China politically. But it is probably a necessary condition, which is why Washington should not attempt to isolate Beijing economically.
Shanghai is full of magnificent reminders of an ancient culture stretching back thousands of years.
Just a few blocks away from the Shanghai Museum, however, sits a Pizza Hut. It is the modern world, and the modern Western world at that, which now dominates life in the city.