What does "Keler" mean in Shanghainese?

1. Koehler is Color. He is the former young master who has seen the world. When he grows old, he is the old Koehler. In old Shanghai, the son of a capitalist was called "Xiao Kai", and Lao Koehler used to be Xiao Kai.

2. Pidgin English, meaning class, refers to the upper-class gentlemen in old Shanghai who are classy and able to enjoy themselves. In old Shanghai, the sons of wealthy families were called "Xiao Kai", and when "Xiao Kai" got old, they were called "Lao Kele".

3. Koehler, English CLASS is a foreign word (English spoken: superior, famous; graceful). Lao Kele refers to the upper-class gentleman in old Shanghai who has class and enjoys life.

Lao Kele in Shanghai

I still remember that in old Shanghai, there was a group of people living there. People called them Lao Kele. When I was a child, I never understood what it meant. As I grew older, I finally understood the meaning of Lao Koehler, and I was attracted by the lives of Lao Koehler.

The "Koehler" in "Lao Koehler" is a foreign word. It is a transliteration of the meaning of "Color". It is also explained by Class as a grade and class. Hence the origin of the term Lao Koehler. Lao Kele of old Shanghai were the first group of people to be impacted by Western culture, and they were also the first to absorb the combined Western culture. At that time, they combined local and foreign cultures, forming the Shanghai-style culture of a certain period.

Old Koehler’s life is leisurely and elegant. There is an air of nobility in every gesture. On the beach in Shanghai. They have spacious bungalows and beautiful gardens, and can drive cars around Shanghai at will. They love Western jazz crazily and collect old jazz records fanatically. They walk straight and wear plaid shirts. Their clothes must be sent to a laundry and dyeing shop for cleaning. There must be two ironing lines on their trousers. Their leather shoes are polished meticulously and very brightly. No matter how poor they are, they will still maintain a gentleman's demeanor and living conditions, consuming Western culture in the space of imagination.

The old Koehlers have their own circle of friends, and they all have the same tastes, beliefs, and hobbies. Usually the old Kellers get together and hold dance parties in the bungalow. People drank rich and fragrant coffee and chatted about the vast sea. Or listen to melodious jazz and dance. People were dancing softly in the house. At that moment, the glitz of old Shanghai was vividly presented.

Nowadays, Shanghai is a brand new, booming international city, and there are still many old Koehlers. However, as the last generation of the old Shanghai colonial culture. The old Koehlers are like the last aristocrats, gradually fading out of the stage of modern Shanghai, and most of the descendants of these declining aristocrats have become civilians. The old Koehlers in old Shanghai will be replaced by the rising white-collar workers. Replaced by petty bourgeoisie.

These white-collar workers and petty bourgeoisie have rich material enjoyment and a lot of income. They work in the office during the day, and at night they indulge in the dim lights of the bar, listening to nostalgic songs, drinking small glasses of foreign wine, and sighing about the past. Although their lifestyle is getting closer and closer to the old Koehler at that time, they are only around the old Koehler. But it is far from grasping the charm and belief of Lao Koehler. They are just a petty bourgeois sentiment.

When people think back to old Shanghai, people often think of the big world with all kinds of strange things, the feasting Paramount, the decadent foreign market, and the lively and joyful racecourse. Remember, the old Kellers on the beach?