Till today, many people associate street performances with begging. The couple recalled that they once met a man who expressed his intrigue that two young and well-educated individuals would resort to "selling arts on the street like beggars". There were even times when passers-by would leave steamed buns in their box of tips.

According to Luo Huaizhen, a playwright who spent 10 years leading efforts to legalize street performances in Shanghai, street artists are a distinctive sight in some American and European cities and are able to "color the city with a sense of humanity and vitality".

"It is what our cities lack and expect," said Luo, also a political adviser of the Shanghai municipal government, in his first proposal to push for street performances as a legalized profession in 2004.

"With the introduction of certificates for street performers, the city shall be able to attract high-level street artists for this purpose and make street performances a respectable profession in the city."

Four years after the licensing took effect, street artists in Shanghai now have higher education backgrounds and professional performance experience. Two-thirds of all licensed street performers are young artists aged between 25 and 35.

According to Wei, these 123 performers are showcasing their talent at 17 designated areas around the city.

"Authorized street performances have become a moving landscape and part of the Shanghai brand," said Wei. "We will look for more suitable places for them to show their talent to locals and tourists from all over the country and the world."