A new documentary series titled Witness a New Dawn will be launched on May 27 in commemoration of the liberation of Shanghai in 1949.

Produced by the documentary center of Shanghai Media Group (SMG), the series comprises six episodes, each spanning about five minutes, that delve into the social, political and military situation before and after the liberation of Shanghai.

The stories are told from the perspective of expatriates in Shanghai, such as diplomats, journalists, doctors and merchants, and reveal how the Communists won support from the public because of the discipline of the army, their dedication to public welfare, and the effectiveness of the new government, and how the Kuomingtang regime fell into chaos and was plagued by corruption.

The series is based on historical documents from reports by leading Western news media such as the New York Times, The Mirror, English publications in Shanghai, as well as the memoirs, diaries and recollections of those who experienced the related events.

The show features Professor Andrew Field, who narrates the story from landmark locations in the city, such as the top of the Shanghai Mansion, formerly known as the Broadway Mansion, the General Post Office Building by the Suzhou Creek, and the Yangshupu Power Plant on the northern stretch of the Bund. 

Field is a researcher from the United States majoring in the history of East Asia and China, and has lived in Shanghai for more than 20 years.