Abstract:

 Dream of Romance(Fengyue Meng) and Biographies of Flowers in Shanghai(Haishang Hua Liezhuan)were late Qing Dynasty novels set in the cities of Yangzhou and Shanghai respectively. The different city images during different times revealed urban changes  in the south of theYangtze River in the modern transition period. Dream of Romance conveyed a nostalgic reminiscence of the traditional lifestyles andvalues through the depiction of the images of Yangzhou. Biographies of Flowers in Shanghai, however, carried a different tone and expressed the writer’s recognition and approval of Shanghai as a modern metropolis filled with urban lifestyles and values. The depictions of the two cities not only reflect the transformation of cities in south of theYangtze Riverin the modern transition period, but also convey the writers’ positive attitude toward modern urban values to some extent.

Key words: cities, Dream of Romance, Biographies of Flowers in Shanghai, transition, south of the Yangtze River