How did Shanghai look 40 years ago? National Geographic photographer Bruce Dale captured some memorable moments of the east China metropolis in 1980. A traffic police officer was controlling traffic lights from a tower on Nanjing Road. Decades later, Nanjing Road remains one of Shanghai's busiest streets and landmarks. /VCG Photo

A man was playing violin for visitors before offering them an exquisitely prepared meal. /VCG Photo

A close tug-of-war game between women teams from Shanghai and Beijing, with the members struggling to pull the rope backward. /VCG Photo

A couple was posing before the camera for their wedding portrait at an old fashioned photo studio. /VCG Photo

People were playing table tennis over a board in a traditional alley, a featured architectural style of Shanghai. /VCG Photo