The former Royal Asiatic Society building
Far from the maddening crowds on the Bund, the Rockbund Art Museum on Huqiu Lu (虎丘路) is a favored destination that singularly embodies the East meets West history, design and architecture of…
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The diversity of design in shikumen headers
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The Invisible Stain of Japanese Comfort Houses in Shanghai’s Lilongs
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Conversations: Jie Li on “Shanghai Homes: Palimpsests of Private Life”
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A history of the (underground) printing press in Shanghai’s shikumen
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“Chairman Mao Goes to Anyuan (安源)”: A Mural in Siwen Lane (斯文里)
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Elaborate lattice woodwork in Confucius Lane (孔家弄)
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My favorite Shanghai moments for Vogue
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Neighborhoods
The simplicity in patterned wood
I’ve always liked the predictability and soothing effect of uncomplicated patterns. This was one reason why I found myself standing in front of a discreet entrance off the…
The diversity of design in shikumen headers
What makes a shikumen (石库门) header an architectural tapestry so emblematic of Shanghai? The grey stone pediment, shaped in a triangle or semi-circle, contains designs that range from the…
Conversations
Conversations: Maureen Fan on the legacy of architect Robert Fan Wenzhao
My interview with Maureen Fan about her grandfather, Robert Fan Wenzhao (1893-1979), has been long overdue. What started as an introductory email several years ago grew into a…
Behind the camera: K.S. McMullen on filming docu-fiction ‘Nail House’
I love hearing from passionate artists who reach out to share their works – photo essays, poems, short films – a reflection of their time, consideration and dedication….
Behind the Camera: Alessandro Zanoni on Shanghai’s urban landscapes
In the years of photographing Shanghai, I’ve had a chance to meet a wide array of talented photographers and researchers as enthusiastic about documenting the city as I am. They…
Latest Posts
The bazaars of kyrgyzstan (part 3): light and shadows
Kyrgyzstan’s street bazaars are awashed in a dizzying array of colors – the vintage hues of the former Soviet Union cling onto the infrastructure, the blaring contrast of…
Suzhou Literary Festival Roundup
This past weekend was spent in the very lovely Suzhuo at the Bookworm bookstore, partaking in the Suzhou Literary Festival activities. I especially want to thank everyone who…
What I am reading this week
It’s going to be a busy weekend. I’m headed to Suzhou to lead a street photography workshop on March 18 (Sun) as part of the Suzhou Literary Festival. I’m…
The ladies within
How many times have we seen the warm, red lights flickering on a dark and empty street in the middle of the night? The window panes are frosted…
What I am reading this week
The sun’s finally graced Shanghai in all its glory after weeks, weeks of depressing grey skies and irritating drizzle. I hope you’re out and about basking in nature’s warmth, taking…
A dog’s life
Warning! Some images may be disturbing for readers. The village of Jiangtaiwa (将台洼村) and Dongcuijia (东崔家村 ) are two of several clustered villages between the fourth and fifth ring of…
What I am reading this week
A tad late to my attempt at a Thursday/Friday post on great reads for the week but here you go! – Paul French’s annual obituary of the heritage architecture…
Hunger pangs at Da Fu Gui (大富贵)
The discovery of Shanghainese snackhouse/ restaurant Da Fu Gui (大富贵) was an accidental delight. As adverse I am to crowds, hungry hordes are hard to ignore when delicious (hence popular)…
What I am reading this week
I’ve decided to add a spot of photos to this segment, just to spice things up a little. I found this young man wandering in the vintage books…
Winter walking
It was only a few weeks ago, the cold and dampness of Shanghai’s winter had gotten to me in the worst possible way. Hibernation swiftly took over and…
The bazaars of Kyrgyzstan (part 2): food
This is a continuation of my series on Kyrgyzstan’s trade bazaars, as part of my 3-weeks in Central Asia last October. In my last post, I talked about…
18 March: Leading a street photography workshop in Suzhou
(Eds: This post will remain on top until the event is over.) Exciting news on my end! I’ll be speaking for the second time at the Suzhou Bookworm…
What I am reading this week
Yes, two blog post hugs from me in one day. Hopefully to make up for my absence for the last 2 weeks. Enjoy your weekend. The first photo captivated…
The bazaars of Kyrgyzstan (part 1): layout and structure
(Editor note: It seems that I did not notice the lower resolution when exporting the photos, will sort that tonight. Please bear with me. Resolution sorted, selection of photos altered slightly)…