Shanghai’s lost shikumen and villas in 2013
When the editor over at Shanghaiist approached me to write a review of “lost” historical buildings in Shanghai in 2013, I hesitated for a brief moment. In an attempt to…
石库门
What I am reading: Party propaganda, slogans and posters
Long-time readers may recognize the above Ruihua Lane (瑞华坊) which I have written about, particularly the mosaic-tiled public service posters that grace the walls. I had anticipated that the entire lane…
Book Review and Giveaway of “Shanghai Shikumen” (上海里弄文化地图)
UPDATE: Congratulations to Patrick, the 10th commentator! Random.org picked you out of 18 commenators. Drop me an email via the contact sheet and I will dispatch the book to…
Happy New Year! and 2011 in review (part one)
In the tradition of pensive reflection of the past year, I present to you the blog’s “2011 in Review”. Below is the first of four installments rounding up my favorite…
Confessions in Desheng Lane (德生里)
The entrance into De Sheng Lane (德生里) was like a door into nothingness. Surveying the vast sea of fallen brick and mortar, bleached by the blazing sun, I…
The life and times of an old brick in Luwan* district
Located only minutes away from the hectic Xintiandi (新天地), the desolate longtang was as barren as the silence was deafening. February’s wintery cold only added to the vacuum….
Behind the Camera: Ishi Mak on photographing Shanghai’s architectural heritage
Ishi Mak (麦宇斯) is a dedicated photographer of Shanghai’s architectural heritage with a style reminiscent of Japanese minimalism. Widely known on Flickr as シャッターBUG, he captures what remains of…
If a Tree Falls in a Forest*
A purposeful pathway slices through Wuding Lu (武定路）(formerly known as Wuting Road) and Kangding Lu （康定路）(formerly Conaught Road), parallel to Xikang Lu (西康路) (formerly Ferry Road). On the…
The Shikumen Obituaries, Greater Shanghai Map and Reporting on Japan
— Ever wonder what an ongoing obituary for Shanghai’s old shikumen and houses looks like? Xi Zi (席子) has been compiling an ever-expanding photographic list of before and…
A Dash of Color in a Dying Neighborhood
[imagebrowser id=27] My brain rattled from the thundering of the driller which was breaking apart the concrete walls of a shikumen. Looming above was a beautiful arc of…