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…
Heritage Architecture
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…
Footage of the Lost Battalion in 1937 Battle of Shanghai
There is nothing quite like watching history in movement, the flickering of black and white, and jerky movements of humans and machine caused by the limitation of old…
Details that define a shikumen lane
What I love about photographing old shikumens and lilongs are the designs and motifs threaded into the exterior and interior of the buildings. How elaborate or simple, modern…
The Invisible Stain of Japanese Comfort Houses in Shanghai’s Lilongs
If you look closely, the legacy of Japanese presence in pre-war and war-time Shanghai can be found across the city’s old neighborhoods, dating back to their emergence as…
From Shanghai to Fuzhou: Discovering the former Fujian Xintai Bank (辛泰银行)
Every time I travel along the busy Henan Lu (河南路), I watch for the blue plastic awnings that dot each window of the seemingly nondescript building. The walls are…
Elaborate lattice woodwork in Confucius Lane (孔家弄)
In my few years of photographing old houses around Shanghai, I have never been this buoyant over lattice woodwork in its original setting. Perhaps it was a mix of…
Update: A Photographer’s Eviction from the house on Yulin Road
Note: This was originally published on 6 January, 2011. I have since updated it upon new details revealed. From a distance, the row of European-styled houses stood out…
Making friends in high places: Photographing Jiuan Fang (久安坊)
“What did you say you wanted?” The old lady stared wide-eyed at me. Her granddaughter, who was diligently practicing her characters on the dining table, eyed me curiously….
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