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
Echoes and the crunch of broken glass
What is the appeal of an abandoned building? A common question posed by every other person who happens to be squatting or doing brisk recycling scrap business, to…
Before dinnertime, you could…
… sing a song. … run an errand. … play one last round of carom. … run around with a stick of celery. … trim your hair. And…
It’s a family affair
Along a quiet part of Huoshan Lu (霍山路), an old, wrinkled woman was parked by the curb in a rattan chair, quietly fanning herself. Surrounding her were two…
The transaction
In the afternoon that I have been hanging out at a scrapyard along Huoshan Lu (霍山路), I noticed an old man shuffling quietly through with a small bag…
Stating the obvious: it’s hot.
This was taken a few weeks ago, on what was then the hottest day of the year. But by now, everyone would have been used to 38-40 degrees…
Behind the Camera: Tim Franco on photographing urban Shanghai
Tim Franco is a Franco-Polish photographer based in Shanghai, working mainly with analog film cameras, particularly on large formats. Among his projects is a comprehensive depiction of the…
Skaterboys
I was “chasing” 4 o’clock shadows at the intersection of 金陵东路 (Jinling Dong Lu) and 西藏南路 (Xizhang Nan Lu) when I heard a loud whoops and whooshes of…
A day of rest
He was sitting alone, surrounded by concrete sand and mud, reading a newspaper on top of a tiny table. Behind him was his home, a large blue storage…
Behind the Camera: 唐颖 Tang Ying on street photography
唐颖 (Tang Ying) is a Shanghai native and has studied in Japan and the US. Ying honed her street photography while working in San Francisco as a freelance…
And then the sun came out to play
This past weekend, the sun came out in its full glory, accompanied by clear blue skies and thin wisps of clouds. For weeks, Shanghai endured a perpetual haze,…
Some published work of late and varia
Hello there! I want to share some exciting news with you about some new published work and updates for the blog. – Foreign Policy Magazine recently published my…
The steel nest
I’ve always wondered how much steel is required to hold up an entire building. Tons, I imagine, snaking through concrete and plaster. I watched a group of construction workers…
Scooter 1-2-3
Faster and sturdier than an electric bicycle, casual and a small enough an engine that a license is merely a formality. Anyone can learn to drive a scooter…
Because the Street Belonged to Her
She was jaywalking in the huge intersection under the light patter of a persistent drizzle. The traffic warden yelled out to her to return to the curb as…