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 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…
Conversations: Jie Li on “Shanghai Homes: Palimpsests of Private Life”
Jie Li’s book Shanghai Homes has been 10 years in the making. Combining memoirs and analysis of communal hardship and familial secrets, the book focuses on the lives of…
Shanhaiguan Lu (山海关路) through the eyes of an older Shanghainese
The streets have grown quieter. As Siwen Lane (斯文里) in Jingan district empties out ahead of demolition and redevelopment, the surrounding neighborhoods are anticipating changes too. New basketball courts,…
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…
Leaving a family history of poverty behind in Siwen Lane (斯文里)
His name was Wang. A bespectacled man in his late 30s, he wore a short-sleeved shirt and carried a sling bag. When I met him, he was studiously examining blueprints…
Conversations: Patrick Cranley on Shanghai’s Historical Art Deco architecture
Anyone with a keen interest in Shanghai’s unique history and architecture would have participated in one of Wm Patrick Cranley’s tours or talks at some point. Patrick founded…
Behind the Camera: Mathieu Bellec on the reality of Shanghai’s architecture through photography
Mathieu Bellec is a French architect based in Shanghai. He first reached out to me last year to discuss street photography. Mathieu had no website and instead brought his laptop…
Old industry, new migrants along Suzhou Creek (苏州河)
Entering the short stretch of Xiamen Lu (厦门路) just a block away from the Suzhou Creek, the strong smell of soldered steel filled the air. The repetitive screeching…
A history of the (underground) printing press in Shanghai’s shikumen
Buried amidst the largely demolished Chengyu Lane (成裕里) (or Achieving Abundance Lane) on Fuxing Zhong Lu (复兴中路), a mountain of debris hid a small piece of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP)…
Conversations: Colette Fu on the role of pop-up art in shaping cultural identity
Colette Fu’s photographic pop-up art books are nothing that I have ever seen. The first time I opened one of them, they didn’t just rise predictably and vertically…
Conversations: Non Arkaraprasertkul on an anthropologist’s life in a lilong
Trained as an architect, urban designer, historian and ethnographic filmmaker, Non Arkaraprasertkul is a PhD Candidate in Anthropology at Harvard, and is currently conducting field research in Shanghai. For…
“Chairman Mao Goes to Anyuan (安源)”: A Mural in Siwen Lane (斯文里)
Traces of China’s Cultural Revolution fervor can still be found in Shanghai’s old lilong neighborhoods if you look hard enough – fading slogans of “Long Live Chairman Mao!”…
Revisiting JR’s “Wrinkles of the City” in Shanghai
Some of you may have seen a giant photo booth truck in and around Shanghai with people queuing to have their portraits taken. A friend recently shared snaps…
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…