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…
-
The diversity of design in shikumen headers
Read More -
The Invisible Stain of Japanese Comfort Houses in Shanghai’s Lilongs
Read More -
Conversations: Jie Li on “Shanghai Homes: Palimpsests of Private Life”
Read More -
A history of the (underground) printing press in Shanghai’s shikumen
Read More -
“Chairman Mao Goes to Anyuan (安源)”: A Mural in Siwen Lane (斯文里)
Read More -
Elaborate lattice woodwork in Confucius Lane (孔家弄)
Read More -
My favorite Shanghai moments for Vogue
Read More
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
Where for art thou, spring?
Spring has appeared to have missed Shanghai completely. Or perhaps it was so fleeting having come and gone in a blink of an eye. Winter has been arduously…
Shanghai’s scrapers
The other day, a woman fell out of the sky and missed me by an inch. You think I’m making this up? I was hurriedly striding along the…
Morning run on the Bund
You spot them in the distance, like a millipede on speed. Bobbing up and down, not necessarily all in-sync, this group of young police cadets with freshly shaven…
Sunrise on the Bund
It was one of those moments that occur to the (semi) conscious mind at 430am. Dark blue hues were giving way to light, inch by inch. A lone…
Photographing children in China
Part of a series of portraits of strangers in Shanghai. Their parents were more than generous in letting a 50mm lens hover so close to their children and…
And the Shanghai Expo begins..
I caught the ceremonial launch of the World Expo in Shanghai on television like any good Shanghai resident, away from the maddening crowds. It showed spectacular views of…
Shanghai Cops: They’re watching you
Yes, they’re everywhere. Shanghai’s finest, its hierarchy of police men and women, district security guards (协管) and traffic cops are out in full force. In fact, there are…
The gentleman who does construction
In his paint-speckled work jacket, he had a laizzare-faire air about him that was striking yet charming at the same time. A profile shot was irresistible. Yet at…
All animals are comrades
“All men are enemies. All animals are comrades.” – George Orwell, Animal Farm, Ch. 1 At first sight, the chicken was sleeping. Next to it, the sign screamed…
Miscellany #1
I try to keep public service announcements on this blog to a minimum, so please bear with me. – University of Southern California’s “US-China Today” has published my essay…
Retrospect: No longer their city
I received a text message recently I thought note worthy. It was from this old man in his 60s who was living in Hongkou, a site along Haimen Lu (海门路) I…
"Speak softly, but carry a big can of paint."
Wandering along the graffiti street on Moganshan Lu, I counted 4 wedding shoots, 3 model shoots, 2 motor bikers (preening and then roaring down the street) and 1…
The taxi rest stop
You could say that it’s one of the most colorful public toilets in Shanghai. That is if you can spot it amidst a long trail of graffiti winding…
Portraits of Strangers #1
In thy face I see the map of honor, truth, and loyalty. – William Shakespeare, King Henry VI There’s no art To find the mind’s construction…