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…
弄堂
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…
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…
Melancholic tang poetry on shikumen walls
Somewhere in the labyrinth of shikumen lanes between Jinan Lu (济南路) and Hefei Lu (合肥路), the soundtrack of longtang living was underway: the clanging of spatulas against sizzling…
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…
Winter walking
It was only a few weeks ago, the cold and dampness of Shanghai’s winter had gotten to me in the worst possible way. Hibernation swiftly took over and…
A review of 2011 (part three)
This is the third installment of my review of 2011. Picking a favorite story from each month is difficult. All posts take time, including research, photo editing and writing…
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…
How children take to the Roving Exhibit
As some of you may know, I gave a showing (video and talk) of The Roving Exhibit at the twocities gallery back in June. Unfortunately, I had recklessly…