I’ve been reading a blog of one traveler. Among numerous cities he has also visited Shanghai and said that it’s the only megapolis that has a soul. I don’t know about other huge modern cities, but I totally agree with him about Shanghai. This city can mesmerize, fascinate, charm and absorb. The Chinese mentioned to me that it’s the most Western city in the country and doesn’t look like China. Maybe that’s why I feel so comfortable here, though my home town is absolutely different, not to mention the fact that it’s comparatively small. You can see the highest achievements of modern architecture here and fore some people it’s absolutely enough, but let’s not forget about the history of this city. It used to be a fishing village once and it’s a remote past now, though there definitely was time before the Pudong.
Some days ago I went slumming. There are a few poor districts I pass while going anywhere by subway, so I’ve been cherishing this idea for several weeks. There is a slum clearance policy in Shanghai now and I’m inclined to believe that these districts will melt into thin air in the course of 15-20 years, so I found it a rigid must to go there before it’s too late.
Such quarters usually have squared shape and consist of narrow lanes and yards. A lot of houses are two-storeyed and a few families can share a yard.
There is a typical yard. There are usually plenty of plants. Entering this area, you feel like encroaching on sb’s territory, so I asked permission for making photos every time and inhabitants never refused me.
The same yard. On this photo you can notice a few birds’ cages hanging on the wall – it’s rather popular here.
One of the inhibitions of this yard. People here are really friendly. Actually, they don’t understand why should foreigners grow interested in their modest dwellings and were constantly recommending visiting places from the tourist maps.
I know it’s not polite to peep through a keyhole and I hope the owner of the loo will never see this photo.
Regales of the fact that area dwellings look dilapidated, the territory is surprisingly clean.
It’s very popular to hang brooms on the wall.
A woman is preparing a dinner for the family.
A friendly couple. It’s a common thing to wear pajamas on the streets for Shanghai people. People here can speak Putonghua fluently (as well as Shanghai dialect, which is absolutely deferent from Putonghua), but I was really astonished when one of the members (or just a neighbor) of this family started speaking English, and not bad I should say. As it turned out, the man had graduated from Shanghai International Studies University in 60-th. I was really amused. Perhaps, he was the only person in that quarter who could speak a foreign language. Being truthful, I’d like my neighbors to be as friendly as the inhabitants of Shanghai slums.
A girl was of two minds – it was not a piece of cake for her to decide if she wanted to be photographed or to hide herself in the house.
A motorbike is a rarity here.
Here you can see how slums look from the outside.
Shanghai doesn’t have central heating, so air conditional systems are in huge demand.
Pictures with “good” words (the most popular is a character “happiness” hanged upside down on the doors) are usual items of decorating walls and doors.
Sorry to say, but the dog in the cage is to be cooked and sold as a delicates.
A group of children were laughing and screaming out “foreigners”.
A fruit market. Prices for fruit and books are unthinkable law over here.
madelinechina 