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Shanghai Art Deco

Old Shanghai Cinemas: Insights from a Logbook

by Tess Johnston// Back in 2010, I found in a local antique market an old ledger covered in brown wrapping paper, with a handsomely-penciled inscription on the front: [caption id="attachment_2406" align="aligncenter" width="642"] [Not the actual log book - our artist's impression!][/caption]A Logbook's Insights ...

5 Reasons to Visit the Old City Right Now

This autumn, we’ve seen the atmospheric Old Chinese City disappearing with unprecedented speed. Sure, it’s been slowly vanishing for years, but a recent visit saw one of our favorite sections demolished, and recently living neighborhoods emptied out and boarded up. The recent rapid clip adds an urgency to taking a last ...

Cai Zhen: Painter of Old Shanghai

Inspired by her own heritage, Cai Zhen paints the heritage buildings of old Shanghai, bathing them in sunlight and vibrant color. [caption id="attachment_2288" align="alignleft" width="224"] Cai Zhen, self portrait[/caption] We first encountered Madame Cai at an art exhibition featuring the watercolor paintings of architect ...

Top 10 Historic Shanghai Gifts: Our Annual Guide

Revolutionary ornaments. 1932 maps. Old Shanghai memoirs. Mao-rabilia. There are gifts, and then there are Shanghai heritage gifts for the true aficionados. If you've got one in your life*, you know we're a little harder to buy for, so we've done the hard work for you: Historic Shanghai has curated the top 10 gifts that ...

The Historic Shanghai Gift Guide

Looking for a unique Shanghai gift? Here’s our definitive guide to the best presents that celebrate Shanghai’s history. And we make it easy, too, with one stop shopping: all of these items are available either on the Shanghai Art Deco website or at Madame Mao’s Dowry, 207 Fumin Lu/Julu Lu. HISTORIC SHANGHAI ...

Shanghai’s Preserved Heritage Roads

In 2007, the Shanghai government implemented a plan for the preservation of heritage roads within the city. A total of 144 roads, including lilongs, in 12 historic areas were identified for protection. These included 64 ‘first class roads’ which were ‘never to be widened’ in order to protect both historic buildings ...

Bookshelf: Death in Shanghai

MJ Lee’s Death in Shanghai is a delicious crime novel set in old Shanghai. Terrific plot, great characters, superb writing – and oh, the historical detail! It truly brings old Shanghai to life, infusing the characters, and even the crime. We wanted to know more, and author Martin Lee obliged us with an ...