shanghai

By Tewfic El-Sawy

April 23^rd, 2018

SHANGHAI'S VANISHING LONGTANG ALLEYS

The narrow and tightly-packed alleys that escaped demolition in some Shanghai neighborhoods are called longtangs (弄堂, lòngtáng). The homes/structures lining these narrow alleys are usually two or three stories high, almost cutting the sunlight from the lower mazes.

Daily life pulses through these narrow streets, out in the open. Washing dishes, cleaning babies, napping in chairs that have seen better days...all happen in the alleys, in the open....amongst neighbors who live cheek to jowl, and are as intimate as family.

There seems to be no privacy in the longtangs. The residents cook together, and usually eat outside, comparing notes on recipes and where to buy the freshest (and cheapest) produce. Laundry is done and hang to dry on lines extended from one structure to the other. Mahjong games are popular and can go on all day and night. Toilets are frequently shared. If there are quarrels between families, everyone in the neighborhood gets involved. They're self-standing integrated communities.

I was in Shanghai to give a 3-hour photo talk on travel photography at the well-known IG (Imaging Group) Photography Gallery, followed by a day long street photography workshop for 10 local photographers (and a subsequent photo critique), so I was able to indulge in some street photography of my own...either alone or with a Chinese friend.

Footnotes

Button Label

FootNotes