Photo Gallery: Shanghai Life

Bund

Photograph by Justin Guariglia

Symbol of Shanghai’s international heritage, the river-skirting Bund area has been a popular site for European and U.S. businesses since the late 19th century, when it grew into a major Asian financial center.

A Man and His Dog

Photograph by Justin Guariglia

Shanghai moment: A dog and his pajama-clad master watch bicycles pedal by their longtan, or communal housing area. Casual clothes have been common daytime attire for older Shanghaiers, though the custom is fading in favor of Western suits.

Skyline Cart

Photograph by Justin Guariglia

Shanghai’s new skyline, a point of civic pride, inspires depictions everywhere, from souvenirs to this bicycle-cart mural promoting safety.

Nanpu Bridge

Photograph by Justin Guariglia

A tangle of corkscrewing ramps worthy of Star Wars funnel traffic on and off Nanpu Bridge, completed in 1991 to connect old Shanghai with the rapidly developing Pudong New Area.

Spring Festival

Photograph by Justin Guariglia

Decked out with paper banners and lanterns for the Chinese Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, the Yu Yuan district in Shanghai’s Old Town surges with celebrants of China’s biggest holiday.

Candied Apples

Photograph by Justin Guariglia

Festive food bouquet: Candied apples stay rosy in a warmer at a Shanghai vendor’s stand.

Dumpling Shop

Photograph by David Butow

Longhua Temple

Photograph by David Butow

Locals burn incense at Longhua Buddhist temple, Shanghai’s largest and most complete, offering homage to their ancestors, the gods, or sending a wish to heaven.

Development

Photograph by David Butow

Fragile artifact, a decades-old apartment building defies—for now—the inexorable development that is transforming today’s go-go-go Shanghai.