Today, a walk through Shanghai’s Yangpu district (杨浦区, pronounced as Yángpǔ qū).

Fuxing Park on Fuxing Island (复兴岛).

The park houses ‘白庐’, where Chiang Kai-shek stayed in 1949, before forever leaving Shanghai, and shortly after that mainland China. The interior is totally destroyed to make way for government propaganda. The air conditioner pours out hot air, even though it’s 20°C outside.

You need a personal QR code to get into Tongji University, so at the gate I asked someone who looked like a student whether he can help me: “Sure.” The guard sees us scanning his phone and yells at him: “Do you know him?!”, but he just calmly replies: “Yeah, he’s my friend.”

On the campus, there’s a lane with cherry blossom trees and it’s packed with people.

Take a walk:

I wanted to see the sunset from the top of Jiangwan Stadium, but it’s still closed and filled with quarantine-camp containers.

In front of the stadium:

And University Road (大学路). I lived near this area for more than three years. It feels like coming home.