Old things in Shen’Ao

We’re in Shen’Ao (深澳村) near Tonglu (桐庐). The average age of the tourists is around thirty, while I’m sure the average age of the local residents is nearly double.

Most buildings are over a century old and in pretty bad shape — although I do think this used to be a comfortable village to live in, before its decay and before the tourists came. There are several tiny squares, a pond, mountains on one side, and the city of Tonglu nearby. Plus the buildings show a richness off the past. Big thick walls made of stones and rammed earth (夯土), and Hui architecture (徽派).

But that was before. Someone says: “This reminds me of my childhood”, but after a pause she adds: “But even then we didn’t even live in such poor buildings.”

The top line says: 祝毛主席万寿无疆 (Wishing Chairman Mao a long life).

Latest

A summer’s day in autumn

A summer’s day in autumn

Set an alarm to 05:00, take a taxi to the train station, get onto the train, switch in Hangzhou, and get off in Tonglu (桐庐), take another taxi — to arrive 4 hours and 330 kilometers away from home. For a hike. Maybe it’s crazy, but the alternative is to stay home. You’ll have plenty […]
October 12, 2025
Mary in Qibao

Mary in Qibao

We’re in Qibao (七宝古镇) — an old water town swallowed by the city of Shanghai, now turned into a tourist attraction. In the center stands a moon bridge, surrounded by heavily renovated buildings that now house shops selling fridge magnets or bites such as ⁠tangyuan, scallion pancakes, red bean cake, and parts of pork or […]
October 11, 2025
Empty shops

Empty shops

If you squint your eyes, you can still see a busy little street here. The shops on Wangxin Road (王新街店铺) near Gaoqiao (高桥) in Pudong, were built in the late Qing Dynasty but now face an uncertain future. They’re not labeled for demolition (the character 拆 isn’t shown), but there are many tags of landlords […]
October 11, 2025
My favorite places in Shanghai (2025 update)

My favorite places in Shanghai (2025 update)

I saw this message from Curt about how difficult it is to love Shanghai, and there’s some truth in that. Maybe it’s too big a city to love, and I just love some specific locations of Shanghai. Let me have a go. Ye Garden Ye Garden (叶家花园), a ~100-year-old park in Yangpu, hidden behind a […]
October 10, 2025