Our second day of playing tourists in Shanghai was a bit more interesting than the first. We headed to Taikang Road first. Stepping off the main road, we entered a labyrinth of tiny alleyways, chockablock with art galleries, clothing boutiques, and interesting little restaurants and bars.
The first few art galleries we walked into were full of large prints by Chinese photographers. Most of the photos were great—ranging from wide angle shots of modern day Pudong to portraits of farmers in remote provinces dating back to the 80s (which doesn’t sound like a long time ago, but it looks like it).
One of our favorite photos was a top-down shot of the bike/scooter lane on a Shanghai road during a rainy day. It’s packed with people on their bikes, and they’re all wearing brightly colored ponchos that cover everything but their face. At first it looks like abstract color splotches…you have to look a little closer to figure out what you’re looking at. And based on our short time in Shanghai it’s a pretty typical Shanghai scene…one of the many daily experiences that makes us say “only in China.”
Here’s another one we liked: (more…)
