Oh, for the decadent pre-Communist-era of Shanghai! Vice, glamor, high stakes, and violent outcomes. 1930s Shanghai has become a genre unto itself--novels, narratives, restaurants, films, couture.The latest film in this genre, simply titled Shanghai, is to come out sometime … [Read more...]
Archives for August 2010
Dumpling envy
My brother sent me this photo yesterday. He lives in Brooklyn and ran into the Rickshaw Dumpling Truck at Grand Army Plaza over the weekend.I love how they use Chinese revolutionary propaganda posters and catchy slogans, like Who's Your Edamame?The other side of the truck … [Read more...]
Dreaming of Cathay
I've been polishing and proofreading my memoir and just finished a part in which I stayed in Shanghai 15 years ago. Although I don't write about the Cathay Cinema, I haven't forgotten it.The Cathay is an Art Deco beauty, built in 1932. (I recently read that Shanghai is home … [Read more...]
Hong Kong & Shanghai Hotels
This luggage tag from the Hong Kong & Shanghai Hotels advertises the group's three hotels in the 1950s.The Peninsula Hotel (b. 1928) was the first of the group's hotels. After the Japanese invaded Hong Kong on Christmas Day, 1941, the Kempeitei used the hotel as a … [Read more...]
Once upon a time in Mongkok
At first glance, the scene on this Hong Kong postcard appears relatively recent. Without cars to identify the era, it's hard to tell when the photo was taken.The neon looks familiar, as do the buildings. But at closer look, I recognize certain shops and hotels from the 1960s. … [Read more...]