The Interview: Katya Knyazeva on Shanghai’s Old Town
The original Shanghai – the “old town” – is hidden in plain sight, in center of China’s wealthiest city. Yet it is but a shadow, unexplored territory for both foreigners and locals. And it’s vanishing quickly. Journalist, photographer, tour guide, and blogger Katya Knyazeva has spent six years painstakingly documenting the Old Town, uncovering the layers of 900 years of history. The result is a remarkable book, the first in-depth resource on the old Chinese city in English: Shanghai Old Town: Topography of a Phantom City is a history and a photographic atlas of the former walled city and port of Shanghai. Katya shared some insights on the making of this book.
Tell us, why did you decide to focus on the old town for this project?
Since my first day in Shanghai, I was smitten with old neighborhoods. We spent our first week wandering the streets, peeking into gateways and windows, photographing everything. The old city in particular drew me in, with its crooked street pattern, density and diversity. I was so enchanted, I remember following the voice of the cold noodle vendor on his circuit through the lanes.
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