Shanghai, Kongjia Nong Lane

Kongjia Nong Lane may be the last patch of lilong old district in Shanghai’s city center, with its iconic passageway buildings—a classic snapshot of the city’s past—recently demolished. One resident returned to their old home to gather final belongings, murmuring to themselves. 

In summers past, they might have set out small tables and bamboo chairs at the doorstep for cooling off, dining, or ga sanhu (chatting). Without the muffled clamour of neighbours, their murmurs grow clear, the room’s reverberation spilling into the alley, amplified again. 

This hollow, resonant echo is etched into the temporal lobes of the residents—a soundscape shared across generations. After moving to new homes, will it take them long to adjust?

Recorded in Shanghai, China by Digimonk.