Shanghai, Yongnian Road

Yongnian Road and Shunchang Road are packed with “72 tenants” style lilong buildings, teeming with residents who speak softly to avoid stares. Street-level homes, often shops or card rooms, hum a bit louder. On summer nights, Shanghai uncles (yeshu), shirtless, sit on bamboo chairs, sipping cold beer, eating, and ga sanhu (chatting). 

In the 80s and 90s, with rising incomes, this lively scene lasted past midnight, marking the end of an era when voices drowned out traffic. During the recording, mostly locals remain; though distant words are faint, the Shanghai dialect’s cadence still rings clear.

Recorded in Shanghai by Digimonk.