A Window To Another Time

[Thomas Promise]

Nongtangs refers to residential alleys in Shanghai and other cities of Eastern China, similar to the hutongs of Beijing - and they seem to reflect a more peaceful, traditional way of life, far from the stresses of urban living.

 

http://ow.ly/DlLLq

[Catherineli]

Alleys have been my favorite place to enjoy the serenity and solitude. There was a big area of alleys in Fuzhou City, Fujian Province. But the alleys were torn down in 2007. I happened to be there witnessing the "falling down" but I'm glad I took many pictures the minute before some old alleys were kissing the dust. I just uploaded some pictures which I took of then in 2007. I wonder how the new buildings look now in that area. I'm emotional towards these places. I like to know if someone at this forum is visting or lives in the alley area in Fuzhou city now?

 

Tom's pictures of alleys here are not very traditional because in the past Chinese people didn't expose any part of their body on the street. They sold nothing in the alley either.

 

Welcome to see the pictures of real alley!

 

Catherine

[Randy W]

Alleys have been my favorite place to enjoy the serenity and solitude. There was a big area of alleys in Fuzhou City, Fujian Province. But the alleys were torn down in 2007. I happened to be there witnessing the "falling down" but I'm glad I took many pictures the minute before some old alleys were kissing the dust. I just uploaded some pictures which I took of then in 2007. I wonder how the new buildings look now in that area. I'm emotional towards these places. I like to know if someone at this forum is visting or lives in the alley area in Fuzhou city now?

 

Tom's pictures of alleys here are not very traditional because in the past Chinese people didn't expose any part of their body on the street. They sold nothing in the alley either.

 

Welcome to see the pictures of real alley!

 

Catherine

 

 

A link to Catherine's photo album -

China Alley

[Thomas Promise]

Many mornings I would walk with Xia to her hospital and return to the apartment. I was on a main thouroughfare in Nanning and looked down an alley and thought this is Nanning, China down that alley way is the real China. (Real people.) I would walk down those narrow streets and many times and I would get a stare like I was close encounter of the 3rd kind. All in all the people where very friendly. My wife has a saying a smile and music have no language barriers.

[Joecy]

Nice pictures set! Reminded me of the old Tongtang in Shanghai.

 

 

Surprised to see this one though, I thought these bucket toilets are already gone.

Women chat as they carry bucket toilets to empty in public toilets, Sept 1, 2010.[Photo/qq.com]

 

Yes Thomas, you are quite an intruder in these allies. But isn't that stare made us feel unique?

I could walk 100 time up and down a street in Philadelphia, and no one pay a single attention to me.

[Catherineli]

Joecy still remembers the bucket toilet lol. Yes, every family had a bucket toilet for the night use. Then the next monring people were lined up on the street waiting to answer their natures' call. Outhouses were seen everywhere on the street but still not enough. In retrospect, we are really grateful for the present life.

 

Now I'm showing a rare picture about the past. It says, "often wash your hair, often cut your fingernails, often brush your teeth and rinse your mouth, often take a shower". I changed this picture smaller, but I can't make it back to the original big size. I'll have to learn how to adjust the size of a picture.

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Edited October 29, 2014 by Catherineli (see edit history)

[danb]

Hello. Here is a film of old Hong Kong:

 

http://www.theatlantic.com/video/archive/2012/02/1930s-hong-kong-revealed-in-a-vintage-travel-film/253262/

 

I have only been to Hong Kong a couple of times and didn't get a chance to see much of her. Maybe one of these days. When I am in Nanning I tend to stick to the main streets. Mostly because I don't want to get lost. There are some side streets near Nanhu lake that have some older buildings and homes. At least they were there a few years ago. Right next ( on the right side) to the Yong Jiang Hotel there is the old Nanning Post Office and another old building. They date back to at least the 1930-1940's. Today , one is a private business and the other one is a restaurant. The restaurant doesn't ever seem to be busy but it has a charm about it. I hope I can get my niece to take me there for lunch on my next trip to Nanning. One of these days I am going to have to learn to post pictures to this site. Danb