David Lyu
The Gould Center for Humanistic Studies 2024 Winter Passion Project, Claremont McKenna College
China is one of the fastest growing countries in the world. The last time when I was home, I could barely recognize the surroundings: new streets, shops, subway stations… It dawned on me that my recollections of the place where I spent my childhood are gradually fading, overshadowed by the constant construction of something new each day. The changes made me think: what was the city like before I was born? Before my parents were born? Undoubtedly, the urbanization of Chinese cities signifies remarkable progress in economic development, yet it raises questions about the history we are leaving behind. Historical sites such as the Beijing Ming City Wall, ancient temples, and traditional houses have yielded to the imposing presence of skyscrapers and fast roads. Is there a way to go back in time to see what we have left behind and compare what has changed?
In this project, I picked out few locations with photo archives and revisited those locations and tried to re-create the photos on the film. I visited Shanghai and Beijing, with more than 10 locations to present.
万里滔滔江水永不休
The Bund, taken from Huangpu River Ferry. David Lyu, December 21, 2023, 3089 × 2048, Ilford Pan 100 35mm
My family moved to Shanghai at the beginning of 2023. Before that, I only visited the city once when I was a kid. In my mind, Shanghai has always been the city of finance and fashion. I was amazed by how big the city is. I took me an hour to take the subway to the downtown.
During my research process, I chose most of my locations near the Bund. I think the Bund is one of the best locations to represent the history and the development of Shanghai. On the west side of the Hungpu River, you can see all of the historical buildings since 1800s. On the east side of the river, is the modern central business district.
The Battle of Shanghai was a major engagement fought between the armies of China and Japan in 1937 during the opening stages of the Second Sino-Japanese War. It began in August 1937 and lasted until November of that year.
*viewer discretion: the following photo include war scene, please be advised.
Casualties and debris outside the Cathay Hotel, Shanghai, after the bombing on 14 August 1937. Historical Photographs of China, University of Bristol Library, Special Collections.
On 14th, August 1937, Chinese bombers were trying to bomb the Japanese cruiser Idzumo (Izumo) and the Japanese Consulate. One of the bomb felt on Nanjing Rd (南京路) just between Cathay Hotel (now Peace Hotel) and Palace Hotel. The picture captured the street after the bombing.