Near neighbors: The rich history and close residents of Ci'anli Building
Directed by Tang Dafei. Shot by Xu Zhuangtao. Edited by Tang Dafei. Subtitles by Yang Yang, Emma Leaning.
As the proverb goes, a near neighbor is better than a distant cousin. In the historic Ci'anli Building on Nanjing Road, residents visit each other often – a custom called chuan men (串门), and one rarely seen among neighbors in today's modern urban residential buildings.
In the second episode of Qiao Shanghai, Michelle Qiao visits two homes in Ci'anli Building. Both boast amazing views of Nanjing Road. Michelle is struck by the building's unique life and tightly packed kitchens that fill corridors with the fragrances of neighbors cooking.
Michelle guides you through the rich history of Ci'anli Building, its Jewish tycoon investor and a female martyr who died in front of the building for a grand Communist cause.
