Exploring the Lilong in the “Cloud\" Era

Hu Zhihong

Hu Zhihong graduated with a pattern major from Shanghai Textile School （now Donghua University） anda designmajor from East China University of Science and Technology. Over the past 30 years，without seeking fameand fortune，he broughtacamera to silentlywalk through the streetsand alleys of Shanghai，recording the historical changes in Shikumen alleys.

Hu Mingmin

HuMingminworksforBankof Communicationsand loves photographyand collecting.Over the years，he followed his father， Mr.Hu Zhihong，visiting the old houses in Shanghai，and with his loveforShanghaiand persistentbelief，he，togetherwithhisfather， took precious picturesand compiled them into books.

As the alleyways of Shanghai and Wrote：“To foreigners，Shanghai is famous for its skyscrapers along the Bund.Yetwhen we step into the city and encounter itsendless labyrinth of lilongs （lanes，alleyways），we inevitably realize that thisis，intruth，a living museum of 20th-century architecture.\"

The ornamentation of these lilongs blends Eastand West，pastand present，with residents often taking part in their design.Adventure， resilience，mutualaid，neighborly bonds，classicalelegance，and raw artisticexpressionallintertwine within these lanes，creatingan urbancharmrarelyseenelsewhere intheworld.Today，let'stakea closer look at these intricately patterned\"doorways\"and revisit the bygone days when life“l(fā)eaned"againstthepillars.\"

Scrolled Floral Ornaments

Thescrolledfloralornaments of Shanghai's lilongs carry an Eastern warmth and vitality，with the gable decorations facing thestreetsbeing particularly lavish and diverse in their curling motifs-each brimmingwith character.If the gable of Huayan Lane resemblesa young maiden with softly curled tresses，then thegableofNo.274Huoshan Road is like a kind grandmother. These gables take on various forms： Some feature twining branches （Hong'an Lane），others beaded necklaces （Xiafei Alley）， draped ribbons （Yongcheng Lane）， twin fish motifs （Yuyang Lane）， orleather-likescrollpatterns （Shuangmei Terrace），among other：

Shanghai's lilongsalso boastan abundance of scrolled ornaments inshapessuchasaxes，clamshells， and fans.These designs blend the heraldic shield with floral wreaths， theiropulent Baroque-inspired curlsadorningboth facadesand doorways.Yet evenwhen repeated acrossabuilding，theirgraceful formsneverfeelexcessive.The shield，onceatraditionalWestern emblemofcities，banners，and coats of arms，has been widely embraced in these decorations， carryingwith it an age-old plea for peaceand protection.

Fan Motifs

The culture of the fan has deeply influenced China for centuries， and fan-shaped patternsare also commonly found in Shanghai's residentialarchitecture.These designs typically take the form of scallop shells，adorned with creasesor radiating lines，and sometimesembellishedwith tassels，enhancingtheirEastern charm.Theearliestfeatherfans （zhai shan） appeared during the Shang and Zhou dynasties.By the Han Dynasty，round silk fans （wan shan）became popular，whilethe Northern Song Dynasty saw the rise of folding fans （jutou shan）， which were beloved by scholars andcollectorsalike.Fansurfaces oftenservedascanvasesfor paintings and calligraphy，with many renowned artists leaving behind theirbrushstrokes.

InChina，the finestfanswere traditionally crafted in Suzhou， Jiangsu，as well as Sichuan，made frommaterialssuchas paper， silk，palmleaves，bamboo，and wheat straw.In some folk customs， fanswere givenasauspicious gifts to daughters during their first Dragon Boat Festivalafter marriage，symbolizing peace and smooth fortune.The fan dance remainsacherishedfolktradition inruralareas，whileurbansquares seemodernadaptations-even innovativefan-themedballet performances.

HeartMotifs

The heart motif carries profoundly positivesymbolism，often representing trust，wisdom， and love-withitshighest embodiment being universal love andbenevolence.The Chinese nation has long upheld a tradition ofuniversal love，asseeninthe ancient seal scriptcharacter for \"love\"（愛），which incorporatesthe radical for“heart\"（心）.

In pre-Qin philosophy，Mozi advocated“impartial love\"（兼愛）， while Han Yu spoke of\"universal love\"（博愛） as the essence of humaneness，principles that transcend distinctions of selfand other，kinship orstatus，strength orweakness，wisdom or ignorance These idealswerelaterembraced by Sun Yat-sen as part of his political vision. Confucius'teaching that“the benevolent love others\" （仁者愛人） has lefta lasting legacy，inspiringacts of selfless aid toward strangersin distress， driven purely by compassion.As the Tang Dynasty physician Sun Simiaoproclaimed，\"Agreathealer must be free of desireand selfinterest，firstawakeningaheartof boundless compassion.They must not ask of status or wealth，age or appearance，enmity or kinship， nationality orintellect，but treatall asdearlyas family.\"Suchteachings of impartial and universal love remaindeeply rooted in the national spirit.

Theheartasasymbolofuniversal lovetranscendscultural boundaries Duringthemodernexchangeof the Eastern and Western ideas， theheartmotif，free from the constraintsof language，found its way intothedecorativeelements of Shanghai's lilong doorways. Examplesofheart-shapedpatterns can be seen in the entrance ornaments of Jingyun Lane， HengxingLane，and Mingde Lane.

AuspiciousBeastMotifs

Among the decorative motifs ofShanghai'slilongs，themost commonly seen auspicious beasts are“twin lions playing with a ball\" Additionally，the elephant （ 象xiang），homophonous with\"auspiciousness\"（祥xiang），is anotherfocal pointinresidential ornamentation.The lion designs on Shanghai's doorways varyin style，with mostdatingback to theearly Republic of China era. These sculpturesstrikea balance between fiercenessand charm， compact in size yet vividly lifelike， exuding an endearing quality. Some lintel carvingsevenadopt the Western-style heraldic lion.

Ancient China boasted an exceptionally rich tradition of mythical beastsin both form and variety. Creatures like the qilin，tianlu，andbixiebelonged toa fantastical\"menagerieof theimagination\"The tianlu，for instance，was firstdocumented in the Eastern Han Dynasty. It was depictedasaflyingbeastwitha raised head，puffedchest，arched back，wide glaring eyes，and a"shock ofmane flowing from its forehead，radiatingferocity.The qilin，likelyanevenolder motif， stood asa majesticand noble creature，believedtotreadso lightly that itharmedneither insectsnor grass，earning it the honorifictitleof“benevolent beast.\"During the Ming and Qing dynasties，stone lionswerenot craftedrealisticallybutwere instead endowedwith symbolic titles like“Grand Preceptor （Taishi） and Junior Guardian （Shaobao）.\" Flanking the gates of grand residences，the lion on the left represented the Grand Preceptor， whilethe oneon theright symbolized theJunior Guardian. These guardian lions servedas both protectors of the household andemblemsof imperial honor.

Intermsofthestylisticevolution ofauspicious beast carvings，the motifs on bronze vessels of Shang and Zhou dynastiesexudea sense ofmysteryand stimulatethe imagination，exertinga profound influence on later depictions of these mythical creatures.The Qin Dynasty'sterracottaarmyfeatures powerfully rendered warhorses， representingarareexampleof highly realistic sculptures.The stone carvingsofauspicious beasts during the Han Dynasty are predominantlymajestic，expansive， and brimming with natural vitality. Whetherin Qin terracotta figures， Hanbrickreliefs，or colossal stone horsesand tigers，allembody the extraordinary grandeur characteristic of the Qin and Han periods.Comparingthe stone beastsand householddecorative

carvings of the Ming and Qing dynasties revealsdistinctstylistic differences：Ming works are refined and expressive，while Qing pieces areexquisite yet opulent，with their precision increasingly giving wayto formulaic conventions. Particularly in the late Qing Dynasty，thedecadenttastes andleisurelypursuitsofthe aristocracy deeply influenced folk culture，leadingtowidespread copying，a decline in innovation， anda preoccupation with comfortandtheartofminiature carving，reaching such extremes asengraving on rice grains or etching hair-thin lines.Stone lions from this period became largely repetitive，theirexpressionsstiff andsolemn.