Sacred Shanghai

‘By ritual, Heaven and Earth harmoniously combine.’ Xunzi (3rd century BC. Chinese philosopher) Between 2013 -16, I explored the spaces, rituals and communities that together weave the spiritual fabric of China’s largest and most cosmopolitan city. Shanghai has around 26 million inhabitants and is the tenth wealthiest city in the world. Built on consumerism, it is known for its economic dynamism and architectural daring, and yet it is at the forefront of religious resurgence. This megalopolis is home to a multitude of religions including Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, Baha’ism, Hinduism and Daoism, as well as many other alternative faiths, which are constantly growing and evolving. The first thorough investigation of religious practices in a Chinese city, this multidisciplinary project was undertaken in collaboration with Professor Benoit Vermander of the Xu-Ricci Dialogue Institute at Fudan University and Liang Zhang of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences. The work is published in two volumes: Sacred Shanghai, Washington University Press, 2018, and the photographic book Shanghai Sacred, GOST books, 2019.