Dream Trip 2009

Great Travel Moment

Spring Festival preparations were in full swing when my younger sister and I meandered around the Shanghai open market near the famous Old Street. We had spent time in shopping areas brimming with tourists and wanted a more authentic experience. We stumbled upon this side market and were overwhelmed by the enormous supply of red lanterns, cow memorabilia celebrating the year of the ox, and lucky new year Chinese knots. I snapped this photograph through one of dozens of hanging rows of lanterns while shopping alongside the locals. This photo is special because it is nonintrusive to those it captures. I love how the hurry of the moment is stilled, the excitement and vivid red of the Chines New Year is prominent, and the energy of the holiday is intensely portrayed. I remember soaking in the joy of holiday preparations side by side with the Shanghainese.