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Old photos of Shanghai

14 photographs of Shanghai, from 1900 to 2025 — each pinned to the exact place it was taken.

Have an old photo of Shanghai? A family album, a postcard, a print from the attic. Pin it to the map and it becomes part of the record.
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What the photos show

The 14 photographs of Shanghai on PlaceWas span 3 decades, from 1900 to 2025. 1 of them were taken before 1980; the other 13 are recent views of the same streets and landmarks.2 spots were photographed more than once, so you can compare the same street, square or building across the years.9 of the photos carry a written caption explaining what is in the frame. Every picture is pinned to the place it was taken, so the map below shows where the photographers stood.

Pick a decade to filter the photos below and the map above. Open full map ↗

Places in Shanghai through time

Spots photographed more than once — compare the same place across the years.

Shanghai Bund, Shanghai — photos through time
Shanghai Bund 8 photos · 1900–2025
Night view of Shanghai New World City, Shanghai — photos through time
Night view of Shanghai New World City 2 photos · 2024–2025

Stories from Shanghai

What contributors wrote about these photographs.

Seeing Shanghai, Shanghai, 2017
Seeing Shanghai 2017 A view of Shanghai, China, from 2017. Shanghai is one of the world's largest cities and a major commercial and financial center on China's eastern coast.
Exit 1 of Dashijie Station in Shanghai, Shanghai, 2023
Exit 1 of Dashijie Station in Shanghai 2023 Exit 1 of Dashijie Station on the Shanghai Metro, photographed in 2023. The station serves a busy commercial district of the city, reflecting the scale of Shanghai's rapidly expanded underground rail network.
Exit 4 of Dashijie Station in Shanghai, Shanghai, 2023
Exit 4 of Dashijie Station in Shanghai 2023 Exit 4 of Dashijie Station on the Shanghai Metro, photographed in 2023. The station serves the historic Nanjing Road area near the Bund, one of Shanghai's busiest commercial districts.
Shanghai Museum, Shanghai, 2024
Shanghai Museum 2024 The circular drum-shaped Shanghai Museum, with its distinctive arched openings, stands in People's Square in this May 2024 photograph, dwarfed by the surrounding skyline.
Shanghai Great World Entertainment Center, Shanghai, 2024
Shanghai Great World Entertainment Center 2024 Shanghai Great World Entertainment Center (Dashijie)
Shanghai Great World Entertainment Center, Shanghai, 2024
Shanghai Great World Entertainment Center 2024 Shanghai Great World Entertainment Center (Dashijie)
Shanghai Great World Entertainment Center, Shanghai, 2024
Shanghai Great World Entertainment Center 2024 Shanghai Great World Entertainment Center (Dashijie)
Exit 4 of Dashijie Station in Shanghai, Shanghai, 2025
Exit 4 of Dashijie Station in Shanghai 2025 Exit 4 of Dashijie Station, served by Lines 8 and 14 of the Shanghai Metro, is pictured in this 2025 photograph, its entrance set beside a tree-lined park pathway.
1900s · 1 photo
2010s · 1 photo
2020s · 12 photos