Laurence Harris

Who stayed? As the Japanese forces swept into Nanjing in 1937, many foreigners had already evacuated the city. Some stayed, but mostly their stories are untold. John Rabe is the most famous, with his house in Guangzhou Lu (near...

It suddenly became worse. On top of the work for a metro station under Shanghai Lu (Line 5), the northern side of Guangzhou Lu down to Zhongshan Lu is now closed, allowing only eastbound traffic for the long city...

In darker times about two decades ago, a certain expat solved the problem of communicating with taxis by having hand-written cards showing his home address, bar, and other important locations. One night, after consuming a beer or ten, he...

Some years ago, a local charity paid an English training centre in Nanjing to prepare three staff members who were going overseas to get special training. Surely this service could have been provided free by a teacher to support...

A little local colour. Wandering through the small lanes in central Nanjing is always fascinating, with their countless tiny shops and eateries. However, having the company of a local helps. There is one interesting place near Xinjiekou, that looks...

They whizz them here. They whizz them there. They whizz those big trucks ev'rywhere. Down the left and down the right. Coming at you day and night. Remind your friends that traffic can come from any direction at any...

Events of note? The Nanjing Jazz and World Music Festival, the annual musical feast, has quietly come and gone for another year. Watch for it next October. For those of British origin, Guy Fawkes night means something. For a...

On the same page as the CPC conference, let's take a moment to be positive. If you rode a bus in Nanjing a decade ago, it kinda functioned but was held together by transparent adhesive tape. For most people,...