Chungking Mansions: Photographs from Hong Kong's Last Ghetto

Squatting incongruously amid the luxury hotels of Kowloon, Chungking Mansions is home to pimps, hookers, thieves and drug pushers. More than 200 guesthouses, and shops selling counterfeit goods, establish this unique place as a global hub of trade and multiculturalism. Its five 17-storey towers also offer the city's last low-rent refuge for asylum seekers.
In 2009, photographer Nana Chen began wandering its corridors. She sought to craft a portrait of Hong Kong's last ghetto before its vibrant character is erased forever.

About the author

Taipei-born Nana Chen is more than just a photographer. A diverse upbringing in Taiwan, Argentina, Chile and the United States inspired her passions for architecture, design and music. Camera in hand, she seeks out the hidden melodies in everyday life. This approach is reflected in her recent works, including Hiraeth: Photographs of Chungking Mansions; Discarded, a still life series on demolished sites in Ho Chi Minh City; and From War Babies to Billionaires, a portrait series on Vietnam's ultra-rich women. Her work has been featured in Observer Magazine (UK), Gallery & Studio (NYC), Marie Claire (14 editions), la Repubblica (Italy), and many other publications. Nana divides her time between Vietnam, Thailand and Europe.

Product details

• Authors: Nana Chen
• Assisted by: Nana Chen (Photographs)
• Publisher: Blacksmith Books
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 03.07.2023
• EAN: 9789887792826
• ISBN: 978-988-77928-2-6
• No. of pages: 88
• Dimensions: 216 mm x 218 mm x 10 mm
• Weight: 353 g
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Art > Architecture; Architektur, Fotojournalismus, Photography, ARCHITECTURE / Buildings / General, PHOTOGRAPHY / Photojournalism, PHOTOGRAPHY / Individual Photographers / Essays