In addition to the chirping birds and the desolate houses here, my Shanghai comprises friends downtown and an endless stream of party nights.

CNN: ASIANOW - TIME Asia | Visions of China: Shanghai

Li Shichun, who runs the downtown furniture shop Vintiques Shanghai Art Deco, says there used to be a fairly steady flow of Deco pieces onto the market, driven by the demolition of old homes to make way for new construction and a general attitude among locals that Deco furniture wasn't something worth keeping.

WSJ: Decorating in Deco

The unsightly nature of what appeared to be a large-scale disposal so close to downtown Shanghai shocked a nation usually complacent about debris clogging its waterways and raised questions not just of what killed the pigs, but also of China's methods and systems for handling animal deaths.

WSJ: Dead Pigs Worry Shanghai

So if you happen one day to be in Concordia, Argentina, which is about 150 miles north of Buenos Aires near the Uruguayan border, a concerted effort at digging would have you emerging somewhere pretty close to downtown Shanghai.

NPR: Dig a Hole to China? Try a Sandwich Instead

The company opened its three-story flagship store on People's Square in downtown Shanghai in 2006 to sell Goodbaby and other brands to middle-class Chinese.

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