Yantai: A wide angle
Over a week I explored, a bit like a tourist, historic buildings; the fishing harbor; rocky and sandy coastlines and of course sampled its fine wines! The city, I later learned, had been occupied by Anglo-French force in 1860, opening to international commerce as a treaty port in 1861. This accounted for the areas of European-influenced architecture I came upon while wandering around the neighborhoods of pedestrian-only Chaoyang Street within older Zhifu District. This included fascinating residential and commercial areas, once associated with fishing and maritime commerce, that had grown up around Yantai’s early port just southwest of Yantaishan. Within time I was sure redevelopment would lead to some disappearance or maybe gentrification for fewer people continued to live there leading to building disrepair and sadly even abandonment. Photography allows a recording of such testimonies in stone to preserve the memories allowing later comparisons as I have been able to do in other parts of China.
