It’s an area I know well, having lived at the intersection of Nansuzhou Lu and Xizang Zhong Lu between 2014 and 2019. But as I now return to explore Suzhou Creek on foot, the extent of its evolution since I left is striking.

In recent years, Shanghai has been on a mission to improve tourism and establish more cultural landmarks along the Suzhou Creek riverfront as part of its citywide “One River, One Creek” initiative. This boost of creativity has manifested in the opening of several prominent art spaces, including high-profile names such as auction house Sotheby’s, and UCCA Edge, the Shanghai outpost of the leading contemporary art museum from Beijing. But it’s not all shiny new developments: some of the neighbourhood’s historical buildings have also been given a facelift.

Fotografiska Shanghai – the first Asian offshoot of the Stockholm-based contemporary photography museum – occupies a four-storey, 1930s warehouse along Suzhou Creek’s northern bank. Walking through the exhibition space, I take in the artworks while appreciating the history of my surroundings and the effort it took to pull off a metamorphosis that works in harmony with the existing neighbourhood.

“Since our museum is located in one of the historic buildings along Suzhou Creek, we want to strengthen our bond with this landmark through the works we display,” says Han Peipei, Fotografiska Shanghai’s exhibition director. “A lot has been done to rejuvenate Suzhou Creek, including cleaning the water and refurbishing the pavements in the area to make it more pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly. All these efforts have attracted many art venues to the area.”