The Street Food Manifesto

Street food is an essential part of urban culture.  The greatest cities all have street food. In its rich variety Shanghai’s street food is a true testament to the hybrid culture of this migrant metropolis. Yet, while elsewhere a street food movement is growing, Shanghai’s street food is under threat. IT IS TIME TO ACT.

1.  We declare Shanghai’s street food must be saved!

2.  We dream of a street food true to a new age — tasty, fast, cheap and convenient and also healthy, safe and clean.

3.  We honor the makeshift creativity and micro-entrepreneurship of the street.

4. We mourn all that has been lost in the name of ‘cleaning up the street’ (Xiangyang, Lu, Wujiang Lu Tianping Lu etc…)

5.  We celebrate the art and mastery of city’s best street chefs.

6.  We imagine night markets and alleyways filled with new culinary mutations.

7.  We thrive off the intensity of street markets, which give cities life and deplore the sterility of shopping malls with their fast food courts and restaurant chains.

8.  The Future Metropolis must have street food!


Calling all designers, artists, scholars, students and foodies of all types to come map, document, co-create, re-invent and preserve Shanghai’s street food.



celebrating shanghai streetfood heritage