“Living In China I See The Most Ridiculous Things, Like These People Who Have No Idea What They’re Wearing” (30 New Pics)
What can you say about a city with 24 million people? Nothing really, it’s too big and there are too many stories to tell. But photos can help explain the weird, wild and wonderful metropolis on occasion, especially ones that obliterate the already thin margins of personal space that locals here offer up. Engrish shirts, entire families on a single scooter, the weary, the excited, the startling circumstances that defy explanation. There’s no commentary or opinion involved, just Shanghai and its people… observed.
Alex Greenberg is the man behind the account, an American who moved to the massive metropolis of Shanghai some years ago and fell in love with it. Overwhelmed by the sheer number of stories that can be told in such a vast city, he decided to start a website where he could document the quirks and oddities of everyday life there, which he called Shanghai Observed. The page now has nearly 70k followers, and people can't get enough of his shrewd street fashion sightings. Scroll down to check some of our faves out for yourself, and learn more about Alex's project!
More info: Instagram | Facebook | Website
This post may include affiliate links.
As China's economy and influence around the world continue to grow, we in Western countries will gradually acquaint ourselves better with the language, culture and way of life of this vast and ancient civilization. As anyone who has ever been to China before will tell you, it really is an exciting, diverse and unique country!
Alex Greenberg moved to the massive metropolis of Shanghai some years ago and fell in love with it. Inspired by the many bizarre things he encountered every day, particularly the weird and wonderfully funny translations found on people's clothing, he decided to start a website where he could document the quirks and oddities of everyday life in the city, which he called Shanghai Observed.
Living in such a different and interesting place means that he is never short of funny fashion material, and he finds himself confronted with all kinds of surprises every single day. "I’ve been in Shanghai for 4 years and I love how fast the city moves," Alex told Bored Panda.
Low key she definitely knows exactly what her shirt is staying and she won't hesitate to start naming names!
"Shanghai has a great skate scene which is what drove me to move here in the first place. It's an amazing city to explore and stumble across startled circumstances that defy explanation."
"I started the account in November 2016. I made the account because I had just gotten a new iPhone 7, and it took surprisingly great photos. I also wanted to start a daily photo project. The daily photo project was focused on forcing me to shoot more street photography and shoot photos that would show daily life in Shanghai. Stuff my friends and family would be interested in seeing."
"When the account started to grow and I gained a following I started to get submissions from other people at that point I began to post only the best of the best. The types of situations I like to share are ones that make you double take or say 'wtf.' One of the most common things I post on my Instagram is people wearing shirts that say ridiculous things on them."
"I'm guessing 99% of the time these people have no idea what the funny t-shirt says because they don’t speak English. This makes for an amazing photo because you often see a great juxtaposition between what the person's face says, and what the shirt says. I love hilarious photos and videos that instantly make you laugh or question what is happening. Shanghai seems to share that every day."
My god! the overwhelming need for me to see what those look like from the front is almost killing me!
Many people have speculated where the weird shirts and fashion sense comes from, and whether those wearing them actually know what they mean. Over 10 million people in China speak English fluently, however out of a population of more than 1.3 billion, that's fewer than 1 in 100 people. We will let you decide!
As a follow up to a previous post that Alex uploaded on Bored Panda, we decided to present some more Shanghai strangeness for your viewing pleasure. And although Alex is busy observing Shanghai, he still manages to keep an eye on his homeland too through his hilarious sister account, America Observed. Check it out!
We get tattoos in Chinese that we don't understand and end up meaning something like "omelette" so I guess this is their equivalent?
People that don't do their homework or go to fly by night shops. Anyone getting Chinese characters or kanji, shouldn't trust anything they didn't research or any artists they don't know. If people get tats that say something they didn't think it meant, that's their fault alone.
Load More Replies...
Goin round my brain. Doctor say it'll kill me but he don't say when...
Wherever that shirt came from? And regardless if they understand what it says and wearing. It’s child size!!! Who made that & actually sold at least one??? WTF
It could be his (English) Name.. I had coffee at the first Starbucks in Shanghai (all of China I think). The server's name tag said "Cocaine". I'm obviously American (therefor only speak English), and asked the server what his name was. .He shyly replied "Cocaine".. One never knows..
Just wait until he starts to sing the song in the vegetable isle like my son did. "COCAINE YES COCAINE".
*sniff* I miss the old Coca Cola, you know? I jitter all the time now, I miss it so much! And this? It’s the closest thing to it, ya know?
Okay, dude... you have commented these confused posts on almost every other pic....this entire picture series is about Chinese folk who most likely do not speak English, and the inappropriate or funny shirts they wear NOT KNOWING what is written on them. The little boy is not wearing a "drug shirt" intentionally. His parents do not understand the word written on it...like every other picture in this series. Got it?
Load More Replies...
He is Yoo Byung Jae, a korean entertainer. These are his merchandise, he previously had phone cases with his face on https://www.redbubble.com/shop/yoo+byung+jae+iphone-cases?ref=work_taglist
My "full of regret, why do I do this to myself every Sunday" shirt
Go to Shanghaiobserved.com ! Can buy one of them right now :)
Load More Replies...
What's in all the mature content printed on kids clothes? If they just use random words in English to make it looks cool, how come most of them are related to alcohol, sex and drugs? I remember bought imported toy from china for my kid and when we turned it on we heard the song that say "what the f*uck babe" over and over again. It's not funny at all :(
You're right. It's not funny, it's f*****g hilarious!
Load More Replies...
heard on the radio once about how people get tattoos with Chinese characters which mean something completely different, they were wondering if the reverse was true... I submit this article(?) as proof!
Reminds me of a shirt I found online " MY BODY IS DEVINE! unfortunately it's Buddha"
My surprise isn't the wording, it's that so many Chinese are wearing English language shirts!?
I spent a month in Beijing and this is pretty normal. A car window sticker, instead of "Baby in Car" boldly stated: "Baby on Road".
As has been well circulated recently, Ariana Grande has a new one in Japanese that was supposed to refer to 7 Rings but instead says "Hibachi Grill." That said, it makes sense most of these are real.
Don't forget all the occidental people who wear Chinese symbols with no idea what they mean! They could be just as tasteless
When you live in a country of 2 billion plus people, anything you make and sell is bound to make an awful lot of money! Someone...no, a million people will probably buy your peoduct!
I like to think that somewhere on the Chinese internet there is a post entitled 'Living In Europe I See The Most Ridiculous Things, Like These People Who Have No Idea What Their Tattoo says”. And then photo's of hipster kids with 'Chicken Chow Mein' tattooed on their backs...
If these people don't know what the shirts say, then the shirts are like those popular, supposedly meaningful Chinese lettering tattoos people wear here (that really say "Kick me!") -- except they don't need to laser them off.
Wondering what company distributes these. And why would you wear a tee with no idea what it says...and photoshop....I call BS.
You don't know much about Chinese history then! The place has a lot of s**t now, mostly due to their government, but as far back as ancient China, they were known for inventing things like paper, printing compasses, and gunpowder.
Load More Replies...
Go to Shanghaiobserved.com ! Can buy one of them right now :)
Load More Replies... What's in all the mature content printed on kids clothes? If they just use random words in English to make it looks cool, how come most of them are related to alcohol, sex and drugs? I remember bought imported toy from china for my kid and when we turned it on we heard the song that say "what the f*uck babe" over and over again. It's not funny at all :(
You're right. It's not funny, it's f*****g hilarious!
Load More Replies... heard on the radio once about how people get tattoos with Chinese characters which mean something completely different, they were wondering if the reverse was true... I submit this article(?) as proof!
Reminds me of a shirt I found online " MY BODY IS DEVINE! unfortunately it's Buddha"
My surprise isn't the wording, it's that so many Chinese are wearing English language shirts!?
I spent a month in Beijing and this is pretty normal. A car window sticker, instead of "Baby in Car" boldly stated: "Baby on Road".
As has been well circulated recently, Ariana Grande has a new one in Japanese that was supposed to refer to 7 Rings but instead says "Hibachi Grill." That said, it makes sense most of these are real.
Don't forget all the occidental people who wear Chinese symbols with no idea what they mean! They could be just as tasteless
When you live in a country of 2 billion plus people, anything you make and sell is bound to make an awful lot of money! Someone...no, a million people will probably buy your peoduct!
I like to think that somewhere on the Chinese internet there is a post entitled 'Living In Europe I See The Most Ridiculous Things, Like These People Who Have No Idea What Their Tattoo says”. And then photo's of hipster kids with 'Chicken Chow Mein' tattooed on their backs...
If these people don't know what the shirts say, then the shirts are like those popular, supposedly meaningful Chinese lettering tattoos people wear here (that really say "Kick me!") -- except they don't need to laser them off.
Wondering what company distributes these. And why would you wear a tee with no idea what it says...and photoshop....I call BS.
You don't know much about Chinese history then! The place has a lot of s**t now, mostly due to their government, but as far back as ancient China, they were known for inventing things like paper, printing compasses, and gunpowder.
Load More Replies...