Shanghai Holy Fever!
Marie Claire Malaysia|February 2018

CHINA’S religious communities are flourishing under the shroud of communism, with women at the heart of the movement. Liz Hingley, a British photographer and anthropologist, spent three years looking intimately at the booming of religious rituals performed by Shanghai’s residents. EVOCATIVE OF PAINTINGS, her images provide a surprising portrait of the city, while raising questions about the place of rituals in our lives.

Katie Breen
Shanghai Holy Fever!
Liz Hingley worked as a sort of detective in Shanghai, unearthing sacred spaces and practices. The daughter of two protestant priests, she was raised in the heart of Birmingham, a city with 95 nationalities. This gave her a solid background for developing a visual narrative of rituals in their startling diversity. In a conversation with her, we learned that churches can be matchmakers, that women are feeding religions, and we encountered some weird rituals along the way.

MARIE CLAIRE: What was the most surprising ritual that you came upon?

LIZ HINGLEY: Definitely, the liberation of captive animals. One Saturday morning at 6am at the Shanghai Ferry Port, I joined a group of mainly female Buddhists, whom I had met on Chinese social media. By 10am, four hundred of them had gathered to liberate hundreds of fish, bought from local fishermen that morning. 3000€ (about RM14,430) worth of fish were enthusiastically thrown back into the Huangpu River, sanctifying Shanghai’s main waterway. This very ancient Buddhist tradition, known as fang sheng, has been reborn thanks to 21st century technology: a pop-up social media event, supported by online donations. Birds can also be liberated: bought at a market place, they are propelled into the sky to enjoy a free life.

MC: In a country where, 50 years ago during the Cultural Revolution, religious practices were forbidden and some churches burned down, documenting religions could not have been an easy task.

Denne historien er fra February 2018-utgaven av Marie Claire Malaysia.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra February 2018-utgaven av Marie Claire Malaysia.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA MARIE CLAIRE MALAYSIASe alt
High Fashion Takes A Stand Against The Covid-19 Pandemic
Marie Claire Malaysia

High Fashion Takes A Stand Against The Covid-19 Pandemic

As the world battles the turbulent effects of COVID-19, fashion’s most prestigious luxury groups join in on the fight against the novel coronavirus

time-read
4 mins  |
May 2020
She NAILED It
Marie Claire Malaysia

She NAILED It

Pursuing a successful career beautifying the nails of Hollywood’s who’s who is incredibly intense—but it is also incredibly rewarding. Sought out by Hollywood’s elite, nail artist Thuy Nguyen gives us a closer insight on her journey as an artist in La-La land

time-read
2 mins  |
May 2020
The ILLUSTRATOR of DREAMS
Marie Claire Malaysia

The ILLUSTRATOR of DREAMS

Azza Arif gives an exclusive insight into the romantic world of Elie Saab, brought to life with the creativity of fashion photography and digital illustration using Apple’s creative essentials—the iPhone 11 Pro and the iPad Pro

time-read
2 mins  |
May 2020
The Newest BEAUTY BOSSES
Marie Claire Malaysia

The Newest BEAUTY BOSSES

Redefining the Malaysian beauty scene, Marie Claire Malaysia explores exactly how our homegrown future shapers are thriving in the local landscape of beauty

time-read
9 mins  |
May 2020
YUNA AT HOME
Marie Claire Malaysia

YUNA AT HOME

We all know her as the woman with a POWERFUL VOICE. An international name, YUNA acknowledges the role her soulful MUSIC plays in the lives of her listeners, and despite her stardom, strives to CONNECT with her audiences during this pandemic through Instagram live sessions, and SHARING her KNOWLEDGE of music through virtual intimate classes she calls Tiny Class. She talks to Azza Arif about life at home under MCO, the CHANGES she hopes to see within the music industry, her LOVE for her QUARANTINE PARTNER and husband, Adam—including what habits she picked up from him; and the advice she would give to her 15-YEAR OLD SELF

time-read
10+ mins  |
May 2020
REINVENTING The Traditional Business Model
Marie Claire Malaysia

REINVENTING The Traditional Business Model

Innovative partnerships might be the solution brands need to stay relevant

time-read
5 mins  |
May 2020
DESIGNERS to WATCH
Marie Claire Malaysia

DESIGNERS to WATCH

Stay in the know with our curated list of talented emerging designers that will keep you looking fashion-forward for any occasion

time-read
3 mins  |
May 2020
6 TIPS for a BETTER ORGASM
Marie Claire Malaysia

6 TIPS for a BETTER ORGASM

Achieving consistent, mind-blowing orgasms doesn’t necessarily have to be a distant dream—there are little tricks that can help you learn how to have better—and more frequent—orgasms

time-read
2 mins  |
May 2020
SPRING Training
Marie Claire Malaysia

SPRING Training

Spring clean and revamp your post gym skincare essentials to not only maximise your body and mind, but your beauty health too

time-read
2 mins  |
April 2020
Of Mentors and PROTÉGÉS
Marie Claire Malaysia

Of Mentors and PROTÉGÉS

Supporting quality, excellence and performance— a cross-generational exchange like no other. Rolex unveils its list of inspiring mentors and talented protégés for the 2020-2021 Rolex Arts Initiative

time-read
1 min  |
April 2020