It constantly surprises me that men can get so pleasure from watching other people playing. In the same way, young people watch others playing computer games.
On Jiashan Lu every day there is this large group of men gathered under a tree.
It has been really cold recently but they brave the weather to sit around the card table, cigarette in one hand, cards in the other, providing entertainment for their neighbours.
Gambling is prohibited in China (mainland) althugh I have seen a few small amount being played in the parks. In these street card games there is no sign of betting. That doesn’t mean there isn’t any but in any case, the police leave them alone.
I love to see the life going on, on the stree, especially Jiashan Lu. It’s a great street, running through old communities in the French Concession. There are plenty of businesses as well as card games, on the pavements if you walk up from Zhaojiabang lu to Fuxing Lu.