Finding wonder in desolation


Bare bones: A general view inside an abandoned hotel in Shanghai. — AFP

Xu Pengcheng looks over his shoulder and, after confirming the coast is clear, helps his crew of urban adventurers climb through the broken window of an abandoned building.

Long popular in the West, urban exploration, or “urbex” for short, sees city-dwelling thrill-seekers explore dilapidated, closed-off buildings and areas – often skirting the law in the process.

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