A year or so ago, at the request of a friend (in the US) who wanted to see more people in the US hang their clothes out to dry, we did a little photo study in this site on the street scene here - where EVERYONE, it seems, hangs their laundry out to dry wherever they can. I have dodged and ducked walking down Henan Rd near Yu Yuan, trying to steer clear of someones drying blue jeans rapping me in the face. You can still see some of the pics sprinkled about in the gallery

It appears the local city government thinks this does not present the right image of Shanghai as an international metropolis. People who dry their laundry on roadsides or in and around public places, such as cinemas and parks, will be fined up to 20 RMB (USD 2.4), according to a government regulation implemented in Shanghai from this month. Shops and business establishments, especially hair-dressing salons, will be fined between 20 RMB to 200 RMB (USD 2.4 - 24) for such violations, according to Xinmin Evening News. Residents have complained that officials do not understand the difficulty in finding a sunny spot inside their usually small, damp houses. The city is planning to help set up more laundries to solve the problem, according to the China Daily. My ayi would not approve. Even though our machine dries clothes, she insists they smell better if they hang outside (we have a balcony for that). I do not think she has used the drier yet.