It’s still dark outside, but the intersection of Yongnian and Shunchang Lu bristles with street food vendors and locals hungry for breakfast. Just a few blocks away is the slowly demolished urban cavity of Laoximen, the old, pre-concession era city gate that was the traditional core of the city. The area is famed for its street food, but swathes of shops have been closed or moved on in preparation for the area’s modernization. For now, however, the breakfast market at Yongnian and Shunchang Lu looks safe.
Operating from minute kitchens facing directly onto the street, vendors here serve variants of the ‘four heavenly kings’ a term given to the traditional Shanghainese breakfast staples: youtiao (油条, fried dough sticks), doujiang (豆浆, soy milk), dabing (大饼, fried Chinese pastries), and sticky rice balls (次饭团, cifantuan) along with dumplings, noodles and steamed buns.
The vendors are part of a small but close community. Many of their customers are known to them, and they enjoy a lively repartee over the quick hustle of the morning rush. The breakfast market might be one of the last, but it is by no means going out with a whimper.
A street vendor rolls dough for scallion dabing pastries, which are roasted in steel drums. 
Youtiao dough crullers are pressed into shape before deep-frying.
Soft curds of beancurd, topped with Shanghai-style pickles, scallions and dried shrimp.
Sweet-toothed customers can opt for chewy rice flour balls rolled in white sesame, or sugar-coated glutenous dumplings.
A woman cleavers fried pancakes and leavened breads into individual portions for customers on the go.
Some are layered with omelet and scallion, while a chili-based spread is available for those with a taste for spice. 
A vendor slathers tian mian jiang (bean-based sauce) onto a jianbing (savory millet crepe folded into a wrap).
Further up Yongnian Lu, a noodle shop serves braised Kaofu (Chinese wheat gluten), woodear mushrooms and spicy tofu noodles – enjoyed at any time of the day.
A few doors down, a butchery hangs up wind-dried sausages in time for Chinese New Year banquets.
Next door, a fishmonger hangs up salted and dried fish. They also sell the region's specialty seafood like hairy crabs and crayfish.
Further down Shunchang Lu, 100-year-old Shanghai dim sum shop, Sheng Xing, makes boiled dumplings, wontons and zongzi.
See a listing for the Shunchang and Yongnian Lu Breakfast Market
Words and photos by Betty Richardson
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