Photos Capture Residents of Shanghai Napping in Public

The sleepers are a testimony to a China where workers wake up early, go to bed late and recuperate with short naps during the day, showing a respect for biological rhythms, and an awareness of the body and its needs. Workers escape from the present, taking a momentary time out, without fear of being seen. These candid siestas reveal the complex link in China between private and public spheres: private life overflowing onto the sidewalk; privacy integrating with the wider community.—Elsa Fayner

Shanghai-based photographer Eric Leleu captures various incarnations of the nap in a series he calls Day Dreamers. From factory worker to executive, Leleu shows us there is no wrong way to catch a snooze in the hustle and bustle of Shanghai.

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