Like the layers in an archaeological excavation

I saw this photograph on a Chinese Flickr page http://www.flickr.com/photos/gaobo/ The scene is in Shanghai. I like it because of the layered effect - the roadside kiosk, the traditional-style red brick building, the modern structure, the soaring tower off to the left. It's like the layers in an archaeological excavation (Kathleen Kenyon's tel at Jericho perhaps). Also interesting is the use of the word "NEW" in the hoarding. It leaps out at you. And I didn't realise that the English language is so widely understood in major cities in China that English words are used in advertising. Most fascinating are the people. Who are those people on scooters? Who are those people walking on the pavement (and will they buy anything from the kiosk)? What are their lives like? Where are they going? What is just round that corner...