Shikumen houses
Stone doorways.
lienyuan lee — CC BY 3.0 · Fumihiko Ueno — CC BY 3.0 · xiquinhosilva — CC BY 2.0 · xiquinhosilva — CC BY 2.0 · xiquinhosilva — CC BY 2.0 · xiquinhosilva — CC BY 2.0 · Jonipoon — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Benlisquare — CC BY-SA 4.0
A charming arts and crafts enclave in Shanghai's former French Concession, grown out of a renovated traditional residential area whose old homes and workshops have become small shops, galleries, cafés and restaurants. It's a maze of narrow, tangled lanes off Taikang Road, lined with traditional shikumen houses with stone doorways, plants and lanterns hanging from them, where you'll find handicrafts, contemporary art, fashion and inventive gifts. Its intimate, artsy feel sets it apart from the big malls; visitors love getting lost in its lanes and discovering hidden little shops, and some original residents still live on the upper floors. Wandering is free; afternoons are best, when all the shops are open. The lanes are crowded at weekends; check food ingredients, as many restaurants serve pork and alcohol.
Stone doorways.
In small shops.
To explore.
Taikang Road, former French Concession, Shanghai
Small shops of handicrafts, contemporary art, fashion and inventive gifts, plus cafés and galleries in a maze of traditional lanes.
