Shikumen houses
Rebuilt.
J. Patrick Fischer — CC BY-SA 3.0 · xiquinhosilva — CC BY 2.0 · [2] — CC BY 2.0 · N509FZ — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Kamesenin — CC BY 2.0 · Juan Antonio Segal — CC BY 2.0 · Samuel Li at English Wikipedia — CC BY 2.0 · Nora's Photo from Xintiandi, 上海 (Shanghai) — CC BY 2.0
An upmarket, car-free shopping, dining and entertainment district in central Shanghai whose name means «new heaven and earth», where mid-nineteenth-century shikumen houses and their narrow lanes were rebuilt as bookshops, cafés, restaurants and stores. It blends the historic character of stone-gated houses and grey-brick walls with a chic, modern atmosphere, its lanes full of terrace cafés, international restaurants and art galleries. Today it extends to the wider area around Madang Road, with modern malls, an artificial lake and a park, and it is one of the favourite evening spots for Shanghai residents and visitors. Wandering is free and it's loveliest in the evening when the lanes light up. Prices are fairly high, and many restaurants serve pork and alcohol, so check ingredients or pick known halal restaurants.
Rebuilt.
Along the lanes.
Nearby.
Madang Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai
Shanghai MuseumA public museum of ancient Chinese art on People's Square in the heart of Shangh13 minutes walk4.4
TianzifangA charming arts and crafts enclave in Shanghai's former French Concession, grown16 minutes walk4.4
Xiaotaoyuan MosqueShanghai's largest mosque, in the Old City a short walk from Yu Garden, built in18 minutes walk4.6
Nanjing RoadShanghai's main shopping street and one of the busiest in the world alongside th20 minutes walk4.5
Yu GardenA large classical Chinese garden in Shanghai's Old City, its name meaning «Garde24 minutes walk4.6Xintiandi is polished and upmarket with smart restaurants and shops, while Tianzifang is an arty maze of small craft shops; both are set in traditional shikumen houses.