Located at Taicang Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai, China, Xintiandi is where “yesterday meets tomorrow in Shanghai today.” Xintiandi is a car-free shopping, eating and entertainment area of Shanghai, China. It is composed of an area of restored traditional shikumen (stone gate) houses on narrow alleys, a modern shopping mall with a cinema complex, and some adjoining houses which now serve as book stores, cafes and restaurants. Most of the cafes and restaurants feature both indoor and outdoor seating. Xintiandi has an active nightlife on weekdays as well as weekends, though romantic settings are more common than loud music and dance places. Xintiandi means “New Heaven and Earth”, and is considered one of the first lifestyle centers in China.
As a window to the past and the future, to China and the world, Shanghai Xintiandi’s Shikumen attraction was created by converting residential blocks into a multifunctional dining, retail and entertainment center flowing with restaurants, boutiques, cafes and bars of an international standard.
Development of Xintiandi
As a re-creation born out of the sprawls of Shikumen housing, which is the architectural symbol of Shanghai in the 20th century, Shanghai Xintiandi, “The City’s Living-Room” is a place to unwind and relax after a long day.
Before the development of Shanghai Xintiandi, the area it encompasses had been a spread of aged lanes crowded with mid-19th century Shikumen buildings which had witnessed the vicissitudes of time. The Shikumen style was a combination of influences from home and abroad, showcasing Shanghai’s culture of that era. These buildings reflect a mix of Chinese and foreign styles of architecture. Shikumen-style buildings have certain elements of the west, but most of the design and layout is in line with that of the “Jiangnan” area of eastern China. Shikumen-style houses formed the basis of the “Li Long” (lane) community where private spheres and public spaces overlapped.
With the city’s drive toward progress and modernity, Shikumen, as a form of residential design, began to fall out of favor, prompting some experts to predict that by the 21st century Shikumen style housing would altogether disappear.
Since the 1990s, Shanghai began a new wave of renovation and development, demolishing many Shikumen-style buildings. The Shikumen buildings within Shanghai Xintiandi retain the antique walls, tiles and exterior of the Shikumen housing of old Shanghai, while the internal spaces have been designed and decorated to suit the up tempo lifestyle of the 21st century urbanites, with infinite details that exude the casual elegance of modern city living.
About Xintiandi Style
Xintiandi Style will be the city’s perfect spot to shop! Xintiandi Style was open in September 2010. It is located at Zi Zhong Road and South Fu Xing Road, next to Ma Dang Road and connected to the South Block of Xintiandi. It has 4 levels in total with 2 underground and 2 above ground with total area of 29,500 square meters. Xintiandi Style is different from normal shopping malls, it aims at providing a platform to nurture Chinese designers and allow them to communicate with world-class international designers. If you want to know what is hot in the city now, come to Xintiandi Style and you will get the answer!
How to get to Xintiandi
You may take Metro Line 1 and get off at Huangponan Road Station; or take Metro Line 10 and get off at Xintiandi Station. Beware, when it’s time to go home there is a VERY long line-up to get a taxi.
Surrounding: The Bund, Tianzifang