Xintiandi ("New Heaven and Earth")

Old Chinese shikumen houses, the precursor of modern-day townhouses (in my opinion), make up 2 blocks of Xintiandi. Shikumen ("stone gate") houses were made of stones, bricks and tiles and used to be residential structures of the people of Shanghai in the early 1900s.

Nowadays, these houses have been restored and have become galleries, bars and cafes, boutiques or theme restaurants. This part of Xintiandi is now a tourist attraction and an entertainment complex where urban residents and tourists can converge during the day or at night.

Click here for more about Xintiandi.
A visitor's guide to Xintiandi