
Xintiandi (,
Shanghainese
The Shanghainese language, also known as the Shanghai dialect, or Hu language, is a variety of Wu Chinese spoken in the central districts of the city of Shanghai and its surrounding areas. It is classified as part of the Sino-Tibetan langua ...
: ''Shinthidi''
lit. "New Sky and Earth",
[Warr, Anne: ''Shanghai Architecture'', The Watermark Press, 2007, ] fig. "New World") is an affluent
car-free shopping, eating and entertainment district of
Shanghai
Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...
. Xintiandi now refers to the wider area centered around Madang Road which includes both pedestrian-only and motor traffic roads.
Overview
The district is composed of an area of reconstituted traditional mid-19th century
shikumen
Shikumen (, Shanghainese: ''zaq⁸ khu¹ men⁶,'' International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA: Help:IPA/Wuu, ᴀʔ¹¹ kʰu¹¹ mən²⁴ is a traditional Shanghainese architectural style combining European architecture, Western and Chinese archi ...
("stone gate") houses on narrow alleys, some adjoining houses which now serve as book stores, cafes and restaurants, and shopping malls. 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. It is considered one of the first
lifestyle center
A lifestyle center (American English), or lifestyle centre (Commonwealth English), is an open-air shopping center which aims to create a "pedestrian-friendly, town-like atmosphere with sidewalks, landscaping, ambient lighting, and park benches. ...
s in China. It is also the most expensive place to live in China, with some apartments costing more than Tokyo, Singapore, New York and London. It is generally home to the Chinese elites and top executive expats or immigrants.
Xintiandi is the location of the site of the first congress of the
Chinese Communist Party
The Communist Party of China (CPC), also translated into English as Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Founded in 1921, the CCP emerged victorious in the ...
, which is now preserved at the
. Also nearby are the
Shikumen Open House Museum and the site of the
Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea
The Korean Provisional Government (KPG), formally the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea (), was a Korean government-in-exile based in Republic of China (1912–1949), China during Korea under Japanese rule, Japanese rule over K ...
when Korea was a Japanese colony.
Redevelopment
The area was developed by
Shui On Land
Shui On Land Limited () is the flagship property company of the Hong Kong–based Shui On Group. It is engaged in developing large-scale city-core development projects and integrated residential development projects in major cities in China, in ...
during the re-development of the surrounding area. Some houses in Xintiandi were then renovated in order to implant an art gallery, cafes, and restaurants. Many tour groups both domestic and from abroad also visit Xintiandi as one of the main attractions in Shanghai.
The Xintiandi redevelopment was also collaborated with global architecture firm
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
SOM, an initialism of its original name Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, is a Chicago-based architectural, urban planning, and engineering firm. It was founded in 1936 by Louis Skidmore and Nathaniel Owings. In 1939, they were joined by engineer ...
,
including with
Benjamin T. Wood and
Nikken Sekkei
Nikken Sekkei Ltd. (日建設計) is an architectural, planning and List of architecture firms, engineering firm from Japan, with headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo. Today (2019), Nikken Sekkei ranks as the second largest architectural practice in t ...
International. The urban renewal is considered one of the first examples of the
placemaking
Placemaking is a multi-faceted approach to the urban planning, planning, design and management of public spaces. Placemaking capitalizes on a local community's assets, inspiration, and potential, with the intention of creating public spaces tha ...
approach in China.
[Our Man in Shanghai: Ben Wood Takes On History](_blank)
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This construction displaced 3,500 Shanghainese families.
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Transportation
The closest Shanghai Metro
The Shanghai Metro (; Shanghainese: ''Zaon6he5 Di6thiq7'') is a rapid transit system in Shanghai, operating urban and suburban transit services to 14 of its 16 List of township-level divisions of Shanghai, municipal districts and to the neighb ...
stations in the vicinity are South Huangpi Road Station (on Line 1), Xintiandi Station
Xintiandi (, Shanghainese: ''Shinthidi'' lit. "New Sky and Earth",Warr, Anne: ''Shanghai Architecture'', The Watermark Press, 2007, fig. "New World") is an affluent pedestrian zone, car-free shopping, eating and entertainment district of Shang ...
(on Line 10 and Line 13) and Madang Road Station (on Line 9 and Line 13).
See also
*Tianzifang
Tianzifang or Tianzi Fang (; Shanghainese: ''Die Tz Fån'') is a touristic arts and crafts enclave that has developed from a renovated traditional residential area in the French Concession area of Shanghai. It is now home to boutique shops, bars ...
*50 Moganshan Road
50 Moganshan Road () or "M50" is a contemporary art district in Shanghai, China, that houses a community of more than a hundred artists whose studios are open to the public. It is often compared with New York's SoHo and Beijing's 798 Art Zone.
*Lee Tung Street
Lee Tung Street (), known as the Wedding Card Street (; ) by locals, is a street in Wan Chai, Hong Kong. The street was famed in Hong Kong and abroad as a centre for publishing and for the manufacturing of wedding cards and other similar items. ...
References
External links
www.shanghaixintiandi.com
Xintiandi redevelopment
{{coord, 31.22260, N, 121.47010, E, type:landmark_region:CN-31_source:placeopedia, display=title
Neighbourhoods of Shanghai
Tourist attractions in Shanghai
Landmarks in Shanghai
Entertainment districts in China
Pedestrian malls in China
Huangpu District, Shanghai