Xintiandi

 

Basic Facts of the Xintiandi

Chinese Name: 新天地 Pronunciation: xīn tiān dì

Building Time: 1999

Admission Ticket Fare: Free

Opening Hours: All day round

Suggested Visiting Hours: 2 Hours

Best Visiting Time: All year round

Occupied Area: About 30,000 square meters

Address: Lane 181, Taicang Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai.

 

Brief Introduction of Xintiandi

Xintiandi is a city tourist attraction with the historical and cultural features of Shanghai and the integration of Chinese and Western cultures. Xintiandi is built based on Shanghai's modern architectural style and the old building of Shikumen, which is the most characteristic residential building in Shanghai.
 

For the first time, the original residential function of Shikumen has been changed, and the commercial operation function has been given innovatively. This old house reflecting the history and culture of Shanghai has been transformed into a fashion, leisure and entertainment center with catering, shopping, performing arts and other functions. Walking in the Xintiandi, you will find that time flies back. It is like you are in Shanghai in the 1920s and 1930s. But the buildings are very modern and fashionable, and people will experience the unique concept of the new world. This organic combination and skillful arrangement make a symphony of yesterday, tomorrow and today in Shanghai, and let the tourists at home and abroad experience the unique culture.
 

Xintiandi shows the historical and cultural features of Shanghai. It is a recreational pedestrian street based on Shanghai's unique Shikumen old building, which integrates food, commerce, entertainment and culture. With the integration of China and the West and the combination of the old and the new, the traditional Shikumen Lane in Shanghai is integrated with the new buildings full of modern sense.
 

Xintiandi rewrote the history of Shikumen and injected new vitality into the Shikumen, which has already moved to historical relics. Walking in the Xintiandi is like returning time to the past. The green brick sidewalk, the red and green brick walls, the heavy black lacquer gate and the lintel carved with the curly mountain flowers in baroque style make the tourists feel as if they were in Shanghai in the 1920s and 1930s. However, the interior of each building is very modern and fashionable.
 

Shui On Land(A construction company) selected Benjamin wood architectural design firm, an expert in the renovation of old houses in the United States, and Nikkei design office in Singapore with oriental cultural background, and invited the famous architectural design institute of Tongji University as consultants. Architectural designers should consider from the perspective of protecting historical buildings, urban development and architectural functions, and inject new vitality into these old buildings to meet the needs of consumers in the new century.
 

Finally, the architects decided to keep most of the Shikumen buildings in the northern part of the block in the overall planning, interspersed with some modern buildings; while in the southern part, the new buildings reflecting the characteristics of the times were mainly combined with a small number of Shikumen buildings, and a pedestrian street connected the south and north blocks.

 

History of Xintiandi

Shikumen in Shanghai rose in the 1860's. Due to the war, a large number of refugees swarmed into the Shanghai concession. To accept the refugees, the concession mobilized businessmen to invest in housing construction. To make full use of the land, most of these houses were built in the united platoon style in Shikumen lane.
 

After the 1930s, due to the shortage of housing in Shanghai, some residents rented their spare rooms to others. Therefore, most of the Shikumen changed their original design intention and became a house with multiple households living in the same room.
 

In the early 1990s, Shanghai began large-scale reconstruction and development. Many old houses in Shikumen have been demolished and replaced by tall buildings one by one. Old houses full of nostalgia gradually disappeared. After that, people realized that they should keep these unique “artworks” in Shanghai.
 

In 1997, Shui On Land(A construction company) put forward a new concept of building renovation of Shikumen, which started in early 1999. The first phase of Xintiandi square was completed in late 2001. It was all opened at the end of 2007.
 

In July 2018, the last development block of Taiping Bridge in Xintiandi was successfully auctioned. The renovation of Xintiandi, which had lasted for more than 20 years, was about to end.

 

Highlighted Tourist Spots in Xintiandi

Shikumen Residence

Here, you can enjoy the unique style of Shikumen in the last century and enjoy modern business services in the new century. Here you can go in and out of any small shop and experience the joy of shopping and delicious food. It has preserved the excellent history of Shikumen, and has added many modern follow-up developments, so that people can experience the unique experience of merging ancient and modern Chinese and Western cultures.
 

Special Restaurants

The restaurants in Xintiandi can be a delicacy of the world's cuisine, such as Chinese food, Korean food, Japanese food, and Mexican cuisine. These restaurants can satisfy your picky taste buds. In addition to the traditional restaurants, a variety of Internet celebrity restaurants also emerge endlessly. The exquisite and unique decoration style, novel menu, and high-quality service always make people relaxed and happy. The "Oriental Charm Catering and Entertainment Center" operated by hundreds of Hong Kong stars, such as Tan Yonglin and Jackie Chan, is the creative idea of combining star culture with catering. It will be a place where star chasers can often communicate with their idols.
 

Shopping Mall

There are so many shopping plazas near Xintiandi that you can enjoy the joy of shopping. The shopping malls here cover all kinds of major international brands and fashion brands with complete equipment, a good environment and good service. It can meet the shopping needs of everyone. You can buy clothes, shoes, bags, or various artistic crafts and the price is fair and reasonable.


Gallery

In the vicinity of Xintiandi, several galleries are also set up, which highlights the fashion and modern atmosphere of the Xintiandi. People with artistic ideas can feast their eyes. The Oil Gallery of the Central Academy of Fine Arts built-in Shikumen, furnished all kinds of classical and modern oil paintings to enhance the artistic atmosphere of the whole hall. The gallery built in the shopping mall of the lakeside road is called "THE CARR D'ARTISTES", that is, the "artist square".
 

Bar

As a fashion trend, bars play an important role in Xintiandi. The bar styles are very different and have different characteristics. Every bar can bring you unforgettable memories and unique enjoyment. Here you can make good friends, talk about the world, and be a madman in imagination. Major bars have been sought after and recognized by young people from all over the world. People like to have a drink in the bar after a day's travel, to relieve their physical and mental fatigue, and to enjoy the unique charm of Shanghai Shikumen in the light of drunkenness.
 

Coffee House

For many coffee drinkers, all kinds of cafes in the Xintiandi are the best choice. Walking into the door of the coffee shop, you can smell the strong smell of coffee beans, which attracts you to come in and to have a taste. Although these coffee shops have different styles, their tastes are surprisingly consistent, and they can hardly step on thunder. Sitting in the coffee shop, ordering a cup of warm Mocha, chatting with friends, spending a quiet afternoon, you will have an awesome way to enjoy life.

 

Suggested Travel Route

Shanghai Xintiandi is a commercial pedestrian street, so it’s OK to play according to your ideas. If you are tired, you could find a coffee house to have a cup of coffee, and take a break. If you are hungry, you can pick up a high-reputation restaurant with a good menu. Meanwhile, you can also ask your friends along with you to take pictures for you. The picture you take here is a fashionable blockbuster. And you can find various little shops to get the handcrafts you want and you can even make some crafts yourself.

 

How to Get to Xintiandi

By Bus

Take bus No.911, No.926 and No.42 to Huangpi South Road station, then walk along Madang Road for about 200 meters and then turn left at the intersection of Taicang Road to take line 10 or line 13 to go to Xintiandi station.

Take bus No.17, and take 5 stops to Fuxing Middle Road Huangpi South Road station, then walk about 175 meters and arrive at the destination. The whole journey takes about 30 minutes and costs 2 yuan.

If you start from Shanghai Railway Station, you can take bus No.109, and get off at Huangpi South Road station of Fuxing Middle Road. And then you need about 175 meters to reach the destination. The whole journey takes about 52 minutes and costs 2 yuan.

By Subway

If you start from the center of Shanghai, you can take Metro Line 10 to Xintiandi station, which takes about 12 minutes and costs 3 yuan.

If you start from Shanghai Railway Station, you can take the Metro Line 1 to Huangpi South Road station, and arrive at Xintiandi after 5 minutes’ walking, which takes about 22 minutes and costs 3 yuan.

If you start from Shanghai Pudong International Airport, you can take Metro Line 2, and arrive at East Nanjing Road station, then transfer to line 10, and get off at Xintiandi station. It takes about 93 minutes and costs 7 yuan.

If you start from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, you can take Metro Line 10, and get off at Xintiandi station. It takes about 31 minutes and costs 4 yuan.

By Taxi

Chinese: 请带我去上海新天地。English: Please take me to the Shanghai Xintiandi.

If you start from the center of Shanghai, it takes about 22 minutes and costs 25 yuan.

If you start from Shanghai Railway Station, it takes about 30 minutes and costs 40 yuan.

If you start from Shanghai Pudong International Airport, it takes about 60 minutes and costs 215 yuan.

If you start from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, it takes about 60 minutes and costs 110 yuan.
 

• Travel Tips:

1. Due to the huge floating population in Xintiandi, you must pay more attention to your private stuff, and be careful with pickpockets.

2. Xintiandi is a commercial pedestrian street. It is recommended that you choose comfortable shoes, because you need to go a long way, and ladies’ heels may not be a good choice.

3. Free Wi-Fi is getting full coverage, so you don’t have to worry about no signal.

4. If you come here in summer, you need to prepare sunscreen and mosquito repellent products in advance and bring enough water to prevent heatstroke.