SHANGHAI, China – Tiánzǐfāng, Shanghai’s thriving art district, is a pocket of history that lingers in alleyways shaped by a time long past. Here, within a few tight streets, lies a space where old-world charm mingles with the city’s youthful, cosmopolitan energy. The narrow lanes hide surprises at every turn: an art gallery, a quaint café, or a tiny shop selling handcrafted jewelry.
NARROW. Stalls with souvenirs and trinkets crowd the narrow streets. Photo by Lance Spencer Yu.
WHIMSICAL. This art installation outside a storefront shows a bright pink flamingo in a mist-filled clawfoot tub. Photo by Lance Spencer Yu.
Unlike the glitzy shopping centers and towering skyscrapers that define much of Shanghai, Tiánzǐfāng has preserved its past through its shíkùmén architecture. The brick facades and framed gateways of these traditional houses have stood for decades and decades. Must Read How to plan a trip to Shanghai, including a hike up Huangshan The design, which blends Western and Chinese elements, reflects Shanghai’s colonial past and the cultural diversity that followed.
Tiánzǐfāng stands in the former French Concession, a foreign enclave where the French government once exercised its own jurisdiction until the mid-20th century. Today, Shanghai is the most international city in China, a gateway to the wider world in a country that remains more inward-looking than most. SHOPPING .
Stores sell everything from traditional handicrafts to belts an.