Tianzifang 田子坊

Taikang Lu

Tianzifang 田子坊 or Taikang Lu 210 has become my new favourite shopping area. It contains shikumen and other old Shanghai houses like Xintiandi, but is not as massively restored/renovated and therefore retains a more authentic look, a less touristic feel. In addition to that, more than half of its old residents actually still live there. The place has a mix of boutiques, restaurants, art galleries and residents going about their business like before.

A few lanes in Tianzifang

Read an interesting article about the man behind it. Liked the fact that a few more old houses have been saved from the bulldozer. Fancy Shanghai looking just like Singapore or Sydney soon and I feel sorry for us all. I am all for clean toilets (a must) and modern amenities, but at least try to keep some of the old shells for the future - lest we look, eat, buy the same no matter where we are.

Big panty small shoes

Having said that, I just bought a few dresses from Promod and Zara at jacked-up prices - but I had no choice since I couldn't fit into the small Chinese sizes sold in the local shops. Waiting for the Chinese to fatten up like the rest of us so that I can start buying local designs - not just western stuff made-in-China.

This is the back of a boutique so it's clean and bright

Opposite Tianzifang is a new shopping mall that I have yet to explore (remember that I haven't had much time since my arrival in the city), but I've walked through the few lanes in Tianzifang rather quickly and look forward to re-discovering them at a more leisurely pace soon.

Chat with your neighbours as you wash up

There seemed to be quite a number of Thai restaurants, bars, souvenir shops, fashion boutiques, a café claiming to serve the best cheesecake in Shanghai, art galleries, a nice little creperie...and here and there you'll find dirty, dark old doorways with an old lady sitting outside chatting with her neighbour(s). As the boutiques etc are usually clean, well-renovated affairs, the old houses in more or less their original states provided a sharp contrast - very interesting, actually.

How many families live in this house?

I found the paintings I've bought in Dongtai Lu selling for "fixed" prices over there in Tianzifang, though I suppose one could always try to bargain if so inclined. At 20 euros each for a small one they were pricey - but if you can't afford a real Warhol of Mao, they'll have to do.