Xintiandi

Xintiandi, or "New Heaven and Earth", is a pedestrian district in Shanghai, combing shopping, catering, recreation and culture as a whole. It covers an area of 30,000 square meters, composed of a restored area of Shikumen ("stone gate"), a kind of traditional architecture in old Shanghai, and many other local dwellings. Shikumen absorbed the styles of the gardens in the south of Yangtze River, of which the door frame is made of stone and the door leaves are made of thick black solid wood.

In order to maintain the architectural heritage, the government used to raise a lot of controversies when trying to weave it into the fabric of the metropolitan architectures full of modernity. Many similar Shikumen houses in the surrounding areas were leveled during the re-development; those in Xintiandi were then restored in the urban renewal.

Nowadays Xintiandi is a hotspot of tourism with Shanghai features. All the buildings here retain an appearance of the traditional brick wall, tiled roof and Shikumen stone gate, while the insides are well dedicated to the 21-century metropolitan life style and tastes, adapting international galleries, boutiques, theme restaurants and coffee houses. The combination of the traditional and modern makes Xintiandi an embodiment of Shanghai's "now and then". What's more, its nightlife is something that one must experience and enjoy.

Celebrities, artists and entrepreneurs come here as a continuous stream; and many fashionable cultural activities like fashion shows, movie press conferences of superstars all choose Xintiandi as their desirable stage, which makes it a particular paradise for all the fashion seekers.