Xintiandi

Xintiandi is a block of restored shikumen lane houses in Huangpu District, close to Taipingqiao. The developer Shui On acquired 23 city blocks here in 1996, and with the architects Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, Benjamin Wood and Nikken Sekkei it rebuilt the stone-gate houses and alleys as shops, cafés and restaurants. The first phase was completed in 2001. Shui On describes the wider project as blending early twentieth-century shikumen architecture with contemporary city life over 609,000 square metres.

The heart of the district is the pedestrian lanes around Madang Road, where the rebuilt stone-gate houses now hold restaurants, bars and terraces. Around them, newer buildings carry on the retail theme. XINTIANDI Plaza combines shopping and dining, HUBINDAO is a five-storey mall with restaurants and family attractions, XINTIANDI Style focuses on international fashion, and The House mixes dining, retail and art.

Xintiandi also has a significant place in modern Chinese history. At No. 76 Xingye Road, in the former home of Li Hanjun, the Chinese Communist Party held the first session of its First National Congress in July 1921, before the meeting moved to Nanhu Lake in Jiaxing. The house is now part of the Memorial of the First CPC National Congress. The Shikumen Open House Museum is nearby.

The district works well for an evening out, a long lunch or a coffee break between sights, and it suits couples and groups who want plenty of choice in one place. Prices are generally higher than in ordinary neighbourhood restaurants. Visit in the late afternoon to see the lanes in daylight and stay for dinner or drinks. The concierge hotline, open from 10am to 10pm, can help with directions and venue information.

The building at No. 76 Xingye Road stood at 106 Rue Wantz in the old French Concession. It was declared a national cultural relic in 1961, and on 20 June 2021 the South Huangpi Road and Xintiandi metro stations were renamed after the memorial. For general enquiries, the district's operator lists an enquiries email on its website, and separate concierge lines serve Xintiandi Plaza and HUBINDAO.

Three metro stations serve the area: South Huangpi Road on Line 1, Xintiandi on Lines 10 and 13, and Madang Road on Lines 9 and 13. The shopping street of Middle Huaihai Road runs along the north side of the district.