I overbooked my visits this trip so I only had three days for a flying return trip to Shanghai - much to the annoyance of my host. There wasn't much time to see what is claimed to be Chinas's biggest city (the rivalry between Shanghai and Beijing reminds me, as an Australian of that between Sydney and Melbourne - Melbourne being Beijing of course :-).
My Shanghai friend suggested that since I had been so impressed by the remaining huton areas of Beijing, I might like to see Tianzifang. I had an image of Shanhghai as totally rebuilt - the 30's of Gong Li as a gangster's moll in a red qipao were long gone (I thought). Then I spent a day in Tianzifang, Lane 210, Taikang Rd. Along with shops, cafeŁ§s and commercial art galleries there are more than 100 enterprises in Visual Art, |Industrial Art and Interior Design.
Tianzifang was originally a typical lane factory of
the 1950s made up of five factories including Shanghai Food Industry Machinery
Plant and Shanghai Zhongsu Accessories Plant. In the
1990s, their economic benefits declined year by year because of industrial
restructuring, and some workshops were left idle for many years.
In May 2000, with the support of the Shanghai Economic Committee and the district
government of Luwan, Tianzifang was reconstructed. During the reconstruction, more than 20,000 square meters of
old factories were developed. Tianzifang is now popularly known as the ˇ°SOHO of
Shanghai.ˇ±
Tianzifang, is also named Taikang Lu, Walking down the narrow lanes of Tianzifang, you will
be forgiven for wondering if you were really in cosmopolitan Shanghai. At a
glance, Taikang Lu looks to be a mix of old and
refurbished brick houses. However, do not be fooled by the traditional old
lanes or wet clothes hanging on bamboo poles above your head. Taikang Lu sure deserves a second look. These days, many
artists and local designers who have set up boutiques and laid-back caf¨¦s that
have been drawing crowds of yuppies, fashionista,
designers and expatriates.
There are many art studios and galleries. This area has been a haven to many
artists seeking a reprieve from the threat of demolition of artist's villages
and communities by property developers in recent years. These studios which are mostly situated at Buildings 3 & 5,
feature many contemporary works of design, painting and photography. There is
no cover charge to view the works and you can always purchase any of the
beautiful pieces created by the local artists in Shanghai. You can also expect
the unexpected in Vervia which imports clothes and lovely novelty items such as
craft, jewelry and glassware, mostly from England,
Italy and Iceland. It also houses widely known names like Joe Phat, ArTeA and Redstar. After you are done, you might want to swing by the
caf¨¦, hidden at the right of the shop for a drink or two.
Tianzifang is popularly known as the ˇ°SOHO of
Shanghaiˇ± for it's cultural, shopping and entertainment withing an historic precinct which are reminiscent of the hutong districts of Beijing and, to some extent, the huge 798 art
area of that same city. Tianzifang is also recognised as preserving some aspects of Old
Shanghai architecture -
it's especially well known for the old
stone doorways or "shikumen".
The Shikumen (or literally "stone gate") is a style of
housing in Shanghai, which blends features of east and west. It has been this way since the mid-1800s, but local residents wonder how long will this lifestyle
continue?. Because Shanghai has
experienced many rebirths since becoming the prized treaty port for European
powers in the mid-19th century, some see the shikumen as just another footnote waiting to be written into the city's tumultuous
history. Tianzifang ensures such buildings are still kept
well today.
A recent forum linked to the Shanghai Expo, which adopted the theme 'Better
City, Better Life', saw the launch of a research center and website to help study and protect the shikumen. A
common declaration vowing to preserve the old architecture was also pronounced.
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