Today when I was meeting Joan, who was first time in Shanghai at Xin Tian Di, she was so excited to tell me: Wow, this place is great. I absolutely love here. Here is so Shanghai!
The narrow lane in Xin Tian Di Shanghai
Suddenly I found myself run out of words. I don’t want to say ‘yes’ neither ‘no’ as for me or maybe for lots of Chinese especially local Shanghainese, we all have sort of sophisticated feeling about Xin Tian Di.
Undoubtedly Xin Tian Di has become one of the icons in Shanghai. News reported that Xin Tian Di even replaced the Bund to become the No. 1 Tourist Brand for Shanghai. It is basically a fashionable pedestrian block composed of Shikumen and modern architecture style.
Shanghai Xin Tian Di - the renovated Shanghai Shikumen
Yes, I admit Xin Tian Di is a nice place.
- Good location - just off the Huai Hai Road
- Good design - Shikumen, the old Shanghai housing Architecture with modern twist
- Good fun, everything you need you can find here, shops, restaurants, pubs etc.
Bars, Cafe, restaurants, you can find all in Xin Tian Di Shanghai
In nutshell, Xin Tian Di is a renovated Shanghai!
But probably a fake Shanghai!
Xin Tian Di is a commercial concept developed by a property company. It tried to create a place where the best of Shanghai meets the best of the world. In order to do this, the Xin Tian Di project actually tore down the old Shikumen houses on the original site and rebuilt a complete new block with Shikumen architecture design. So all the buildings we see today in Xin Tian Di are actually ‘artificial’ Shanghai Shikumen.
This is a controversial way to renovate an old site because it actually destroyed the heritage.
This is the real Shikumen houses which is just a few steps away from Xin Tian Di. Those houses has been marked with 'TORE DOWN'. Maybe another Xin Tian Di is on its way!
Residents will have to move to somewhere else as their old Shikumen houses will be tore down soon
Moreover, as Xin Tian Di becomes a high end leisure complex, everything was so expensive there. It becomes a kind of ‘tourist only’ place in Shanghai. You will find Xin Tian Di might be the only place in Shanghai where foreigners dominate all the space. But the real meaning of Shikumen is normal Shanghainese houses (not palace!) where normal families stay and host guests. With the commercial development of Xin Tian Di, it actually drove the local Shanghainese or even Chinese away.
So if you ask a local Shanghainese about Xin Tian Di, they usually reply: oh, it is just a fake place full of overpriced restaurants, bars, shops etc.
I personally think Xin Tian Di, from a commercial tourist point of view, it is a successful project. And for first time in Shanghai tourists, Xin Tian Di is a good choice to visit as it does what it claims, pack the good stuffs from Shanghai in a modern Shanghai Shikumen. But when you stay in Shanghai long enough, there are many more places to go for some authentic taste of the city.
The small square in Xin Tian Di - good place to rest!
This is the modern part of Xin Tian Di, full of shops, cinima and gym.
How to get to Xin Tian Di:
Metro Line 1, South Huang Pi Road Station, and then walk to the south for 5 minutes.
Tags: Shanghai Attractions, Shanghai Sightseeing
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