A journey within a journey: Xintiandi, the district of Shanghai where time stands still
Futuristic skyscrapers and a shivering skyline captivate the imagination of the enthusiastic traveler leaving for a journey to Shanghai, a modern and colorful city that over the years has become an icon of that exceptional progress that is leading China towards a bright future. But once you arrive, you will discover with surprise that there are many worlds enclosed in the "Pearl of the East" that for centuries has fascinated and amazes for its exotic flavor in perfect balance between past and present. By planning their itinerary, they will learn that there is a place where time seems to stand still, giving life to one of the most fascinating neighborhoods of the city of Shanghai.
Xintiadi, literally "New Heaven, New Earth"
It’s exactly the magical place where you can get lost during a pleasant walk to discover the pulsating soul of a city with a thousand faces, representing a real journey within a journey through which you can go back in time and let yourself be conquered forever. Oasis of quiet located in the south-east of the city, the Xintiandi district is located within the so-called former French Concession, a quiet residential area remained, until 1943, under the sovereignty of France and became, over the years, the favourite settlement for foreigners residing in the city. And it’s among the colonial style villas and long tree-lined avenues that it’s possible to discover the history of Shanghai in the last centuries when, after the defeat of China in the Opium War, it became the basis for the economic and commercial trades of the main Western powers.
Walking through the cobbled streets of this corner of Europe recreated among the wonders of Chinese tradition, you can rediscover the atmosphere of the old Shanghai, which is renewed among the windows shops of the trendiest clubs and the immense spaces of the shopping centers that have become over the years like real art galleries of the post-modern era. In fact, thanks to a precise restoration of the traditional architecture made by the famous American architect Benjamin T. Wood, the district now presents itself as an area full of charm and romanticism, where you can rediscover the spirit of the glories of the past in a wonderful combination of elegance, modernity and tradition. And the history of the city finds its emblem in Xingye Lu, site of the first congress of the Chinese Communist Party chaired by Mao Zhedong, now an important museum to visit during a tour to Xintiandi to know and understand what historical events have determined the birth of a movement that has marked the history of a country so fascinating for centuries.
Placed in a strategic position, the museum divides the Xintiandi district into two parts, each one characterized by a different tourist vocation. The south block is composed of modern buildings and avant-garde architecture in which picturesque boutiques alternate with designer shops, making it an excellent destination for entertainment and fun for the millions of tourists who daily populate the colorful streets of Shanghai. The northern block, on the other hand, is mainly made up of the Shikumen, ie the particular stone houses built, starting from the mid-nineteenth century, through the skilful combination of the characteristic Chinese style with the typical elements of Western architecture. Thanks to a great redevelopment project, these ancient houses, similar to the typical terraced houses of the Anglo-Saxon countries, today host prestigious art galleries and renowned restaurants dedicated to the typical cuisines of the world.
During a walk through the evocative Lòngtáng of the district will thus come across the Shikumen Museum, magical place to count among the must-do things to do in Xintiandi, where, between elegant furnishings and collectibles, you can immerse yourself in history, breathing the evocative atmosphere of daily life recreated from the past. And it has also become a museum that for twenty years has been home to the nationalist revolutionary Sun Yat-Sen, a prominent figure of the twentieth century, who, in the dream of unifying and modernizing the country, led the revolution that in 1912 dethroned the Qing Dynasty, marking the end of Chinese imperial history and ushering in the birth of modern China. However, the Shanghai to be discovered in the heart of the former French Concession does not end at Xintiandi, but continues through the narrow streets of Tianzifang, where trend setters, design enthusiasts and artists in search of inspiration come together to animate an area that has managed to preserve over time its bohemian and refined charm. And this magic will inspire them once they return home, when, retracing the album of memories, they will recall with nostalgia and emotion to this part of Europe a few steps away from the future!
