Xintiandi Street or Shanghai Xintiandi is an urban tourist attraction showing Shanghai’s historical and cultural features. It is a pedestrian street integrating catering, commerce, entertainment and culture based on the unique architecture style in Shanghai – the Shikumen. Translated to "New World", Xintiandi is located in Lane 181, Taicang Road, the downtown Shanghai. The district combines the Chinese traditional and Western modern architecture styles and it is selected as one of TOP10 New Landmarks in Shanghai 2019.
The architecture style of Shikumen, originated from Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Uprising, firstly boomed when the wealthy businessmen and landlords from Jiangsu or Zhejiang came to the old concession in Shanghai for shelter and built their residences designed by the foreign real state agencies. The house style pursues simplicity and absorbs many characteristics from residences in Jiangnan Area and the courtyards in Beijing. Originally it used stone as the door frame and black solid thick wood as the door leaf. In this case, this kind of house is named Shikumen, the stone gate in English. The Shikumen style was quite normal and popular in the 1920s in Shanghai.
The original residential function of Shikumen was changed for the first time when Xintiandi Street innovatively develops its commercial operation. The district has transformed into a stylish center attracting travelers for shopping, dining and leisurealready attracting both domestic and oversea travelers. After 9-year reconstruction, the original old and shabby Shikumen area presents a new scene with modern facilities inside the residences and preserve the vintage exterior like old brick walls and roof tiles.
There is another historic site in Xintiandi area – the Site of the first National Congress of the Communist Party of China. The 2-floor Shikumen residence is now constructed to a memorial hall which is the birthplace of the China Communist Party.
Dividing into two sections as Nanli and Beili(the south and the north), Xintiandi stretches nearly 30,000 square meters. Walking in Xintiandi Street seems like time is going back as if you were in old Shanghai in the 1920s and 1930s. Despite of the reputed restaurants, bars and large shopping malls, travelers could also find art galleries, musical performance and even the news conferences in Xintiandi Street.