Taikang Road

Little known to Shanghai old timers, Tianzifang has transformed itself from legacy residential architectures and factories into an artsy area housing bars, cafes, crafts shops, design studios, galleries and boutiques. It is ardently supported by crowds of yuppies, trend setters, designers and expatriates, who fall for temptation of old Shikumen houses (stone-framed-door houses) and lanes with infinite novelties. More Tianzifang PicturesThe development of Tianzifang is fairly recent. It is also known as Taikang Road which was a back street in Dapuqiao district. One of the Shanghai highlights is the old residential buildings called ‘shikumen’, literally ‘stone doors’, which reflects a confluence of architectural tastes. As a prized treaty port, Shanghai had been familiar to venturers since the mid-19th Century. By the 1920-1930s, housing with stone doorframes and solid wooden doors are commonly known as Shikumen. People adopted simple engravings on the stone frames. Taikang Road area was built up by the French Concession expansion. Apart from Shikumen buildings, there are also French style remainders. The distinctive scenes and architectural composition in Taikang Road denotes the city’s eventful history. In the 1930s, white-collar workers, including doctors, artists, competent seafarers and bank officers preferred to settle down here. It is equivalent to prosperous uptown of nowadays. Many influential artists in early 20th Century treat this region as their home.