There isn't a great deal of silence in Shanghai. There's not much space, either - unless the idea of 'making space' means building upwards instead of sideways. But in the midst of total megalo-building-mania, Shanghai's planners have taken a leap into the past - and the result is the space-time warp now known as Xintiandi precinct.
To get a feel for the times that inspired Xintiandi, I visited the precinct's Wulixiang or Open House museum, an authentic re-creation of the early days of Shanghai's French Concession precinct. This museum's enclosed spaces create a silence that is nearly palpable. But amidst the silence you can almost hear the echoes of the throb of daily life in the 1930s - Shanghai's most feral era, when the French police and the infamous Green Gang triad operated out of each other's pockets.
Xintiandi's main promenade is lined with upmarket cafes and boutiques.
Check out the study and parlour of the museum, with polished redwood furniture and musty aroma creating an olfactory 'tone poem' that takes you way back in time; then climb the rickety staircase to the Tingzidian attic, a spartan garret that used to be rented out to penniless writers. Underneath the attic, the master bedroom and kids' rooms have been meticulously furnished with authentic period furniture and bric-a-brac - right down to the family photos on the dresser.
Just south of the former Avenue Joffre (now Huaihai Lu), what is now Xintiandi was in the early 1900s the heart of the French Concession. When French expatriates from other provinces of China and from Vietnam came to Shanghai in search of its hedonistic lifestyle, they found accommodation in Xintiandi's unique Shikumen ('stone gate') houses.
The Shikumen houses, for which Xintiandi is now famous, have an illustrious history. The style originated during the Taiping Rebellion of the mid-1800s, when many residents of Shanghai and thousands from the neighbouring provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang were forced to take refuge in the City's foreign concessions. The newcomers were accommodated in houses built along narrow avenues, or longtangs. Each house was designed for just one family, but in one case at least, a shikumen was found to be housing no fewer than 72 families.
Each Shikumen house featured a stone gate framing a wooden door, which led into an enclosed courtyard. In the 1930s, French architects and developers built upon this style, designing new Shikumen-style housing in the Xintiandi area for the influx of expatriate residents. Now, 70 years down the track, the Xintiandi precinct has been fully restored to its former glory - with the addition of upmarket cafés, shops and restaurants that make a visit a multi-sensory experience.
OK, so the Shikumen houses aren't quite the same as they were in the 30s. When the refurbishers moved in, they ripped the guts out of every building except the Open House, putting in brand-new interiors including air conditioning and fibre optic cabling. In some cases the whole building was demolished and then rebuilt, using the original bricks from the demolition. Overall, though, the results seem fairly authentic - right down to the ornate fleur-de-lys style scrollwork on the house facades.
An old building that has been lovingly restored.
Xiantiandi, on a 30,000sq m block near the Huang Pi Nan Lu metro station, forms just 10% of the Taipingqiao area. Taipingqiao is, in turn, a part of the Luwan District of Shanghai. While the whole of Taipingqiao is now scheduled for redevelopment, it is in Xintiandi that most efforts have so far been concentrated. The upmarket Xintiandi has been developed in two phases, with the North Block (north of Xingye Lu) opening first.
Touring Xintiandi
A tour of Xintiandi is de rigueur for every visitor to Shanghai. I started with a brief visit to the Xintiandi branch of Starbucks, which while not quite period-authentic, does still serve the finest doppio espresso con panna on the planet.
"Yè Shanghai is an upmarket restaurant based on its now-renowned Hong Kong namesake, and serving some of the best Chinese food I've come across.
"We aim to set the standard for modern Shanghai cuisine," says manager Danny Hui.
Fancy a little culinary titillation? Try these offerings: Duck with red-wine sauce, Baby lamb chops with lemongrass - Shanghainese-style, Minced chicken with pine-nuts, served in pita-style pockets, Crispy eel with sesame, and Shenyang-style spare-ribs with sweet-and-sour sauce. The subtle flavour combinations have obviously been lovingly crafted by a team of master-chefs.
Just down from Yè Shanghai, another Hong Kong transplant - Va Bene Italian restaurant - has already attracted fave-rave reviews for its antipasto dishes and pizzas. In pride of place is the private all-blue dining/cigar room, based on the renowned Blue Grotto on Italy's Isle of Capri.
Another Continental touch is provided by the nearby Luna cafe-bar - if, that is, you can afford 390 yuan (RM173) for a bottle of South Australian Wolf Blass Cabernet. But a coffee is a little cheaper, with some of the best street-views in Xintiandi as an added bonus.
With its Silver Vodka Bar and original ink-stone slabs, the DR Bar fully justifies its title, which stands for 'Design Resources'.
"We are minimalists," reads a welcoming sign. "Please strip to the bare essentials and leave the complexities of life in a city of 15 million people behind."
I was wondering where to leave my wallet- the only really bare essential - when I was jolted back to now-time by a team of (surprisingly) fully-clad people walking out the door.
The chicest bar in Xintiandi would have to be Tou Ming Si Kou (TMSK). The post-nirvana decor looks like the entrance foyer to Cloud Nine, with the subtlest of lights shining through the frosted glasses behind the bar.
"We use a special Lia Li glass," said a bar attendant.
The newest place to open in Xintiandi, the two-storey Villa du Lac brasserie with Le Platane French restaurant upstairs, opened its doors in March 2007. As the name suggests, the complex overlooks the extensive Taipingqiao Lake. Head chef Justin Quek, the "National Chef of Singapore" aims to combine the best of both Eastern and Western cuisine.
But the most intriguing place at Xintiandi would have to be the Herbal Legend medicinal restaurant. A classical Chinese flautist greets diners as they enter the main dining room, where the decor sets off a herbal tonic bar, with a small herbal museum to one side of the foyer.
Soon to be in-house will be a Chinese herbal physician, who will be able to take your pulse and then 'prescribe' your meal for you - and you'd better eat it, or you won't get any dessert!
Phase Two of Xintiandi, housed in South Block south of Xingye Lu, is also now well in place - though it houses fewer historical gems than the first phase development. A large shopping features an IMAX theatre, spa and fitness centre and many name-brand outlets. Two hotels and a residential complex overlooking Taipingqiao Lake are already attracting much notice. A food court offers inexpensive dining, while boutiques and international restaurants are springing up faster than mushrooms after rain.
A popular place is Simply Cafe (101, Twelve, Xintiandi, Corner of Madang Lu and Xingye Lu), offering both ice-cream and Thai food at reasonable prices. Or catch the latest English-language movies, with Chinese sub-titles, at UME International Cineplex (4F, No. 6, Lane 123, Xingye Lu, Tel: 6373 3333.)
Diners having a meal in upmarket Shanghai Color. - GRAHAM SIMMONS
After dinner, walk down to the ornamental lake that is a key feature of Xintiandi. On the way, you pass the site of the first national congress of the Chinese Communist Party, at 76, Xingye Lu. When delegates met here on July 21, 1921, they laid the groundwork for the revolution that would come to fruition 28 years later. At the time of my visit, the preponderance of tour groups was a little off-putting - but that may be the price you pay for visiting a national icon.
Xintiandi's main promenade is lined with upmarket cafes and boutiques. Development is also well underway in the rest of Taipingqiao, the super-precinct encompassing Xintiandi. Many tenants are waiting with bated breath to see what competition they will be facing. And this being Shanghai, they probably won't have to wait very long!
Getting there
Singapore Airlines flies regularly to Shanghai.
ACCOMMODATION: There is a huge range of hotels, in all price ranges, in Shanghai. An excellent reference is Lonely Planet's Shanghai.
EATING AT XINTIANDI:
Yè Shanghai Restaurant, 338 Huang Pi Nan Lu, Xintiandi, Tel: 6311 2323, open daily from 11:30am-2:30pm for lunch, and 5:30pm-10:30pm for dinner.
Star East, Unit 1, House 17, North Block, Xintiandi, Tel: 6391 4991 for reservations. Service is fast and furious at this popular two-storey place.
D R Bar, No 15, Lane 181, Xintiandi, Tel: 6311 0358. "DR" stands for Design Resources, a description that says it all. Super-chic decor sets this popular after-work place apart from the rest of the pack.
