If the Bund is the modern cover of Shanghai, and Yu Garden is the classical business card of Shanghai, then the alleys are the urban background of Shanghai and the most vivid carrier of Haipai Culture. For foreign visitors, to truly understand Shanghai, you should not only stay in the shock of high-rise buildings, but also walk deep into the crisscross alleys — where there are old buildings with blue bricks and black tiles, greetings and laughter between neighbors, and the attractive aroma of street food, hiding the most authentic daily charm and warmth of Shanghai. Wandering through the alleys, stepping on the bluestone roads, and touching the mottled brick walls, you can truly understand the past and present of this city and encounter the most touching appearance of Haipai culture.
Shanghai alleys, also known as “Lane”, are a unique residential architectural form in Shanghai and a product of Shanghai’s urban development in modern times. Their history can be traced back to the mid-19th century after Shanghai opened its port. Before the opening of the port, the residential buildings in Shanghai were mostly traditional brick-wood structure bungalows in Jiangnan. With the influx of Western Culture and the sharp increase of urban population, traditional residential buildings could no longer meet the living needs. Therefore, alley buildings integrating Jiangnan residential buildings and Western architectural styles came into being. After Shanghai opened its port in 1843, foreign merchants and missionaries brought Western architectural concepts, which collided and integrated with local Wuyue residential architecture. Shikumen alleys first appeared, and then gradually derived various types such as Cantonese-style alleys, new-style lanes, and garden alleys, becoming the most representative residential symbol of Shanghai.
Shikumen alleys are the most distinctive type of Shanghai alleys and the essence of Haipai architecture. The name “Shikumen” comes from the architectural style of its gate — the door frame is built with granite or blue stone, with an arch or triangular lintel above the door frame, and a small courtyard inside the door, which has both the privacy of Jiangnan residential buildings and the solemnity of Western architecture. The outer walls of Shikumen alleys are mostly blue bricks and black tiles, and the mottled walls are full of traces of time. The carvings on the lintels, potted plants on the windowsills, and moss in the corners all exude a strong daily atmosphere. The width of the alleys is mostly between 2-5 meters, narrow and deep. The Shikumen buildings on both sides are scattered in an orderly manner, and the dormer windows on the roof protrude from the walls, which not only increases the lighting of the houses but also becomes a symbolic landscape of alley buildings. The 1920s and 1930s were the golden age of Shanghai alleys. At that time, alleys were all over Shanghai’s urban area, with nearly a thousand alleys alone in the French Concession, becoming the main living place for Shanghai citizens.
The charm of alleys lies not only in their unique architectural style but also in the urban Culture and neighborhood warmth they carry. For Shanghainese, alleys are never just living spaces, but a “small society” full of daily charm. The alleys in the early morning are always awakened by noisy sounds: the cries of breakfast stalls, the jingle of bicycles, and the greetings between neighbors are intertwined, full of vitality. The elderly walk in the alleys with birdcages, children chase and play on the bluestone roads, and housewives pick vegetables and chat at the door, sharing the trivialities and joys of life. This warmth of mutual help and harmony between neighbors is the warmest core of alley culture and a precious emotion that is gradually scarce in modern cities.
For foreign visitors, walking into the alleys is equivalent to walking into the daily life of Shanghainese, and there are too many beautiful things worth exploring and experiencing. In the alleys, you can immersive experience the daily life of Shanghainese: watching old Shanghainese sitting at the door fanning and chatting, listening to them communicate in soft Shanghainese, observing their living habits and ways of dealing with others. These details can let you understand Shanghai’s human customs more intuitively. You can also check in the characteristic small shops in the alleys. Whether it is a fresh and artistic cultural and creative store, a coffee shop, or a long-established old store, you can feel the perfect integration of tradition and modernity. Xintiandi’s Shikumen alleys are a typical representative. Here, the architectural style of the alleys is retained, and high-end catering, fashion brands, and cultural and creative stores are introduced. The old brick walls collide with modern decoration to create a unique charm. You can not only feel the historical heritage of the alleys but also experience the fashion vitality of Shanghai.
The food in the alleys is a direct embodiment of Shanghai’s daily charm and an experience not to be missed by foreign visitors. Walking in the alleys, you can always smell the aroma of various foods: the crispness of shengjian mantou (pan-fried sTeamed buns), the tenderness of Nanxiang xiaolongbao (steamed dumplings), the softness of pork ribs with rice cakes, and the fragrance of scallion pancakes. Every taste is memorable. Most of these foods are hidden in inconspicuous stalls or old stores. They have no gorgeous decoration but the most authentic Shanghai flavor. For example, the shengjian stall in Tianzifang alleys, the boss is skilled. The shengjian mantou has a golden and crispy bottom, juicy inside, and the aroma overflows when you take a bite; there is also an old noodle shop deep in the alley. A bowl of Yangchun noodles or a bowl of scallion oil noodles is simple but full of flavor, carrying the taste memory of Shanghainese. In addition to snacks, the local restaurants in the alleys are also worth trying. The authentic local Shanghai cuisine has a rich sauce and red color, mellow taste, allowing you to understand Shanghai’s food culture from your taste buds.
To understand alley culture more deeply, you can also participate in various characteristic experience activities. Many alleys regularly hold alley culture festivals, displaying alley folk customs, Shanghainese performances, traditional crafts, etc., allowing you to fully feel the charm of alley culture; you can also sign up for alley walking tours, follow local guides into little-known old alleys, listen to the guides tell the historical stories and celebrity anecdotes in the alleys, and understand the development and changes of the alleys; in addition, you can also experience traditional crafts in the alleys, such as paper-cutting and Embroidery, and feel the heritage of Shanghai’s traditional culture through hands-on practice.
Nowadays, with the rapid development of Shanghai’s urban construction, many old alleys have been renovated and upgraded, and some even face the fate of demolition. But alley culture has not disappeared, but has been valued and inherited by more and more people. The Shanghai government has increased its protection of old alleys, renovated many Shikumen alleys, and retained their architectural style and cultural heritage; more and more young people have walked into the alleys, opened cultural and creative stores, held cultural activities, and injected new vitality into alley culture; many foreign tourists have also come here specially to find the daily charm of Shanghai in the alleys and feel the unique charm of Haipai culture.
Shanghai alleys are living fossils engraved with Shanghai’s urban memory, the urban foundation of Haipai culture, and a warm harbor hidden in the daily charm. It has both the elegance of Jiangnan residential buildings and the style of Western architecture; it has both the trivialities of daily life and the warmth of neighborhood communication; it has both the thickness of history and the vitality of the times. For foreign visitors, a journey into Shanghai’s alleys can not only let you appreciate the unique architectural scenery and taste the authentic Shanghai food but also understand Shanghai’s human heritage and urban spirit. You might as well slow down, walk deep into Shanghai’s alleys, wander on the bluestone roads, stay in the daily charm, encounter a warmth and romance belonging to Shanghai, and let the time in the alleys become the most unforgettable memory of your trip to Shanghai.
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