Xintiandi

Xintiandi is a car-free shopping, dining and entertainment area of Shanghai. The look and feel of the place resembles a bit of Covent Garden in London, minus the eccentric street performers. This is the place where lots of expats and even local executives hang out. First time goers will definitely be awed with its welcoming atmosphere with fountains and all. It features an area of restored traditional shikumen ("stone gate") houses on narrow alleys, purely old Shanghai style and very nice to see.

The district is composed of an area of reconstituted traditional mid-19th century shikumen ("stone gate") houses on narrow alleys, some adjoining houses which now serve as book stores, cafes and restaurants, and shopping malls. Most of the cafes and restaurants feature both indoor and outdoor seating. Xintiandi has an active nightlife on weekdays as well as weekends, though romantic settings are more common than loud music and dance places. It is considered one of the first lifestyle centers in China.

Xintiandi is the location of the site of the first congress of the Communist Party of China, now preserved at the Museum of the First National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party. Also nearby are the Shikumen Open House Museum and the site of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea when Korea was a Japanese colony.

There is a modern shopping mall with a posh cinema, too. Nightlife flourishes there, though romantic settings are more common than loud music and dance places. Xintiandi is a must-visit 'hang out' place in Shanghai, and also suitable for honeymoon vacations.

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