This is the part of Shanghai to walk. The former concession is now part of Huangpu and Xuhui districts, and the lanes, villas and plane trees reward a slow pace.
Two neighbourhoods show different ways of reusing the old lane houses: Tianzifang, a creative quarter in a shikumen block from 1933, and Xintiandi, a car-free dining and shopping district rebuilt in the 1990s and 2000s.
Highlights
一Tianzifang lanes
二Xintiandi
三Shikumen houses
Lane in Tianzifang, Shanghai · 钉钉, CC BY-SA 4.0Café terrace in Xintiandi, Shanghai · xiquinhosilva, CC BY 2.0
Top experiences
2 things to see and do in The Former French Concession
The core is a shikumen block dating from 1933. The area became an artistic and creative quarter in 2001 and now holds more than 200 small businesses, according to Wikipedia.
In 1996 Shui On Group acquired 23 square blocks here. Redevelopment finished in 2001, and the area is now a car-free district of restaurants and shops built from reconstituted shikumen houses.
Getting there
The old concession is in central Shanghai, a short drive from the Bund. We plan this walk by car and on foot so that you start in one lane and finish in another without backtracking.
Key facts
Established
6 April 1849
Handed over
30 July 1943
Original size
66 hectares (986 mu)
Tianzifang core
Shikumen block dating from 1933
Xintiandi
Shui On Group bought 23 blocks in 1996; completed 2001
FromUS$2,010per private group of up to 2, estimate
Plan
A private trip to The Former French Concession
Tell us your dates and pace. We will suggest how long to stay, where to sleep and when to arrive to avoid the crowds.
The Former French Concession: frequently asked questions
When was the French Concession established?
Wikipedia gives 6 April 1849 as the date it was established, and 1943 as the year it was disestablished, when it was handed over on 30 July.
What is a shikumen?
Wikipedia’s Tianzifang and Xintiandi articles describe shikumen as traditional Shanghai lane houses. Tianzifang’s core block dates from 1933 and Xintiandi’s houses were reconstituted in the 1990s and 2000s.
Is Xintiandi car-free?
Yes. Wikipedia describes it as an affluent car-free shopping, eating and entertainment district.
