Where is Shikumen?

Shikumen is the most characteristic residential building in Shanghai. The old alleys in Shanghai are generally Shikumen buildings, which originated during the Taiping Rebellion. At that time, the war forced wealthy businessmen, landlords and officials in Jiangsu and Zhejiang to take refuge in the concession, and foreign real estate developers took the opportunity to build a large number of houses. In the twenties and thirties of last century, enclosure was still the main feature of Shanghai housing, but sculpture was not paid attention to, so Shikumen housing combining Chinese and western styles came into being. This kind of building absorbs the style of Jiangnan residential buildings, with stone as the door frame and solid thick wood with black paint as the door leaf, hence the name "Shikumen".

Shikumen is a microcosm of Shanghai society. In the long years, Shanghai residents have worked hard here, revolutionaries have been secretly active here, and scholars and artists have nurtured their works here. In the old Shikumen, there are factories, banks, hotels, warehouses, newspapers, schools and so on. , all-encompassing. Terms related to Shikumen, such as' Pavilion',' Guest Room',' Wing' and' Courtyard', as well as' Second Landlord',' Lady in White' and' Seventy-two Tenants', have all become warm memories of old Shanghainese. In Wong Kar-wai's In the Mood for Love, Shikumen in old Shanghai and Qipao in Maggie Cheung, strung together with Tony Leung Chiu Wai's depressed expression, spread into a beautiful nostalgic movie and a love story worth remembering. Shikumen is a symbol of modern civilization in Shanghai. To miss Shikumen is to miss the familiar and fading lifestyle. Homesickness represented by' returning to Shikumen' has also spread at all social levels in this city. For the old people, Shikumen is not only an ordinary building or residence, but also a lifestyle and lifestyle. The old Shikumen Lane in Shanghai is permeated with the most essential and rustic atmosphere of the city. Shikumen is gradually brewing into a unique old Shanghai culture with the accumulation of time. Like a mirror, it reflects the changes of Shanghai people's life and years. Now, more and more people are wandering in Shanghai's century-old history as explorers or nostalgia. Those historical sites scattered in the streets and lanes of old Shanghai and various Wen Ya unofficial history immediately became the most vital and unforgettable cultural treasures of this city. When Shikumen once again became the darling of Shanghai architecture, people living in Shikumen also quietly changed. Petty bourgeoisie likes Shikumen, because through Shikumen, they can feel an ancient and long-lasting atmosphere, belonging to Shanghai; Foreigners appreciate Shikumen because it has a fresh feeling that they have never experienced before, and it is another modern feeling; Overseas Chinese looking for Shikumen can evoke many memories every time they see blue brick wooden walls and arched doors. Rich people choose Shikumen because it symbolizes a social status and shows a distinctive cultural taste.