How to Visit Xintiandi (Tips, Photos & Map)

Plan your Shanghai tour? Shanghai Xintiandi (上海新天地) is a place you shouldn't miss. "Xintiandi" literally means "New Heaven and Earth" which refers to an international standard mall based on the former cluster of Shikumen buildings in the center of Shanghai.

The avant garde in Shanghai

The Shikumen buildings were built in 1860s with a blend of Chinese and western style architectures. The western style of brick door frames, roofs and walls go harmoniously with the inside structures of Chinese traditional houses in the Yangtze Delta Area.

The shikumen buildings in Xitiandi area have been turned from their residential function to a huge mall of dotted and connected shikumen buildings, a shopping center, a dining center, a leisure center and a fanshion center, hence a showcase of the avant garde in Shanghai. If you are not interested in shoping, drinking or dining, a glimpse of the shikumen buidlings is worth your 1-2 hour stroll.

Xintiandi is similar to Tianzifangin terms of Shikumen buildings and leisure activities. But Xintiandi is totally commercialized without any local residents living in these shikumen buildings while in Tianzifang , people still live on the floor over the restaurants and shops housed in Shikumen buildings.

If you are not pressed for time, you are advised to visit both Xintiandi and Tianzifang for a perfect picture of Shanghai in the past and present.

How to get to Xintiandi

Shanghai Xintiandioccupies an area of about 30,000 square meters. It is mainly composed of two areas - Xintiandi Beili ( North ) and Xintiandi Nanli ( South ), separated by the east-west Yexing Road (业兴路) .

The whole Xintiandi area is located between Taicang Road 太仓路(north) and Zizhong Road 自忠路(south）with Yexing Road in between; between South Huangpo Road 黄陂南路(east) and Madang Road 马当路(west).

How to Visit Xintiandi (Tips, Photos & Map) — A 1.6km walk from Tianzifang to Xintiandi area ( Google)

Taking subway is the most convenient transport. Take subway Line 1 and get off at the station of Huangpo South Road (黄陂南路) and exit from the Exit 2 and walk south; take subway line 10 and get off at the station of Xintiandi and using the exit 1 and walk to the north.

If you reach Xintiandi by subway line 1, you will first visit Xintiandi Beili ( Xintiandi's north part ) and then continue to walk south to see Xintiandi Nanli(Xintiandi's southern part); if take subway line 10, you may eixt from the Exit 1 and continue to visit the Xintiandi Nanli (southern part) and then walk north to visit Xintiandi Beili ( northern part).