Xin Tian Di, the hottest new entertainment district in Shanghai, is one of China’s most successful historical redevelopment projects and a model for the rest of Asia. Once a charming two-block district filled with old Shikumen (traditional brick townhouses), it is now filled with the some of the city’s finest restaurants, boutiques, and clubs.
Located in the heart of Shanghai, one block south of prestigious Huai Hai Zhong, Xin Tian Di enjoys a rich history of revolutionary spirit that still fills the streets today. Eighty-two years ago, some of the first Communist Party meetings chaired by Mao Zedong, were held in the old Shikumen. Today, Xin Tian Di (literally “New, Heaven, Earth”), seeks to revolutionize the city’s entertainment, dining, and shopping scene.
The $170m project led by American architect Benjamin Wood, has inspired other cities all around China to follow suit. The streets of Xin Tian Di, filled centuries-old architecture and views of surrounding skyscrapers, create an atmosphere of new vitality while still preserving the flavor of old Shanghai.