As a tourist in Shanghai, what dazzles you first is its futuristic landscape. The skyscrapers towering the skyline, corkscrew flyovers, futuristic foot over bridges and state-of-the-art transport network give a feeling of world-class urbanism. But on closer look, you realise that within Shanghai’s sci-fi spectacle, there is a yearning for nostalgia.
Laoximen, a neighbourhood that is now close to disappearance, is a reminder of old Shanghai. Tucked away in a network of alleway housing, it represents the tumultuous past that gave way to what is now being presented as a glorious future.
Down the memory lane – The sentimentality of alleyway housing
Laoximen is among the old neighbourhoods in Shanghai. Located in an area which used to be the old West gate of the city, it is marked out for urban renewal. Its twisting lanes were built on tributaries to the Huangpu river that were earlier used for transportation.
The neighbourhood has many old buildings, dating back to a century, which represent a mix of western and eastern architectural styles. These have come to be known as Shikumen or alleyway housing, a traditional Shangainese architectural style that comprised most of Shanghai’s housing stock till the 90s. With communal kitchens and toilets, these two or three storeyed structures stand within a mesh of narrow lanes or alleyways.
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