Tales from Normandie Apartment

Other historical communities in Shanghai

Longmencun

Longmencun, or Dragon Gate Village, was a rather well-known neighborhood in Shanghai last century. Located along Shangwen Road, it has 4-meter-wide alleys and features 76 houses of various styles. When the area was designated for residential use in 1932, the affluent poured in to purchase the land, inviting a slew of architects to design and build their garden villas. All of the houses here come with fireplaces, which were seen as a status symbol back in the olden days.

Address: Lane 133, Shangwen Road, Huangpu district, Shanghai

Simingcun

The shikumen residential complex near Jing'an Temple in downtown Shanghai was completed in the 1930s and was first used as the staff dormitory of the Ningpo Commercial and Savings Bank Ltd. The neighborhood has alleys that are 5 to 6 meters wide and are often used by vehicles. All the houses have well-equipped kitchens, restrooms and a balcony on the third floor. Half of these homes even come with garages. Xu Zhimo, one of China's best-loved poets, as well as socialite Lu Xiaoman, once lived in one of the houses after they tied the knot. Hu Die, China's famous movie queen in the 1930s also lived here.

Address: Lane 913, Middle Yan'an Road, Jing'an district, Shanghai

Alley 96 on Shaoxing road

This alley is home to one of the city's best-preserved shikumen buildings. These three-story homes all come with oval balconies that have been dubbed "rose balconies" because of how they resemble the shape of the flower. The alley has appeared in a number of shows about old Shanghai and residents have been accustomed to having film crew show up around their houses with trucks of equipments.

Address: Lane 96, Shaoxing road, Huangpu district, Shanghai

zhouwenting@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily USA 07/01/2016 page16)