Xintiandi is an affluent car-free shopping, eating and entertainment district of Shanghai, China. It is composed of an area of reconstituted traditional shikumen ("stone gate") houses on narrow alleys, some adjoining houses which now serve as book stores, cafes and restaurants, and shopping malls. Most of the cafes and restaurants feature both indoor and outdoor seatings. Xintiandi has an active nightlife on weekdays as well as weekends, though romantic settings are more common than loud music and dance places. Xintiandi means "New Heaven and Earth", and is considered one of the first lifestyle centers in China.

The area was developed by Shui On Land during the re-development of the surrounding area. Some houses in Xintiandi were then imited (and not renovated, unlike the Chinese government and the real estate agency official version), in order to implant an art gallery, cafes, and restaurants. Many tour groups both domestic and from abroad also visit Xintiandi as one of the main attractions in Shanghai. The Xintiandi redevelopment was designed by Wood+Zapata and Nikken Sekkei International. The urban renewal is considered one of the first examples of the placemaking approach in China. This construction displaced 2,500 shanghainese families

This article is licensed under the Creative Commons BY-SA License. It uses material from Wikipedia content.