Ten years ago, the establishment of Xintiandi – Chinese for “new Heaven and Earth” – was a pivotal point for modern Shanghai. Here, we look at the neighbourhood’s most happening hotels, restaurants, bars and spas.
Despite its millennia-long history, China is not exactly a model of heritage preservation. In its headlong rush to modernise, the country tends to swing its wrecking ball indiscriminately across ancient landmarks and neighbourhoods to make way for shiny highways and high-rises. One notable exception is the heritage-turned-hip enclave of Xintiandi, a district in downtown Shanghai where Bostonian architect Ben Wood has transformed crumbling tenements into a high-end entertainment district.
The original tapestry of interlacing grey-brick alleys and stone-gated shikumen (row houses) built by the French in the 1860s was left largely intact, and stuffed with restaurants, cocktail lounges, boutiques and cinemas. So commercially and culturally successful was the development that copycat “Xintiandis” have sprung up across China, from Hangzhou to Wuhan and Chongqing.
Long before Xintiandi, however, the same shikumen neighbourhood was the site of another pivotal occasion in Chinese history. The first covert meeting that led to the formation of the Chinese Communist Party convened in a stark schoolhouse, preserved today as a small memorial museum at the heart of Xintiandi. Ironically, it was thanks to this site that today’s bourgeois wonderland was born. We wonder what Chairman Mao and his early comrades would have thought of their newest neighbour – jeweller-to-the-stars, Harry Winston.
Today, Xintiandi has sprawled from its original two blocks of cobbled squares and laneways to encompass one of Shanghai’s highest-priced neighbourhoods. Marble condominium towers with names like Richgate and Baccarat loom over the original quarter, interspersed with Lamborghini showrooms, designer shopping malls and five-star hotels.
Future phases of Xintiandi promise a new Broadway-style theatre district and a quartet of “skytowers,” including one swirling torch-like construction by Kohn Pedersen Fox. For now, though, beyond the glossy reconditioned promenades, some streets are yet to be gentrified. Duck into the older laneways, where washing hangs overhead and residents prepare evening meals on roadside tables, for a glimpse of Shanghai’s enchanting contrasts.
SLEEP
Two of Shanghai’s newest five-star hotels occupy matching 28-storey towers overlooking Xintiandi’s heritage rooftops. Shaped like jelly beans and wrapped in a lattice-punched granite-and-glass cladding, the towers provide a dramatic backdrop to the low-rise stone dwellings – and an easy navigation point to your hotel.
Andaz Shanghai – the first Asian hotel for Hyatt’s new “lifestyle” brand – is a savvy combo of futuristic pod design, high-tech gadgetry and flashes of China-inspired art.
Rooms are simply designed but have superb, cave-like stone bathrooms with big translucent tubs that glow in your choice of mood lighting. All guests can stop by the ambient lobby for complimentary wine-o’clock beverages and all-day espressos.
Next door, The Langham, Xintiandi is styled for today’s business elite. In chocolate and soft cherry tones, the quietly luxe establishment comes with a designer spa in the basement as well as a branch of Hong Kong’s Michelin-starred Ming Court Cantonese restaurant. Terrace gastro bar XTD Elevated is a hip new spot for summer tippling, with cushion-strewn daybeds.
For something a little more intimate, check in to boutique hotel 88 Xintiandi, hidden away on the upper floors of the neighbourhood’s South Block. Its cosy, China-chic design features include carved wooden screens and funky silk lanterns; there are also residential conveniences such as a kitchenette, free Wi-Fi and DVD players. For the best views, book a room facing the manicured gardens that surround the lake.
EAT
From bratwurst to Thai curries and Belgian desserts, Xintiandi has no shortage of global dining options. One of the standouts for an elegant meal is T8. This Shanghai fine-dining pioneer is a study of taste, from its hypnotic Zen interior of lacquered elm woods and Asian artefacts to the creative east-west fare prepared by much-lauded Australian executive chef, Adam Liston, in T8’s central show kitchen. Delights such as pigeon popcorn, tataki of sesame-crusted tuna and Australian Wagyu beef striploin are accompanied by drops from an award-winning boutique wine list.
For a taste of rich Shanghainese fare, join the queue of local gourmands outside tiny, fluorescent-lit diner Lan Ting. This humble six-table restaurant opposite the Andaz hotel serves some of the city’s best home-style cuisine – at a fraction of the price of its more opulent neighbours. Let the gruff maître d’ recommend dishes from the Chinese-only menu and tuck into tiny, flash-fried river shrimp (you bao xia), chicken in sticky brown sauce (ji gu jiang) and other sweet, oily and incredibly tasty dishes.
No visit to Shanghai would be complete without slurping down a serve or two of the city’s famous xiaolongbao: “soup” dumplings. Some of the finest steamed pouches of pleasure can be found at bustling Din Tai Fung in Xintiandi. Try the original pork-filled parcels or opt for something fancier, such as the foie gras varieties.
DRINK
Xintiandi architect Ben Wood kept a little slice of the area to himself and opened it as low-key martini lounge, DR Bar. Stacked walls of reclaimed roof tiles, an ink-stone bar and a vintage automobile suspended from the ceiling define the dark, closet-sized space. It’s the perfect setting for tousled designer types who slouch on low-slung lounges downing sharp martinis and vodka shooters served in Chinese cricket jars.
At the other end of the colour spectrum, Shanghai Tang Café, situated across two floors above the brand’s boutique, pops with signature lime, tangerine and aqua hues. The Art-Deco bar and lounge on the top floor, with its slither of balcony edging the shingled rooftops, is a flamboyant retreat for a boozy high tea or evening tipple.
For late-night live music and dancing, head to jazz club Brown Sugar, which occupies a surprisingly cavernous space behind an aged brick façade. Two levels of sleek lounge, wining and dining spaces encircle a large stage hosting jazz, blues, world and soul outfits.
SHOP
Those in the market for a mega-carat choker or the latest chronograph will find plenty of bling in the world’s largest Harry Winston diamond salon and luxury Swiss watch flagship stores.
For fresh local labels, cross over to the new Xintiandi Style mall adjoining the South Block. This smart concept space gathers Asia’s most exciting upcoming designers, with a focus on homegrown talent. Look out for Uma Wang, a Central Saint Martins graduate whose gothic-inspired creations and exceptional hand-stitched knitwear is currently turning heads in Milan and London.
Also in the mall, local label Heirloom creates classic, structured leather totes and clutches in stunning shades that fluctuate with the seasons. For added appeal, they also offer a name-engraving service.
Started by a French expat, Shanghai Trio’s adorable silk pouches, embroidered scarves and throws blend Chinese culture with French subtlety, making coveted souvenirs.
And street cred abounds at Ch’in in the mall’s basement. The new footwear brand peddles en trend pumps in capsule collections variously inspired by Shanghai Art Deco, Beijing’s hutongs (courtyard buildings) and the Taklamakan desert.
SPA
After a day negotiating the cobbled lanes and marble malls of Xintiandi, The Langham’s Chuan Spa, set in an indoor Zen garden of stark branches and white pebbles, provides a welcome dose of tranquillity. The spa’s menu of treatments, inspired by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), are customised to harmonise with your personal element – wood, fire, earth, metal or water.
For a fabulous no-frills rubdown, you can’t beat Green Massage. Push back the huge wooden door to this local institution providing Chinese, shiatsu and aromatherapy massages in comfortable, semi-private enclaves. For something different, try the establishment’s aromatic ear candling, a remarkably soothing treatment said to detox the sinuses, rejuvenate the face and promote better sleep.
Photographs courtesy of respective establishments and Shui On Development Ltd.
TRAVEL FACTS
Qantas offers direct flights from Sydney to Shanghai, while China Eastern operates daily services from Melbourne and Sydney to Shanghai. China Southern flights to Shanghai travel via Guangzhou.
• China Eastern Airlines. 61-2/9290-1148;
flychinaeastern.com
• China Southern Airlines. 61-2/9233-9788;
flychinasouthern.com
• Qantas. 131-313;
qantas.com
getting around
The following companies offer insightful trips and tours around Shanghai.
• Creative Holidays. 1300-747-400;
creativeholidays.com
• Helen Wong’s Tours. 1300-788-328;
helenwongstours.com
• Selective Tours. 1300-760-208;
selectivetours.com
• Travel Indochina. 1300-365-355;
travelindochina.com.au
• Travman Tours. 1800-368-077;
travman.com.au
• Wendy Wu Tours. 1300-727-998;
wendywutours.com.au
when to go
Spring (March–May) and autumn (September–November), when temperatures are mildest, are the best times to visit Shanghai. Avoid the first week of October, which is a national holiday and draws huge crowds to the city.
where to stay
• 88 Xintiandi. 380 Huangpi Rd. South; 86-21/5383-8833;
88xintiandi.com
• Andaz Shanghai. 88 Songshan Rd.; 86-21/2310-1234;
shanghai.andaz.hyatt.com
• The Langham Xintiandi. 99 Madang Rd.; 86-21/2330-2288;
xintiandi.langhamhotels.com
• The Peninsula Shanghai. 32 The Bund.; 86-21/2327-2888;
peninsula.com
where to eat
• Din Tai Fung. 2/F, House 6, South Block Xintiandi, Lane 123, Xingye Rd.; 86-21/6385-8378;
dintaifung.com.tw
• Lan Ting. 107 Songshan Rd.; 86-21/5306-9650.
• T8 Restaurant & Bar. No 8, North Block, Xintiandi, 181 Tai Cang Rd.; 86-21/6355-8999;
t8shanghai.com
where to drink
• DR Bar. House 15, North Block, Lane 181 Tai Cang Rd.; 86-21/6311-0358.
• Brown Sugar. Building 15, North Block, Lane 181 Taicang Rd.; 86-21/5382-8998;
brownsugarlive.com
• Shanghai Tang Café. 2-3/F, 333 South Huangpi Rd.; 86-21/6377-3333.
shanghaitang.com
where to shop
• Heirloom.
heirloomhandbags.com
• Shanghai Trio.
shanghaitrio.com
• Uma Wang.
umawang.com
• Xintiandi Style.
xintiandistyle.com
where to spa
• Chuan Spa. 86-21/2330-2288;
chuanspa.com
• Green Massage. 86-21/5386-0222;
greenmassage.com.cn
further information
Contact the China National Tourist Office for more information on travelling to Shanghai.
cnto.org.au
