Tian Zi Fang is a warren of alleyways that run off of Taikung Road in the old French Concession of Shanghai. It is similar to Nanluoguxiang in Beijing in that commerce is used as a basis for architectural preservation. But the vibe is a bit different. The alleyways of Tian Zi Fang are narrower and higher; the surrounding buildings are at least two to three stories high. The construction of a Beijing hutong is generally lower. And in Tian Zi Fang there are more artists, especially painters, doing their thing. Thus, it has an element of Beijing's 798, with an active creative-artistic energy, but not nearly as expansive and industrial as that famous Beijing art space.
Anyway, it made for a nice walk today. This section of Shanghai is fairly well preserved, given the explosion of property development and building that has happened in the past twenty years. Here are some Tian Zi Fang photos:
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