From
the middle of the 19th century to the end of the 20th century, the
majority of citizens in Shanghai lived in Shikumen. When it became
increasingly crowded, people began to move part of their lives to the
lanes outside of Shikumen. Narrow as they are, these lanes provide
public space for the residents, who have cre- ated unique lifestyles and
customs with their years of experience of living there. Living Habits
The
living habits of residents in Shikumen are very unique. For decades,
they have been carrying out their daily lives and con-ducting business
in the lanes, including having meals, washingclothes, trimming
vegetables for cooking and dumping out cham-ber pot.
Having Meals
Since
many of the residents in Shikumen only have limitedspace inside their
houses, they often choose to have their meals inthe lanes, especially in
summer. In front of every household, thereis a table on which can be
found several dishes of meat andvegetables, as well as pickles. All the
family members, old and young,sit around the table and enjoy their
meals. Some men are evenbarebacked due to the sweltering heat in summer,
and womenleisurely fan themselves ith palm-leaf fans while enjoying
theirmeals.
PrefaceAs a kind of residential building
unique in Shanghai,Shikumen houses have been in existence for about 140
years sincethey first came into being in the middle of 19th century.
Duringthat long period of time, millions of citizens in Shanghai as well
asimmigrants from others parts of the country have been carryingout
their daily lives in Shikumen, to which they felt attached
bothphysically and emotionally.
Recently, as a symbol of Shanghai and
a witness of the his-tory the city has gone through, Shikumen has
attracted much at-tention both at home and abroad due to its unique form
of archi-tecture and special life style as well as the rich cultural
traditionsassociated with it.
In the 21st century, with the impact of
modernization andinternationalization, the city of Shanghai has
gradually been los-ing its unique identity by toppling down many old
Shikumenhouses which represent the historical and cultural heritage of
thecity. On the other hand, great efforts are being made to explorenew
conservation models that can rebuild old Shikumen houseswhile preserving
their original look and charm. The reconstruc-tion ofXintiandi,
Tianzifang and Bugao Lane are successful ex-amples of the new models,
showing the world that with creativityand effort, Shikumen.
