quiet places in Shanghai

quite place in shanghai

Although the city is rapidly developing into one of the most marvelous modern metropolitans, Shanghai would not be unique without blending the new with the old. It is a place where glass-coated skyscrapers serve as a back drop for an ancient Buddhist temple, where tea houses neighbor with the newest Starbuck’s, and juicy steamed dumplings belong in the same meal as a McDonald’s hamburger. No matter how rapid the pace of development, the city’s history still resurfaces in the most unexpected places. After all, the towering skyscrapers will one day become history themselves. And it is only fair to preserve and respect them for what marvels they were.

Shanghai is a busy and noisy city. But there are 2 neighboring streets that can be quiet places to stroll on any given evening: Tian Ai (Sweet Love) Road and Shang Yin (Mountain Shade) Road reside next to each other, near the famous Lu Xun Park. With their brick multi-family houses about 3-4 stories tall, shabbily paved side walks too narrow to fit too many people, and green trees guarding each side of the streets, these 2 roads resemble the older districts in Shanghai.

Despite everything building around the area, a walk around this neighborhood can take you back in time to Shanghai in the 1930’s. It was an area for the prosperous families before the war, and where Japanese officers lived during their invasion. It was where kids played in laughter, and where high school students rode their bikes carelessly. It was where young couples walked hand-in-hand, and where the good neighbors greeted each other. You can not see them, but you can feel the history all around you – everyday people just like you and me from ages before the skyscrapers evolved.

Shanghai now has a sea of the newest buildings. And to remind or introduce to tourists of its rich 1930’s era, it even built a place called Xin Tian Di. But the real flavor of Shanghai’s golden days can’t be built. All it takes is one simple stroll down Tian Ai Road and Shang Yin Road – 2 unknown and underappreciated paths to history that were once marvelous back in the 1930’s Shanghai.