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EXPLORE | SHANGHAI EDITION
DEMOLITION
At its height of the peak in the 50s, Shanghai has over nine thousand shikumen. This iconic architectural style was once popular among upper and middle class Chinese people, that once 20 banks was based in one particular lane. With mass development project in later period, these rich Shanghainese moved their property to larger houses in rural area, and shikumen became the type of building more available to grassroots. Before the publicization movement in China, the phenomenon of subtenants renting one shikumen to multiple families was rather common. As time goes by, these stone architectures become the birth place of the rich and complex Shanghai art, literature, and local culture.
However, these beautiful structures unavoidably became the sacrifices in front of urbanization. To free up space for the city's further economic development, the Government chose to demolish most of the shikumen which was considered as low economic value. Only 250 thousand square metres of the field was left out of the total 2 million and 680 thousand in the late 1990s. The demolition processes are often criticized as disrespect to the unique Shanghai culture and rights of local residences, who was forced to move out from their neighbourhood for the greater good of the city.
REVITALIZATION
One of the most successful scheme to revitalize the shikumen neighbourhood was the Xintiandi project. According to the agreement made between the local government and a Hongkong land developer, the plan was to demolish most of the shikumen in the field and built into a high-end shopping and business properties, while furnishing some remaining featured structures to almost brand new with modern businesses moving in for attracting tourist, to bring back the economic value
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