Shanghai - The 'Hood

We’re not in Barrhaven anymore, Toto

On our recent trip to Shanghai, my first visit to China, we stayed in an amazing little hotel in the French Concession. One of only a very few small “boutique” hotels (so far), it was originally a villa built in the 1930’s and was the home of the grandparents of the current owner.

To reach it, you walk through the gates from the main road, where you find yourself in one of the neighbourhood enclaves called shikhumen, or lane houses. Walking down the alley, you pass the homes where the locals live, some with communal sinks and water taps outside, and laundry hanging everywhere. To my great delight, being a recent huge fan, one day I watched a group of ladies play mah jong, along with several others sitting beside them observing.



Unlike in the Philippines, where the universal norm is that if you make eye contact you are greeted with a smile and a “Good morning ma’am”, the Chinese are not as forthcoming (don’t know anyone else quite so open and friendly as the Filipinos are). However, armed with one of only two Chinese words I know – ni hao (hello), I went nee howing my way through the alley, and always got greeted and smiled at in return. To the consternation of the hotel manager, who apologized profusely, our visit was unwittingly timed to coincide with major construction in the laneway, replacing pipes, so navigating our way to the end of the alley was also an adventure.

At the end of the alley is a tall gate and behind it is the house and garden of our little five room hotel. The garden, shady and a little overgrown, is filled with sculptures, many of Buddha, peeking through the shrubs and vines. Walking in to the building you are in an art filled lounge and bar area. Climbing the stairs to the third floor, we had an entire “penthouse” apartment to ourselves. Living room, dining area, kitchen, bedroom and bath as well as two terraces looking over the trees and roof tops. Breakfast was served in the garden – a typical Chinese breakfast of greens-filled pan-fried dumplings, or noodles with bok choy, or a thin crepe-like omelette, along with a clear soup with tofu and bok choy, fruit and great coffee.

Cooler than Pluto.



Back out on the main road, the street life was amazing. Across the road was an indoor wet market, with piles of fresh vegetables, buckets of crabs and other squirming somethings. Walking along the street you pass little shops (about 8-10 feet wide) – dry goods, noodle shops, smoke shop, wine store (yay), CD/DVD’s, clothing, tea shop, you name it. In the backs of the shops invariably a television set would be on and kids and adults would be eating a bowl of something. Hanging on bamboo poles or any available hook of wire is laundry – all over the street, out of windows, in passageways. People are napping, playing some kind of checker game or cards and generally living lives right out on the streets. A few walk around in pajamas. I mean real pajamas, with fuzzy wuzzies all over them!


One day, we were walking past a group of people hanging out on the sidewalk very close to our gate. Among them was a little girl about 3 years old, so I paused and did my “nee how” thing. Her Dad or uncle or whoever prompted her to say “hello”, after which every time she’d see us she’d jump up and down and get excited “Hewoh, hewoh”. Fun. - Cars, bikes, scooters pass by along with some finding creative ways to transport large loads of scrap metal or wood.




This is still a neighbourhood where life goes on in the shikumen as it has for generations. It was a blast to call it our own for even a few days. Who knows how long these will remain as they are. Because this is not what modern Shanghai is all about. Shanghai is changing. Rapidly.