The residential lanes of the southern French Concession between Tianzifang and Hengshan Road are among the best-preserved examples of 1930s Shanghai lane house residential fabric — shikumen houses arranged along narrow lanes, with small courtyards behind stone gate entrances, accumulated over decades into a continuous neighbourhood.
Walking the lanes between Ruijin 2nd Road and Wulumuqi Road gives a direct experience of the scale and density of pre-1949 Shanghai residential life. The streets are actively used by their residents; the contrast between the boutique-ised Tianzifang to the east and the residential lanes here is marked. Early morning is the best time, when household activity is visible in the courtyards.