For The Art Lover – Tianzifang 田子坊

Upon the recommendation of a friend, we decided to explore Tianzifang, a local artsy area in Shanghai.  It was once a residential area, which explains some of the narrow alleyways and apartment like buildings.  Nowadays, it’s all been turned into a cluster of restaurants and shops selling some unique knick knacks.  Most of the shops in the area are owned by individuals which explains why all the shops are so different.  There’s a bit of a nostalgic feel to it, perhaps due to the fact that they didn’t restore the area and most of the businesses are housed in older looking buildings. It is such a cute area with tons of tiny little artsy stores, but it is a maze and you can easily get lost.  If you’re looking for gifts or souvenirs, this is probably the area you’d want to visit.  As you can imagine, prices aren’t cheap, but the gifts you pick up will no doubt be unique.  There is a huge selection from tea shops to clothing stores to hobby and photography shops.  Most of the stores are outdoors but there are a couple of covered areas as well.

 

Tianzifang 田子坊
Address: 泰康路210弄, Huangpu, Shanghai, China