Shikumen Open House Museum, Shanghai

The Shikumen Open House Museum recreates the interior of an authentic “stone-gate” house from the period when Shanghai was known as the “Paris of the East.” The carefully restored building is fascinating to explore, skillfully evoking the life of early 20th-century Chinese gentility before the Communist era.

The shikumen style of housing was typical of Shanghai’s middle class in the 1920s and 1930s, and unique to the city. At the time, there were nearly 9,000 shikumen houses in Shanghai, and much of the city’s older population was born in homes of this kind.

The house-museum has eight well-appointed exhibition rooms spread over three floors: the living room, study, master bedroom, daughter’s room, son’s room, kitchen, grandparents’ room, and prayer room. Each contains everyday objects from the period, including children’s books and toys, typewriters, kitchenware, furniture, toiletries, and similar items. A top-floor display explains how the surrounding Xintiandi neighborhood came about, acknowledging that much of it was built from scratch.

Paved and pedestrianized, with old alleys opening onto a central plaza, Xintiandi is a pleasant place to wind down or linger over a coffee after visiting the museum. The area is surrounded by upscale restaurants and shops, with plenty of outdoor seating for people-watching.