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Heritage lane set to be restored as residents vacate their houses

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2016-07-04 14:05Shanghai Daily Editor: Mo Hong'e
A shikumen lane in Shanghai downtown area. (Photo/Shanghai Daily)

A shikumen lane in Shanghai downtown area. (Photo/Shanghai Daily)

The residents of a typical shikumen lane in Shanghai downtown area have been relocated so that it can be fully restored, the Huangpu District government said Sunday.

Shikumen, a traditional architectural style that combines Western and Chinese elements, first appeared in Shanghai in the 1860s.

The last of the 395 households in Shangxianfang Lane, meaning "Respect Intellectuals Lane" in English, at 358 Huaihai Road M. were relocated over the weekend, marking the end of a two-year transition for residents, the government said on its official WeChat account.

The red-brick lane was built in 1924 with three rows of 52 houses covering an area of over 6,000 square meters.

The lane, featuring a white Baroque-style facade, is one of the most well-preserved shikumen (stone gate) lanes in Shanghai and was listed as a city-level protected historic structure in 1989. "The buildings in the lane were severely damaged after years of heavy use and the living conditions inside were getting progressively worse," a government official said.

"So the government decided to take over the buildings and launch a protective renovation to revive the historic look of the lane,"she added.

The lane compound was built by a real estate company on the lawn of Shangxian Hall, an international institute founded by the American missionary Gilbert Reid (1857-1927), in 1903. Chinese and Western faculties taught English, business, law and politics on the site.

"The houses were comfortable to live in at the beginning. Each household had a kitchen, living room, bedroom, balcony and attic, but many residents had to rent them out separately in the 1970s as they were short of money," said 59-year-old Cai Xinghua, who was born in house No.29. He said original residents included bank clerks, teachers and company employees working nearby. The original structure of the buildings was later altered by some tenants who built illegal additions, and some knocked down walls to open stores and hair salons along Huaihai Road, Cai said.

Urban development, such as Metro Line 1's Huangpi Road S. Station, the South-North Elevated Highway and nearby high-rises, also had an impact on the heritage area.

Some buildings have deteriorated to the point where cracks are appearing in walls.

The district government began relocating residents in April 2014 when over 96 percent of the residents agreed to move.

Most of the residents signed the relocation agreement with Huangpu within a month when offered government subsidies.

How the buildings will be used in future will be announced later this month, according to the government.

 

  

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