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Taixing Road
Source:Global Times Published: 2015-2-2 17:43:01
At once relaxing yet vital slice of old Shanghai
Taixing Road, originally named Medhurst Road, extends from Xisuzhou Road at its northernmost point to Beijing Road West at its southernmost point, bisecting the bustling Jing'an district.
Taixing Road's appeal lies in the fusion of Shanghai and international styles. At the southern end of the road stand many shikumen (stone-gated) houses. They combine Western architecture and elements of traditional Chinese decoration, with their white walls, black tiles, stone door frames and wooden doors.
The Medhurst Apartments building (934 Nanjing Road West) stands where Taixing Road and Nanjing Road West meet. Designed by Davies, Brooke & Gran Architects, the building was completed in 1934 and is now noted as being part of the city's architectural heritage. Common as it is now, the reinforced concrete structure was quite a modern style when it was built.
The road has been home to a number of well-known figures over the years. These include noted scholar Kang Youwei (1858-1927), who lived in the Zhong Hua New Estate (Lane 445 Taixing Road). Most of the buildings there are three-story brick and wood structures, all facing south. The plaque outside the buildings tells how Kang spent his last 13 years here, reading poetry and painting pictures.
The red mansion (No.3, Lane 87 Kangding Road East) at the intersection of Taixing Road and Kangding Road East was home to author Eileen Chang (1920-95). It's where she lived through many of her formative experiences that inspired her work.
888 Art Club
888 Art Club (888 Beijing Road West, 400-837-6898) is a platform mainly dedicated to providing art collectors and lovers with the chance to communicate and make deals. The window displays a range of pottery, porcelain, jade, agate, jewelry, calligraphy and painting (pictured below). Art brokers and national-level appraisers come here to exhibit and sell art from home and abroad in the salon over tea.
The director of 888 Art Club told the Global Times that well-known Chinese artist Han Meilin's paintings are now on display. Han Meilin once contributed to the creation of the Fuwa, the mascot of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
Zhang's Garden
Zhang's Garden (Lane 590 Weihai Road), at the southern end of Taixing Road, is one of the most famous gardens in Shanghai. It was bought by a Chinese merchant surnamed Zhang from a British merchant in 1882. The stone-gated houses inside the garden are excellent examples of the residential buildings of that time that promoted close-knit communities.
Zhang Yuan Da Ke Tang is an activity center in the garden specially established for senior citizens living on the nearby streets. Senior citizens come here every day to socialize and eat lunch and dinner subsidized by the government.
Zhang Yuan Da Ke Tang has been developed into a public cultural space, where pensioners can enjoy plays, movies, songs, dancing, recitations, afternoon tea and spend their time chatting with friends while knitting. It is also home to a number of dining establishments.
Global Times
Taixing Road's appeal lies in the fusion of Shanghai and international styles. At the southern end of the road stand many shikumen (stone-gated) houses. They combine Western architecture and elements of traditional Chinese decoration, with their white walls, black tiles, stone door frames and wooden doors.
Stone-gated houses on Taixing Road Photos: GT
The Medhurst Apartments building (934 Nanjing Road West) stands where Taixing Road and Nanjing Road West meet. Designed by Davies, Brooke & Gran Architects, the building was completed in 1934 and is now noted as being part of the city's architectural heritage. Common as it is now, the reinforced concrete structure was quite a modern style when it was built.
The road has been home to a number of well-known figures over the years. These include noted scholar Kang Youwei (1858-1927), who lived in the Zhong Hua New Estate (Lane 445 Taixing Road). Most of the buildings there are three-story brick and wood structures, all facing south. The plaque outside the buildings tells how Kang spent his last 13 years here, reading poetry and painting pictures.
The red mansion (No.3, Lane 87 Kangding Road East) at the intersection of Taixing Road and Kangding Road East was home to author Eileen Chang (1920-95). It's where she lived through many of her formative experiences that inspired her work.
888 Art Club
888 Art Club (888 Beijing Road West, 400-837-6898) is a platform mainly dedicated to providing art collectors and lovers with the chance to communicate and make deals. The window displays a range of pottery, porcelain, jade, agate, jewelry, calligraphy and painting (pictured below). Art brokers and national-level appraisers come here to exhibit and sell art from home and abroad in the salon over tea.
The director of 888 Art Club told the Global Times that well-known Chinese artist Han Meilin's paintings are now on display. Han Meilin once contributed to the creation of the Fuwa, the mascot of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
Zhang's Garden
Zhang's Garden (Lane 590 Weihai Road), at the southern end of Taixing Road, is one of the most famous gardens in Shanghai. It was bought by a Chinese merchant surnamed Zhang from a British merchant in 1882. The stone-gated houses inside the garden are excellent examples of the residential buildings of that time that promoted close-knit communities.
Zhang Yuan Da Ke Tang is an activity center in the garden specially established for senior citizens living on the nearby streets. Senior citizens come here every day to socialize and eat lunch and dinner subsidized by the government.
Zhang Yuan Da Ke Tang has been developed into a public cultural space, where pensioners can enjoy plays, movies, songs, dancing, recitations, afternoon tea and spend their time chatting with friends while knitting. It is also home to a number of dining establishments.
Global Times
Posted in: Metro Shanghai, City Panorama