The "Cité Bourgogne" shikumen in the Former French Concession
While Shanghai is home to several of the world’s tallest skyscrapers, and is well-known for its ultramodern Pudong skyline, perhaps the most distinctive architectural features of the city are its shikumen residences. Shikumen are typically two or three-story brick courtyards with stone gateways that lead to a maze of narrow lanes. They became a significant part of the Shanghai cityscape beginning in the colonial days of the late nineteenth century, and they represent a mixture of Chinese and Western architectural elements. Many have been destroyed to make way for high-rise residences or commercial development, but some, like the charming “Cité Bourgogne,” built in 1930, remain. It’s about a ten-minute walk from my apartment in the former French Concession neighborhood, and is an excellent example of the shikumen style and the French influence on the city.
