November 16, 2007
The revitalisation of Taikang Lu
Shanghaiist has been wanting to tell you about the remaking of Taikang Lu which for a while was in danger of getting a 'lil old and tired, but has changed pretty rapidly over the last few months. And now we even have a video to show you. Many new al-fresco cafes and creative stores have sprung up and the place has expanded. On our last trip there, we found many old residents that have stubbornly chosen to stay on despite all the changes and increasing commercialisation of the area, and as such you will see many old decrepit houses (that look like they're in need of a makeover) sitting side by side with fancy new stores. It is definitely one factor that still makes Taikang Lu our favourite bohemian district in town. Okay, we shouldn't be comparing, we know, but Taikang Lu does appear to have grown a lot more organically than other artist districts like Moganshan Lu which sometimes seems to us as though it had change shoved down its throat. What do you guys think?


Alright, this is starting to get annoying. Does anyone know how to make it so Tudou vids don't autoplay? I am on Firefox on a Mac, and the background music on this video has been startling me all day.
Nothing autoplaying here. Firefox, Linux
Nothing autoplaying here. Firefox, OS X.
The development of Taikang lu is very sensitively managed by the local adminsitration. Taikang lu is a vibrant, creative environment. No chain stores, no LVMH, no Cartier, no KFC, no Starbucks, no McAvoid, no Element Fresh, no Pizza Hut to be found here. Originality and individuality is the order of the day. Hands down the most creative space in Shanghai.