弄堂文化
The Nongtang is a term used to describe the old residential alleyways in Shanghai. A traditional Nongtangs has a shikumen (stone gate), a north-facing loft, a small yard and a staircase.
The Nongtang is a unique form of architecture with a good combination of Chinese and Western style. It is a kind of city pattern which can best reflects the residential culture of old Shanghai. Here, each resident has their own story to tell.
Tens of thousands of Shanghai people still have sentimental attachments to the Nongtang. They were attracted by its harmonious atmosphere and established good relationships with people in the Nongtangs. It is very common to see that in the evenings of summer, people are talking, laughing and sharing their stories here.
If you want to experience the real life in old Shanghai, you’d better to visit the Fuxing West Road and Xinzha Road in Shanghai.The best preserved Nongtangs could not be easily found nowadays.Viewers can glimpse the unique life of the nongtang, such as no clear-cut boundary between public and private space. In the past, when air-conditioning, refrigerators and television sets were not available or affordable, people had to share cooking and water facilities.Residents went about their many daily activities, such as doing the laundry, cooking, brushing, washing and even taking a shower, in the common space. Since the rooms in the homes were very small, residents would move many family activities from indoors to the streets, such as having meals, taking a nap, reading and playing chess.
The special features of the nongtang have profoundly shaped people's manners, lifestyles and cultural habits. Unlike living in modern apartment buildings, life in the nongtang is far more transparent with very limited privacy. Yet, on the positive side, neighbors are more familiar with and intimately involved with each other.
