Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Tagore in China

At first glance, it may appear to be just another ordinary block of 19th century ‘shikumen’ houses — a type of  tenement unique to Shanghai with a stone gate at the entrance — but a stroll through the neighbourhood can unearth a treasure trove of the city’s rich literary history.

Simingcun, or Siming Village, as the neighbourhood is known, stands opposite the iconic Russian-built Shanghai Exhibition Center but is dwarfed by new high-rises and the expansive Yan’an Elevated Road that connects the west and east of Shanghai. The stone-gate row of houses that dates back to 1908 is highlighted by its red-brick exterior walls and rooftops that still bear the emblem of its developer, the Siming Bank.

Full report here Hindustan Times

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