Shanghai Tianzifang – A Real Walkthrough in Late-Autumn 2025

Today is November 8th, 2025, and Shanghai’s late autumn has already brought a chill to the air.
China’s offline retail market has been quite slow this year, and I haven’t visited Tianzifang for a long time. So today, I wanted to see for myself—Is this iconic creative street still thriving, or is it slowly fading?

Tianzifang sits on Taikang Road, right in the center of Shanghai. It covers about 7.2 hectares and was originally part of the old French Concession. In the late 1990s, the Shikumen buildings here were preserved and renovated. Through leasing and redevelopment, the area gradually transformed into the creative district we know today.

The real rise of Tianzifang began around 1998. After the year 2000, with China’s rapid economic growth, it became famous nationwide. Artists, craftspeople, and young entrepreneurs all came here to start their careers. One of the most symbolic figures was the painter Chen Yifei, whose gallery brought even more attention to the area.

Now, five years have passed since the pandemic began in 2020.
Has Tianzifang declined? Has it lost its energy, like many people say?
These are the questions I wanted to answer by coming here today.

In Jingdezhen, I met many ceramic artists who once ran shops in Tianzifang, selling paintings and ceramic artworks. Back then, Tianzifang was one of the top places in China for artists to start their journey.

As I walk in today, I can still see the original Shikumen structures. Old factories and alley houses have been renovated into small studios and shops. The whole area blends old Shanghai’s industrial feel with the charm of traditional Shikumen architecture.

My first impression is that the place is still alive—there are still many visitors, especially foreigners.
It’s not as packed as during its peak years, but the atmosphere is far from dead. And that makes me even more curious to explore what Tianzifang looks like today, in its current state.

Now, let’s continue walking deeper inside to see what kinds of shops and artistic spaces make up Tianzifang today.

As I walk further in, the variety of shops is still impressive. Many stores focus on “Shanghai-style” cultural products — cosmetics with vintage 1930s Shanghai designs, local candies and pastries packaged as souvenirs, and gift-box snacks that tourists love to bring home.

There are also shops selling Suzhou embroidery, silk from the Jiangsu–Zhejiang region, and traditional Chinese clothing such as qipao and Tang suits. These items are especially popular among international visitors.

But the artistic soul of Tianzifang is still its many galleries. Some galleries sell oil paintings for home décor, while others offer quick portrait sketches or cartoon drawings for tourists — services that keep the area lively and interactive.

Among all these spaces, the most iconic is Chen Yifei’s gallery. If you visit Tianzifang, this place is a must-see.

Chen Yifei was born in Ningbo and studied painting in Shanghai before continuing his education in the United States. His work was deeply inspired by the water towns of Jiangnan, and Zhouzhuang became one of his signature themes.

Two major events contributed to his fame. First, his unexpected passing in 2005 at the age of 59 led to a widely discussed inheritance case. Second, his painting Twin Bridges, inspired by Zhouzhuang, became world-famous when U.S. President George W. Bush presented it to Chinese President Jiang Zemin as a diplomatic gift. That moment elevated both Chen Yifei and the town of Zhouzhuang to international recognition.

Today, Chen Yifei’s gallery remains in Tianzifang.I’m standing here now, surrounded by his works displayed on the walls.Even though Shanghai changes quickly, Tianzifang continues to preserve its cultural heartbeat and the artistic spirit that defined its earlier years.