The most distinctive hutong in Shanghai: the origin of Shikumen

Shikumen is a new-style building that combines the characteristics of western culture and traditional Han folk houses, and it is the most characteristic residential building in Shanghai. So, as a kind of alley culture, where did the name of Shikumen come from? Next, let's go with me to get to know the culture of Tangtang.

In Chinese, the circle around the bundle is called "hoop", such as "golden hoop", "hoop bucket" and "armband". This kind of building with stone bars around the beam door is called "stone hoop door", and Ningbo people read the word "hoop" as "library" Later, the "Stone Ring Gate" in Shanghai was mistaken for "Shikumen".

The plane and space of Shikumen building are closer to the traditional two-story and three-story quadrangles in the south of the Yangtze River. It maintains a proper and regular living room, a quiet upstairs inner room, and a hatchback that is commonly used.

This kind of building basically maintains the characteristics of the traditional houses of the Han nationality and is relatively closed to the outside world. Although I live in downtown, I can form my own system and unite the front behind closed doors. As a result, this "door" has become more and more important. It always has a stone door frame with solid planks with black paint and a pair of copper rings. This architectural style is called "Shikumen" by Shanghainese.

The lintel of Shikumen building is the most wonderful part. The decoration here is the richest. In the early Shikumen, the lintel often imitated the instrument door in the traditional buildings in the south of the Yangtze River, and made it into the style of China traditional brick-carved blue tile-covered top door. In the later period, influenced by the western architectural style, triangular, semi-circular and arc flowers are often used to form rectangular flowers, which are similar to the mountain flowers on the upper part of the doors and windows of western buildings. Shikumen architecture is named after its "door". Shikumen has gradually become a synonym and a symbol of traditional alley houses in Shanghai.

China Residential Building Group 23 Shanghai residential building design adopts Shikumen building, a common stamp in China. The Party was also born in a typical Shikumen building on Wang Zhi Road (now No.76 Xingye Road).

Shikumen architecture prevailed in the 1920s, occupying more than three quarters of the residential buildings at that time. Up to now, nearly 40% of Shencheng residents still live in Shikumen with a history of more than 100 years.

Shikumen in Shanghai is mainly concentrated in Huangpu District, Luwan District and Jing 'an District, including Li Zhengyuan in Luwan District, Huaihai Lane and Meirenli in Chengdu South Road. Li Qingfu, Zhonghetun and Gaofuli in Changle Road, Luwan District; Xingqingli, Maomin North Road, Luwan District; Li Xinhua, Shimen 1st Road, Jing 'an District; Li Chunyang and Xiangyun in Bird, Weihai Road, Jing 'an District. At present, about 2 million Shanghainese still live in the Shikumen complex.