Surrounded by bricked buildings in Xintiandi, Shanghai in China, I felt like Harry Potter navigating Diagon Alley for the first time.
Like the fictional wizarding shopping area, Xintiandi has narrow cobblestone streets brimming with an assortment of fashionable boutiques, art galleries, antique stores, cafes, and restaurants. But instead of wizarding folks in billowing cloaks, we passed by Chinese locals, expats, and foreign tourists dining outdoors or shopping under tree-lined avenues, all clad in their wool overcoats to combat the freezing temperature.
Although lounging at the beach seemed like the ideal tropical holiday in the Philippines, I spent one of my summer days exploring the alleys of what was once the French Concession in Shanghai. Decades after the French colonization in the late 1800s, developers preserved old establishments and residential buildings and infused Chinese elements into European architecture. I learned later on that these buildings are called Shikumen.
Today, Xintiandi is considered the residential and entertainment area for the wealthy. Our tour guide, Tom Ma, said that this is where most Chinese couples spend their first (expensive) dates. If your coffers run deep, you can sample all the bottles of wine that each trendy bar boasted or treat your palate to a wide array of flavorful cuisines.
The best thing about Xintiandi is the absence of passing vehicles that make strolling a challenge. The shops in the area can only be reached by foot, which is convenient since the place can get really crowded, especially at night. The long stretch of slim passageways, interrupted only by gardens or doors that lead to more shops, looked so mundane yet beautiful. As we explored every picturesque crevice and corner, I felt, through the music, activity, and chatter around us, that life seemed to pulse through the bricked walls.
Not far from Xintiandi is the 5.5 kilometer-long Nanjing Road, considered one of the world’s busiest and longest shopping pedestrian streets. As the first British Concession, Nanjing Road still has European architecture preserved in its towering buildings and other establishments.
Since thousands of shoppers visit Nanjing Road every day, it was a struggle to find a deserted spot where you can simply stand and marvel at the scene and the blur of colors and movement around you. So we kept walking, in hopes of reaching the world’s largest Starbucks—the second Starbucks Reserve Roastery in the world—which we learned was located somewhere along Nanjing Road. Overestimating our strength, we thought our millennial energy would take us effortlessly to our destination, so we walked as we dodged passing crowds. We eventually gave up looking after nearly an hour, when our legs were already screaming in pain and the largest Starbucks in the world was still nowhere in sight.
A four-day vacation in Shanghai costs less than P25,000 only. I learned through this experience that you don’t have to travel far to spectate world-class architecture and discover worthwhile destinations.