Coming Down Alert – Datian lu near Xinzha lu

Last chance to see a bunch of traditional lilong about to come down around Datian lu near Xinzha lu (Sinza Road) adjacent to the Suzhou (Soochow) Creek. Some nice examples (though severely run down over the years and subject to overcrowding) of 1920s housing, some of which have been occupied by the same families for over 70 years. Removals of residents to Jiading started this past weekend so the wreckers will be going in imminently if you want a last look….this type of structure is unique to Shanghai and not replicated anywhere else and includes the loss of several (now extremely) rare corner structures that used to define Shanghai’s streets (as you can see below)…

I’d expect the area to become a site for new high rise housing – this will probably completely obscure any decent aspect around St Teresa’s Church (Sheng Nv Xiao De Lei Sa Tang – see below) on Datian Road which was built with funds from Shanghai’s French community in 1920. Catholic, it has a Gothic exterior and interior (of course the interior has been mucked about a bit) with repeated images of St Teresa (who’s works on religious piety were translated into Chinese in the 1920s after her beatification making her a “hot” saint in China) on the floor, support pillars and internal lamp lights.

And that’s that about to all go…