It is as if time has stood still in this labyrinth of narrow streets where, despite the odd concession to modernity, the slightly bohemian atmosphere draws you irrevocably into the clichés of the Shanghai of old. The bars giving onto the shikumen, shops open late into the evening, the smells of barbecues wafting around, the throngs of hurried Chinese and tourists who have lost their way... It all combines to make Tianzifang one of the most pleasant places to visit in Shanghai.