Shikumen tradition preserved

In a tranquil corner of the former French Concession area of Shanghai is the largest existing cluster of historic Shikumen style houses. Since 2008, they have been undergoing a major restoration.

The Jianyeli residential neighborhood has nearly 200 eighty-year-old houses of this hybrid Western and Chinese style and the restoration project has brought more than construction noise to local residents.

"I read in the newspaper that after completion, these houses will sell for 130,000 yuan ($19,039) per square meter," says 60-year-old resident Sun Zhangmu, who lives next door to the Jianyeli neighborhood.