L is for

Lilong

Thanks to a good friend, and faithful reader (thanks C.C.), I can post for the letter “L”. I must have some sort of brain freeze, since this one should really have come very easily to me. I live in a neighborhood that has a mix of these lilongs, high rise apartment building complexes, and old manors (which date anywhere from 1910’s to 1930’s). I’ve even done a walking tour through some of the better kept ones in Shanghai. I found the following two excerpts on the internet – and since they describe them so well, I have just copied entire passages.

The first is from a PhD dissertation called “ Lilong Housing, A Traditional Settlement Form” by Qian Guan and submitted to the School Architecture at McGill University, Montreal in 1996.

“Lilongs, the small court-yard housing is named after through the principles of circulation in their urban organization: "Li" means neighborhood, "Long" means small lanes. Their origin lies in the spatial concept and construction in traditional Southeast Chinese dwellings. Their interior plans evolved as life styles became Westernized. They were the earliest type of mass commodity housing in Chinese history). Their density increased under the extreme circumstances of the growing metropolis of Shanghai from 1870 onwards. Since then, they were built in a large scale in the center of this city, and accounted for 60% of the total dwelling areas by 1949.

A lilong settlement generally varies in size from 0.35 to 5.0 hectares. Its housing units are two or three storied high, attached side by side, having one side lane at the front and another service lane at the back. The whole settlement has a couple of main lanes, used as the major circulation passages, which are accessible from the commercial streets. The side lanes, leading to each housing units, connect to the main lanes. The clear, rational structure of a lilong settlement give a high degree of security and quietness to its internal living environment, contrary to its noisy urban surrounding dominated by commercial developments. The front housing units along the perimeter of a lilong settlement are generally converted to shops which maintain the continuity of commercial activities along the streets. Some housing units inside the settlement have also integrated small-scaled, home-based businesses to provide the daily amenities of the entire community.

According to the difference in its basic unit- a house model, and the condition under which they have emerged, lilongs are basically classified into five types. They are: 1) the Old Shi-ku-men Lilongs, 2) the New Shi-ku-men Lilongs, 3) the New-type Lilongs, 4) the Garden Lilongs, and 5) the Apartment Lilongs. The evolution of lilongs from a traditional Chinese dwelling prototype to a more Westernized pattern is obvious in the sequential study of these five types. However, this drastic transformation was not only a result of the increasing penetration of Western cultures into this port city, but also an inevitable outcome of the local social and economic changes. The development of economy, the rise of land speculation, the growth of population, and the disintegration of traditional extended families after the collapse of the Chinese Empire in 1911, all contributed to this trend. However, regardless of the evolution of its basic house models, the general pattern of the settlement form persisted.”

The second excerpt is from Tom Doctoroff, who just might live in my neighborhood. He is a frequent contributor to the Huffington Post. The entire article was concerning his purchase and renovation of the lilong, but the excerpt is just another description of the housing style. You really need to come and see it, to understand it. We looked at renting one when we first arrived here in Shanghai, but although it was beautiful and would have provided us with an “authentic” way to live in this city, it was out of our price range.

“For the uninitiated, "lilong" developments, perhaps the most distinctive facet of Shanghai's architectural heritage, are a fusion of Chinese courtyards and Western row houses, tall (three stories) and narrow (usually, four meters) residences, organized in a dense, grid-like pattern with east-west and north-south lanes. Most developments are tucked away from main thoroughfares, providing an intimate calm despite the urban hum just a few steps from one's abode. As Shanghai races towards 21st century modernity, many "lilong" have been demolished but several, particularly the structurally sound, have been maintained, sometimes refurbished. Most residents are not well off. Rents are heavily subsidized by the Communist Party; on the open market, downtown real estate value rivals Hong Kong prices.” Life in the "Lilong": My Shanghai Lane House Adventure Posted: August 3, 2009 09:35 PM







I’ve even tried to post a photo- did it come through??