Inside the Home

　　To every Shanghainese, the term "Inside the Home" is a genuinely heartwarming expression. Over seventy percent of Shanghainese were born and grew up in Shikumen houses. Nowadays, as the Shikumen gradually disappear, Shanghainese living in residential apartments no longer have to queue up for shared kitchens and toilets as they did in the past; nor can they chat with neighbors while hanging laundry on balconies as was once common.

　　As for the women described in the writings of Eileen Chang and Su Qing—those who wore form-fitting qipaos and American-brand stockings, and lowered baskets from their windows to buy imported cosmetics—they have long become a thing of the past, barely visible now except in nostalgic films.

　　The entire exhibition hall covers a land area of 367.2 square meters, with a construction area of 513.9 square meters. It is built based on the layout of a single-family unit from the 1920s, featuring seven main display rooms: the parlor, study, elderly room, master bedroom, daughter’s room, son’s room, and kitchen. The narrative of a Shikumen family weaves through these spaces.

　　It not only showcases Shanghai’s unique Shikumen architectural culture and recreates the living spaces and lifestyles of Shanghainese at the time, but also introduces the concept and redevelopment process of the Shanghai Xintiandi project.

　　All the displayed items in the exhibit rooms—from stoves and children’s textbooks to lipsticks and ashtrays—are authentic relics from the 1920s and 1930s Shikumen alleys. Sitting at the vanity in the master bedroom on the second floor and handling delicate face powders, lipsticks, and hairpins, while a gramophone plays upbeat jazz in the background, you might almost imagine a detail-oriented, life-enjoying modern middle-class woman from the 1930s.

　　From the English magazines featuring Hollywood stills and the old sewing machine in the daughter’s room, it’s easy to guess that she was a fashionable and energetic young woman. Compared to her mother, she clearly knew and desired more about the world.

　　Through multimedia displays, sound effects, and in-house projectors placed throughout the exhibition, you can hear the sounds of 1930s middle-class life in Shanghai’s Shikumen. No matter which room you step into, the vivid realism seems to revive history, making you feel as if you’re personally experiencing the life of the room’s former occupant. Wandering through these spaces, you’ll find that within limited square footage lies boundless imagination—offering you an immersive taste of alleyway nostalgia.