Like Paris, Shanghai was once a hive for artists and bohemians, and nowhere is this more apparent than along the boutique-lined streets of the French Concession. Row upon row of shops sell creations by local and international designers alike, and fashionistas can score a hipster T-shirt from Shanghai brand Shirtflag as well as a traditional tailored silk qipao. Though Shanghai’s main artist colony, M50, is located outside the city on Suzhou Creek, a small community of studios can be found clustered around the French Concession’s Taikang Lu.

Photography studios such as the Deke Erh Gallery and fashion designers such as L’Atelier Mandarine mix with a trendy assortment of coffee shops, cafés and boutiques in one of the most pleasant alleys in all of Shanghai. Its isolation from the metro system has kept Taikang Lu (also known as Tianzifang) relatively uncrowded by tour groups; take the metro to South Shanxi Road Station and catch a taxi the rest of the way.