<p>Hidden in a maze of back alleys Lane 248 is best approached either from the street entrance on Taikang lu or through a courtyard connected to the top end of lane 210. Much of the development happened spontaneously, with the initial impetus coming from Mr Tang, co-owner of Utsuwa Japanese restaurant and the first person to commit to the new area. He saw Lane 248 as a “last chance” and tells of how he sees the old Shanghai disappearing around him. “You see this glass” he says pointing at a beautiful glass folding door constructed of wood and glass, “it’s 80 years old. I found it in another place, thrown away.”  It his vision to preserve traditional Chinese styles and try to educate people about culture.</p>

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