APRIL 2026
REGISTER: via the “book here” button or email shanghaiartdeco@gmail.com
ART DECO WALK
Saturday April 11, 10am ART DECO DEEP DIVE: Plane Tree District Edition/RMB 200 members, 300 nonmembers
Nothing is more quintessentially Shanghai than Art Deco in the former French Concession—or as the locals call it, the ‘plane tree (wutong) district’. Art Deco was a celebration of the latest, the most
We’re celebrating the centenary of Shanghai Art Deco with a deep dive walk through one of the finest Art Deco neighborhoods in the city. The leaves aren’t quite back on the trees yet, so we can see these buildings in all their glory, as the architects intended, and this deep dive takes us along the boulevards and down lanes to see delightful apartment houses and charming villas, some famous, some forgotten. Hear the stories of those who dreamt them up, lived in them then, and the legends that cling to them still.
POP UP TOUR
Thursday April 23, 9.15am (meet), 9.30am (tour begins)
Inside Old Shanghai’s Bank Vaults
RMB 200 members, 300 nonmembers
We have an unique opportunity this Thursday to enter the former Continental Bank vault: one of the great bank vaults of Old Shanghai, in one of the great Art Deco banks. The vault has remained in close to its original state—there are even some original, unopened safes!
We’ll visit the Bank of East Asia vault nearby as well, and then take a walk to see the stately historic banks of Shanghai, the cathedrals of commerce that once housed the fortunes of the city—banks from around the world and around China, with their vast columned marble halls and exquisitely decorated details.
FOR MORE APRIL WALKS, VISIT HISTORIC SHANGHAI
RECORDINGS
Scan the “Recorded Events” QR code to book and receive event recordings. (For the full list of available recordings, click here
RECORDED EVENTS
The Shanghai Art Deco Story
Shanghai’s glamorous Art Deco style was unique, born of a unique time and place: the energy of cosmopolitan Old Shanghai. In this lavishly illustrated talk, we’ll trace the origins of the Shanghai Art Deco style, explore how it could have only come into being at this particular moment in Shanghai, and take a look at its expressions in architecture, fashion, furniture, graphic and industrial design, movies, and more. We’ll take a look at how it influenced the city’s aesthetic and became its signature style, even today. And we’ll share some of our own Art Deco collection!
Members of Historic Shanghai, our parent organization, enjoy discounted prices and other benefits. Interested in joining? Click here.
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