Be transported to Shanghai’s glamorous 30’s era with elaborately carved matou gable walls which are distinctive to Shanghai’s shikumen architecture, a connected series of narrow alleyways, inner courtyards and embellished stone arches over the gates and doorways in Capella Shanghai, Jian Ye Li. Centrally located within the cultural preservation zone of Xuhui District, the Jian Ye Li estate was originally built by French real estate company Foncière et Immobiliere de Chine in the 1930s to house the upper-class. Comprising 22 rows of shikumen lanes connecting more than 200 two-storey houses, the estate later became a residential district for the locals. Sensitively restored for discerning modern travelers, the striking shikumen buildings marry traditional Shanghainese and French architectural styles, featuring Chinese courtyard houses decorated with tasteful Parisian flair. Stocked with books of Shanghai’s historical, art, fashion and architectural developments, the Capella Library is a treasure trove of knowledge, waiting to be discovered. The Jian Ye Li estate features a notable landmark - the Water Tower, which was originally used as a water source, and now functions as a light tower.