Shanghai’s "Old West Gate" ( Laoximen) neighbourhood emptied for demolition and "redevelopment"

One of Shanghai's oldest neighbourhoods is barely clinging to life as the city presses ahead with demolition and redevelopment plans.

Laoximen or "old West Gate" -- named for its position in Shanghai's 16th-century defensive walls -- was once the city's cultural centre.

Built around the site of a Confucian temple, the mostly two- and three-storey buildings of stone and wood are an anachronism at the heart of Shanghai's gleaming commercial district.

Thousands of residents -- a mix of old Shanghai families and migrant workers drawn to the low rent -- were ordered to leave their homes at the end of 2017, though some have clung to the ageing buildings for years after the deadline.

The final demolition was apparently delayed by the pandemic, but diggers have resumed work after Shanghai emerged from lockdown in June 2022.

According to the local government, Laoximen residents can receive as much as 20,000 yuan ($2,962) per square metre, with bonus payments for moving out early.
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1. Shanghai’s ‘Old West Gate’ neighbourhood emptied for demolition and redevelopment [ South China Morning Post]

2. Shanghai, China - Walking in Laoximen (Old West Gate)/ Confucius Temple, City Ambience [Manuel R. Travel 2019 sept]