A much-needed block of calm in the middle of Shanghai, Jing'an Villa is a picturesque nongtang settlement just off the name-brand so-called shoppers' paradise of Nanjing Xi Lu.

Although it might be down the block from glam Plaza 66 and new flagship stores belonging to UNIQLO, Gap and Marks & Spencer, the area has preserved slices of Old Shanghai life alongside burgeoning trendy cafés, indie handicraft stores and art studios run by young hipsters.

Zeta Spa's range of beauty therapy Built in 1932 on 1025 Nanjing Road (the other gate of the lane is on 625 Weihai Road), the 78-year-old neighborhood Jing'an Villa comprises 183 complexes housing nearly 3,000 residents. It is so called after the former name of Nanjing Road W. - Jing'an Temple Road - which was built as a road for the armies in 1862 and the location later became a horse-breeding area for British residents. In 1926, a tycoon from Nanxun, Zhang Jingjiang, invested in the area and built the city's largest newtype neighborhood called Jing'an Villa modelled on European-style villas. Many high-profile residents, including movie director Zheng Zhengqiu, educator Cai Yuanpei, banker and politician Kong Xiangxi, and politician and calligrapher Yu Youren, lived in the neighborhood in the 1930s. Jing'an Villa has maintained its original luster and tradition over the years and the local residents' lifestyle gives a nostalgic and human touch to modern Shanghai.