On November 16, students from Class 3-1 of Intensive Chinese Program visited Xintiandi and Sinan Road to see Shanghai's past and present, vintage and chic, and to feel the lifestyle of contemporary urbanites from the perspective of architecture. In the process of experiencing the local culture, they enhanced Chinese language skills.

Xintiandi was transformed from the old Shikumen district. Sinan Road records the "original ecology" of garden house. The Chinese teacher has shared the knowledge for the students and assigned research tasks the day before.

After getting off the subway, they walked for a few minutes, then a row of black gates came into sight. Some students took out their cameras immediately to record Shikumen, while others could not wait to touch the stone doorframe. On Sinan Road they looked for garden houses and experienced a "petty bourgeoisie lifestyle" of contemporary urbanites: Having small talk with friends in the café, reading a book at the Sinan Books, strolling through the gallery to immerse in the artistic atmosphere...

After the social practice activity, students summarized the characteristics and functions of Shanghai style architecture and compared them with the architecture in their own countries; thought about the protection, innovation, and inspiration of old buildings; analyzed the lifestyle of contemporary urbanites.

Social practice activity is an extension of Chinese class, taking students into various aspects of life in Chinese society, applying Chinese in real-life context, and gaining language progress.