The French Concession Nobody Shows You — Longtang Alleys, Wet Market and Xiaolongbao
📍 Shanghai, China
About This Experience
The French Concession in Shanghai tourism means Art Deco cafes and overpriced brunch. The French Concession that Shanghainese people actually live in is something completely different — a network of longtang (lane house) alleyways where laundry hangs between windows, neighbourhood committees meet in tiny offices, and the wet market has been open at the same time, in the same place, for 60 years. I was born in one of these longtangs and I still live here. I take small groups through the residential alleyways that no tour will ever enter, to the 7am wet market where the neighbourhood does its daily shopping, and to the xiaolongbao place that has no sign, seats 12, and has been run by the same family since 1989. The dumplings are the best in Shanghai — not because of any list, but because this is what the neighbourhood eats.
Traveler Reviews
Muhammed Najad
One of the best things I did on the entire trip. The food was extraordinary but what made it was the context — the personal stories, the neighbourhood knowledge, the sense that we were eating what the city actually eats rather than what it serves to visitors. I've done a lot of food experiences in a lot of cities. This was different.
Linh Nguyễn Diệu
Worth every cent and then some. I travel specifically to understand places through their food, and this is the best example of that I've found. Real person, real neighbourhood, real meal. Nothing theatrical, nothing performed for tourists. Just very good food and very honest storytelling.
Patrick Davies
I came back the next day to eat at the same place again. That tells you everything. The guide's knowledge was deep and completely unperformative — not a script, just someone who genuinely knows and loves where they live. The food was the best of the trip by a significant margin.
Meet Your Guide & Host
Shanghainese born and bred, third generation. My family has lived in the same longtang (lane house) in the French Concession since the 1950s. I work as an architect restoring historic Shikumen buildings, which means I have keys to parts of Shanghai that no tour will ever show you. I run small walks through the real French Concession — the residential alleyways, the wet markets the locals use at 7am, the xiaolongbao place that has no sign and seats 12 people. Shanghai is one of the most misunderstood cities in the world.
View full profile & all experiences →Frequently Asked Questions
How long is "The French Concession Nobody Shows You — Longtang Alleys, Wet Market and Xiaolongbao"?
This experience lasts approximately 3 hours.
How much does "The French Concession Nobody Shows You — Longtang Alleys, Wet Market and Xiaolongbao" cost?
It's $55 per person. You book and message your guide in the Local Guide app.
What languages is it offered in?
Mei-ling Chen hosts this experience in Mandarin, English, French.
Who is my guide?
Mei-ling Chen, a verified local guide based in Shanghai. Shanghainese born and bred, third generation. My family has lived in the same longtang (lane house) in the French Concession since the 1950s. I work as an architect restoring histo
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