Neighbors were also intimate and helpful. When it rained, they would shout "Granny Wang, bring in your laundry hanging outside." If you didn't answer immediately and your door wasn't locked, they would help you bring in your laundry.

However, since the end of the last century, hundreds of squares of shikumen residences have been demolished and people have been either relocated or spontaneously moved to the new high-rise neighborhoods. The land was used for high-end residences, office buildings and shopping malls. The most successful facelift project was probably Xintiandi, a shikumen-turned fashion and dining hub downtown that has become a city landmark.

Only a minority of the old neighborhoods, including the one that I once lived in, escaped the fate of being torn down. I have returned to the lane several times, and everything that is glorious in my mind is old and dilapidated.

But I choose to remember the warm stories, the friendly neighbors and the bright fireworks in the alley as the people of that little universe ushered in the Chinese New Year.