With centuries-old courtyards and cutting-edge cafés, Nantou Ancient Town is Shenzhen’s unlikeliest creative playground
Photos by CM Yee
The entrance sets the tone: a stone and grey brick fortress wall dating back to the Ming Dynasty stands imposingly against a modern high-rise. I was struck by this old-meets-new juxtaposition that makes Nantou Ancient Town such an unexpected discovery in hypermodern Shenzhen.
A military fortress in its heyday, Nantou has repackaged its 1,700 years of history into a creative and lifestyle hot spot for today’s trend-seeking traveller. The transformation began in 2019 under a renewal project built around a “micro-renovation” philosophy of no wholesale demolition, just careful restoration that kept the old town’s original nine-street grid intact. Stroll Nantou’s storied streets and you’ll notice courtyard houses and low-rise homes built in the Lingnan tradition, with grey brick walls, arcaded qilou fronts and sloping tiled roofs.
From among the ancient walls, creative energy springs forth in unexpected forms: a laundry concept boutique here, a tarot reading studio there and a three-storey Starbucks boasting a terracotta-teal façade that feels retro yet futuristic next to its neighbours. Step into a side lane and you might stumble upon a temporary art installation. Deep inside an alleyway is Namiya General Store, a knick-knack shop inspired by Keigo Higashino’s whimsical novel of the same name.
Nantou’s main talking points are found in its warren of quiet lanes. Cafés and small eateries hide in corners and along narrow paths or perhaps tucked into what could be someone’s weekend home. Coffee culture runs deep here, from pour-over specialists to tiny bar-seat-only cafés with more personality than square footage.
The food scene is just as varied. A Thai kitchen serves up fiery tom yum one alley away from a Yunnan-Dai restaurant decked out in full tropical flair. Nearby, a French-style steakhouse proves that the old town can do fine dining with equal finesse. Then there’s Tibetan Coffee Shop, hard to miss with its canary-yellow façade strung with prayer flags and marigold garlands, inviting you to sip butter tea and saffron cold brew.
Along the main avenues, speciality boutiques hold court. Soarin showcases vintage menswear and antique travel trunks amid warmly lit interiors styled with the flourish of a film set. Mumo, a solid-wood furniture and lifestyle store, sits inside a beautifully restored residence – proof that Nantou’s transformation isn’t just a coat of paint over old bones, but a dialogue between the two.
In the evenings, as its ancient walls glow amber against a violet sky, Nantou hums with an energy that’s hard to pin down. It’s equal parts creative hub, chilled hangout and historic gallery.
I’d arrived expecting just a quick look around. I left half a day later, feeling like I’d barely scratched its surface, yet comforted by a sense of having found my place.
Come with no fixed plan. Nantou rewards those who wander.
