1933 Old Millfun

Hongkou District, Shanghai, China  |  Free Entry  |  Architecture, Photography, Cafes

Year Built: 1933

Total Area: 32,500m²

300+ Concrete Columns

Entry Cost: Free

What is 1933 Old Millfun?

1933 Old Millfun sits in Hongkou District, not far from the Bund. It started life as the Shanghai Municipal Council Slaughterhouse in 1933. At the time, it was one of the three largest slaughterhouses in the world. British architect Balfours designed it, using concrete imported entirely from the UK. The building cost over 3.3 million silver dollars to construct.

After years of abandonment and occupation by squatters, renovation began in 1998. Today it operates as a creative hub for art, cafes, fashion, and events. Atlas Obscura called it “the last remaining of its design in the world,” and that holds up. There is nothing else quite like it in Shanghai or anywhere else.

The building is designed on the Chinese concept of “the earth is square and the sky is round.” A circular 24-sided core sits inside a square outer building. Over 300 umbrella-shaped columns hold up the entire structure without any internal beams. The outer walls are 50cm thick and hollow, a design that naturally keeps the interior cool in summer without air conditioning.

What to See Inside

• Central atrium. Stand at ground level and look straight up. The circular core opens through all five floors. Best light comes through at noon when the sun hits from directly above.
• Gallery bridges. Multiple bridges cross between the outer building and the inner core at different heights. These connecting walkways are rare in any building in China.
• Latticed windows. The hollow concrete lattice windows on the western wall were cast from British cement in 1930. They let in striped afternoon light, best between 4pm and 6pm.
• Spiral ramps. Originally built to move cattle between floors. Shoot upward from the base for geometric symmetry. The concrete is raw and the curves are consistent.
• Sky Stage. A 1,500-square-meter glass stage on the 4th floor, eight meters high. Events happen here regularly, but the space is worth seeing even when empty.
• Umbrella columns. Over 300 square and octagonal-capped columns line the interior of the outer building on the 2nd floor. These carry the entire load of the structure.

Where to Eat

Niushi Chinese Restaurant

Unit 1-203. Specializes in Shanghai and Cantonese dishes made from beef, a nod to the building’s original use. Popular with locals.

La Douceur

Unit 1-105. French-style desserts and coffee. A solid stop after walking the upper floors.

1933 Miracle Coffee

An industrial-style cafe inside the complex. Good for a break after shooting the architecture.

Food inside the complex is priced for tourists. If you are on a budget, eat before you arrive. The building itself is free.

Photography Tips

• Go on a weekday morning for fewer crowds and cleaner shots.
• Golden hour runs 4pm to 6pm when afternoon light hits the western lattice windows.
• Wear solid bold colors. Red, yellow, or white pop against gray concrete. Busy patterns distract from the architecture.
• Shoot upward from the spiral ramps and central atrium. The geometry only reads well from below.

Practical Information

Worth the detour

1933 Old Millfun is not the most famous stop on a Shanghai itinerary. That is the point. You get a rare piece of 1930s industrial architecture, a quiet creative space, and one of the best photography locations in the city, all for free.

• Skip it if you have only one day in Shanghai and need to prioritize the Bund, Yu Garden, and Tianzifang.
• Go for architecture, photography, or an unusual piece of Shanghai history off the main tourist trail.
• Pair with the Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum and the North Bund waterfront for a full half-day in Hongkou.