Zen and the art of old-style living

A bed-and-breakfast facility at No 169-21, Changle road, Shanghai. [Gao ErqiangI/China Daily]

"He taught me how to use chopsticks and introduced me to his friends, an experience that I would never have had if I had stayed in a regular hotel," says Schmid, who traveled to Shanghai to do art photography.

Jiang says he calls the place a life experience space. "I hope B&Bs are not seen as a better option to hotels simply because of the lower prices. I hope that more people will respect those who are willing to open and share their homes, and hopefully the place feels like home for them."

However, not all is love and peace in the realm of these B&Bs with some locals, particularly the elderly fervently opposing them.

An operator of 10 B&Bs in the shikumen communities downtown, who prefers to be referred to as Xixi, says that occasionally neighbors knock on the door and complain about noise, especially when young people rent an apartment and decide to have a rousing good time.

"Poor sound insulation is a common failing of the decades-old houses," she says.

Unlike Xixi, Jiang tries to keep what he is doing from his neighbors. "It's like being the driver of an illegal taxi. I simply cannot own up to what is really going on."