Located on both sides of Datian Road to the north of Xinzha Road, Siwen Lane covers 4.66 hectares with a construction area of 48,000 square meters. It is the biggest lane of old style in shanghai with 706 buildings of two/three-storey brick-and-stone structure. It is divided into two sections by the road and the East Siwen Lane of 388 buildings was built in 1914 and the West Siwen Lane with 318 buildings was set up in 1918. There are 13 rows with 17-24 buildings in each row in the East Siwen Lane and 11 rows with 16-23 buildings in each in the West Siwen Lane. As the construction of the late old style stone-arched gate lane residence, Siwen Lane is the typical example of the popular residential constructions at that time in Shanghai much influenced by colonialism and fit for the small families of middle class. The main lane that is about 5 meters in width contains many sub-lanes of 4 meters or so in width. The delicate brick sculptures, the black-lacquered doors as well as the wing-rooms and courtyards strongly express the "Shanghai Style".