Zhiqing (educated youth who participated in the Down to the Countryside Movement during the Cultural Revolution, 1966-76), longtang (lane) culture, as well as traditional teahouses, are usually only glimpsed in TV series today, if they are seen at all. However, the Global Times has found some restaurants where people can relive these days of yesteryear and put themselves right back into these never-to-be-repeated scenarios.

Country folk

When speaking of Chinese life during the 1960s and the 1970s, it is impossible not to mention the pre-dominant color of the era: military green. Uniforms, shoes, backpacks and even water bottles - everything was green. And as time has passed, the color has rid itself of its political baggage, and is now a fashionable "retro" color in China.

So it's not surprising that visitors to the Shangshan Xiaxiang Zhiqing Hotpot restaurant are welcomed by waitstaff in the same kind of military green uniforms of the period.

Started by a Chongqing native last October beside Zhenru old town in Putuo district, the restaurant is the first zhiqing-themed eatery in the city. At the entrance is a welcome sign which features a large image of Chairman Mao, and the characters wei renmin fuwu, meaning "serve the people."

Picture frames on the wall include a decades-old marriage license and a university graduation certificate, as well as a number of old tickets that people formerly used to buy daily necessities under China's former planned economy.

The color red is ubiquitous; the dining area is divided by red bars, and the floor is decorated with red tiles on which are engraved slogans from the Cultural Revolution including "Devote yourself to the revolutionary cause of the countryside" and "Develop your skills to full in the vastness of the countryside."

Beside the communal dining areas, the restaurant also has private rooms decorated with oil paintings depicting everyday scenes of the zhiqing during the Cultural Revolution.

Business hours: 10:30 am to 2 am next day

Add: 6/F, First Wine Market, 201 Lanxi Road

兰溪路201号第一酒市6楼

Tel: 6139-2576

It's a family affair

Xingyeli, Bugaoli, and Jiuxingli are the names of old shikumen (traditional Shanghai-style houses with stone gates) buildings dotted around the city, but now a restaurant located near the Cool Docks has included all of these names in its dining space.

Matou Renjia (Family on the Dock), boasts shikumen-style interiors and a series of traditional Shanghai dishes.

According to the manager, surnamed Si, the establishment of the restaurant was inspired by a true story from the nearby docks. The tale goes that Du Yuesheng, a feared gangster, and his wife once frequented a family-run restaurant on the quayside.

And to honor the vanishing longtang culture in the city, the entrance to the restaurant and the doors of the private rooms resemble those of traditional shikumen buildings. And each of these rooms is decorated with paintings and calligraphy depicting nursery rhymes from the 1960s.

The highlighted dishes include deep-fried shrimp, stewed pork with brown sauce, fried pork liver with sauce, as well as a selection of snacks such as ci fangao (glutinous rice roll), and chuansha caotoubing (pan-fried glutinous rice roll).

Business hours: 11 am to 9:30 pm

Add: 6/F, Building 2, 505 Zhongshan Road South 中山南路505号2号楼6楼

Tel: 400-880-9488

Traditional heritage

Having tea in a restaurant while watching performances was formerly a daily pleasure for many Chinese people. And today, there are some venues prepared to recreate this experience for 21st-century diners.

Shunxing is a Sichuan-based restaurant franchise which set up its Shanghai branch in 2010.

At the entrance to the dining hall, customers are welcomed by the soothing sounds of a woman playing the guzheng (Chinese plucked zither) attired in traditional Chinese dress.

And each night from 7:30 pm on, the stage in this hall plays host to several performances, among them a kung fu tea show, a face-changing act, and some short comedy routines.

All of the performances are free and last for 40 minutes. The recommended dishes here include poached sliced pork leg with spicy sauce, pork ribs with Sichuan pepper, and stewed fish dressed with soy sauce.

Business hours: 9:30 am to 9 pm

Add: 1088 Yan'an Road West

延安西路1088号

Tel: 6213-8988