This is a little-used and well-hidden access pathway into a secluded part of Overseas Chinese Village from Huanshi Dong Lu, near the main entrance gateway to the area. A small Japanese restaurant at the foot of the stairs has survived for more than 20 years, outlasting all of the other restaurants in the area.
Through the gateway and 50m or so to the north is a row of buildings that have morphed over the last couple of decades from residential to fancy bars & restaurants and now a mix of some offices, shops and restaurants that have been frequently refurbished and look appealing but somehow the bar and club-type functions never seemed to catch on.
Perhaps the newer office and restaurant uses will be more lasting, as the whole area is receiving increasing investment in trendy ground floor shops, cafes, offices, and education-related activities given the many schools around.