Nanjing Road
Nanjing Road is one of the earliest commercial streets in Shanghai, and Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street is one of the top 10 shopping streets in China. This is the center of department stores, with a full range of goods, a shopper's paradise. It’s also a paradise for foodie, which gathers numerous century-old restaurants, famed food stores and local snacks stores. Creative urban sculptures can be seen everywhere, with plenty of chairs in the middle of the street for tourists to sit on, a good place to have a leisure city trip. Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street, you can see Dangdang sightseeing tram like a miniature version of the old trolley cars shuttling back and forth, such old Shanghai flavor, it’s worthy experiencing.
It stretches 5.5 kilometers from the Bund in the east to the West Yan'an Road in the west, spanning Jing'an and Huangpu districts, and Middle Tibet Road is the dividing point. In 1945, the nationalist government recalled all concessions from western countries and renamed Nanjing Road as East Nanjing Road and West Jing'an Road as West Nanjing Road. Therefore, Nanjing Road broadly includes two of Shanghai's top ten commercial centers: East Nanjing Road and West Nanjing Road.
East Nanjing Road (including Nanjing Road pedestrian street) is mainly affordable commercial and tourist areas; and West Nanjing Road (including the Jing'an Temple area) is the most expensive and fashionable commercial district in China and the most luxurious in Shanghai, focusing on luxury goods and high-end personalized consumption.
>> Recommended 4-day Shanghai Tour for Women with wonderful shopping experiences
Shanghai Nanjing Road Facts
Layout
Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street adopts an asymmetrical layout, with a 4.2-meter-wide "golden belt" as the main line, running through the entire pedestrian street. Urban public facilities are arranged on the "Golden Belt", such as chairs, shopping kioskers, information booths, billboards, sculptures and small works, street lamps, waste bins, phone booths, etc. There are also 34 flower beds of different shapes.
If you are looking for the best cities to enjoy urban walks in China, Shanghai, with its Nanjing Road, the Bund, Shanghai Former French Concession, Xintiandi, Tianzifang, and other historical areas, is highly recommended.
History of Nanjing Road
The earliest history of Nanjing Road can be traced back to after the Opium War in 1840. Shanghai was forced to be opened as a trading port, and the British colonial authorities established a concession north of Yangjingbang. In 1848, a garden and a racecourse were built near the north of East Nanjing Road. The area around this garden where the horse racing path is located was originally called "Garden Lane", which is transliterated as "Parker Lane", and it is now the easternmost section of Nanjing Road.
Later, with the multiple relocations of the racecourse, Garden Lane was also extended and eventually became the main thoroughfares of the British Concession, known as the Main Road or "British Main Road".
In 1865, the British Concession Council renamed "Main Road" as "Nanjing Road". In 1945, after the Nationalist Government reclaimed all the concessions, Nanjing Road was renamed Nanjing East Road and Jing 'an Temple Road was renamed Nanjing West Road.
>> Recommended 3-day Shanghai Highlights Tour
Historical Architectures on East Nanjing Road
No. 20, East Nanjing Road - Peace Hotel
It is located at the intersection of Zhongshan East First Road and Nanjing East Road on the Bund, consisting of two buildings: the South Building and the North Building. The South Building was formerly known as the Central Hotel and was completed in 1908. It was the tallest building on the Bund at that time, and its overall appearance was a concentrated embodiment of the Renaissance style. The North Building was constructed in 1929 and was originally named the Hua MAO Hotel. It is a Gothic building of the Chicago School, with a huge green copper roof as its most distinctive feature. It was once hailed as "the first building in the Far East".
This is the site of the "Anti-Opium Society of All Nations" (1909), the venue of the welcome conference of the Chinese Alliance (1911), and also the place where the "Sun Wen - Overflight Declaration" was signed (1923).
No. 353, East Nanjing Road - Shanghai Yuehui Plaza
In 1930, this building was designed by Zhuang Jun, the first generation of architects in China, and was named "Mainland Mall". After the building was completed, the "Shanghai Jingwu Sports Association Branch", "Application Circulation Library", "China National Products Company", "China Architects Association", "Shanghai Architectural Association" and others were successively established here. During the war years, this place was once converted into a refugee shelter.
In 1938, it was renamed "Cixi Building". In July 1956, it was taken over by the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Housing and Land. It was successively renamed as Donghai Building, Donghai Commercial City, Friendship European Mall, Friendship Department Store, Rixiang Department Store, Basail Jewelry Center, and 353 Square. It was not until 2016 that it was renamed "Shanghai Yuehui Square".
No. 151-171, East Nanjing Road - Meilun Building
Invested and constructed by Xin Kang Trading Company and designed by Ma Hai Trading Company, it was completed in 1930. It features a neoclassical style, with a arcade on the ground floor and a four-bay Ionic colonnade running through two floors on the top.
The former site of the Meilun Building was originally a showroom for selling Gas appliances by the British Shanghai Gas Co.. In 1930, it was purchased by Xin Kang Trading Company and built into a nine-story reinforced concrete structure building.
On the second floor of the east building of Meilun Building, the renowned Jewish photographer Shen Shiti once opened the "Shanghai Art Photo Studio", leaving exquisite portraits for countless people from home and abroad in Shanghai.
Recommended tour: 16-day China Jewish Heritage Tour
No. 114-142, Nanjing East Road - Cianli Building
The architectural style is French Renaissance, and it is one of the typical remnants of the old buildings with exposed brick walls in the Bund area of the 20th century. The building was once the location of the first department store in Shanghai - the Welfare Company, so it is also called the Welfare Building.
No. 119, East Nanjing Road - Central Department Store
It is located between Sichuan Road, Jiangxi Road, Nanjing Road and Jiujiang Road. After the end of World War II in 1945, many daily necessities flowed from warships to the Central Mall near the Bund Wharf.
No. 233-257, Nanjing East Road - Nanjing Building
Invested by the British company Harton Properties, designed by Deli & Co. and constructed by Chen Yongxing Construction Company. Its appearance and style feature typical characteristics of the Art Deco art Deco style. After the building was completed in 1935, the time-honored Chinese brand Lao Jiefu moved in, becoming the largest and most capital-rich silk store on the Shanghai Bund at that time.
What to Do?
1. Enjoy night view. Nanjing Road is the most famed shopping street in Shanghai, and it’s also one of the top Shanghai attractions to enjoy Shanghai nightlife. On weekends, people come here to shop, taste delicious food and travel in an endless stream. It is close to the east of the Bund. Especially at night, where various neon lights shine brightly and the buildings with distinctive features are more beautiful and magnificent, attracting a large number of tourists from home and abroad.
2. Spend your leisure time. There are marble benches along the streets of Nanjing Road. It is very convenient to rest your feet when you are tired. This is not only a shopping paradise, but also the location of many places of interest.
3. Savor delicious food. Time-honored brand food stores are basically countless on your both hands in Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street. Biscuits of Taikong, Yue cuisine and dims of Xinya, roast duck of Yanyunlou, smoked fish and moon cake of Zhenlaodafang, etc. If you want to try some snacks, you can rush to the nearby food street in Yunnan Road; if you chase the romantic sense of old Shanghai, you can have meals in Heping Restaurant near the Bund.
>> Recommended Shanghai Evening Food Tour by Tuk Tuk
How to Get to Nanjing Road?
From Shanghai City
Metro Line 1, 2 or 8 runs to Renmin Square Station, you can get off at No.6 Exit. Go across the underpass, you can reach the west point of Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street. Or you can take Metro Line 2 or 10 to East Nanjing Road Station, whatever you get off at Exit 1, 2, or 4, it will be the east point of Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street.
If you take Bus 20, 37, 330 or 921, you can get off at Jiujiang Road Huanghe Road Station. Then walk to the east for about a hundred meters across the square by underpass, you can get to the west starter.
The Bund to Nanjing Road
The Bund is close to Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street, so it is recommended to walk there, which takes about 15-20 minutes. Metro Line 2 is also an option.
Shanghai Airport to Nanjing Road
>> From Pudong Airport to Nanjing Road:
- Take Metro Line 2
- Take the Maglev train to Longyang Road Station, transfer to Metro Line 2 to East Nanjing Road Station.
- Airport shuttle bus
>> From Hongqiao Airport to Nanjing Road:
You are suggested to take Metro Line 10
Hotels in Nanjing Road Shanghai
Looking for where to stay on Nanjing Road? There is wide range of options, such as Crowne Plaza Shanghai Nanjing Road, Holiday Inn Shanghai Nanjing Road, Park Hotel shanghai Nanjing Road,
Sofitel Nanjing Road, etc.
