Fuxing Park   1 Photos   Oct 26, 2008
 
[YEAR: 1985]
[LOCATION:121.4642003126202,31.21941165125683]
[CATEGORY: Park]
[DISTRICT:Luwan]
[FEATURE: French Concession]
[ALIAS: French Park]

Fuxing Park is located at Luwan District of Shanghai and carries the history of the city. It was originally named Gujiazhai Park after the local Gu family who opened it over 100 years ago. The park was renamed the French park after it was bought by the French for the purpose of stationing armies in 1900, and became the largest public garden in French Concession. After World War II broke out, the Japanese Government took over the administration of the French Concession, the park name then became Daxing Park. After 1945, its name was finally changed to Fuxing Park.

Today, Fuxing Park is the only French style park in Shanghai, showcasing symmetrical fountains and flowerbeds. It is well designed and many different trees provide shelter from the sun here for residents in the hottest months of the year. As a result, it is also called "carpet garden". There is also a slightly surreal sculpture of Marx and Engels in the park that was completed on the ninetieth anniversary of Engels' death on August 5, 1985.

One of the best things about the park is the bar and restaurant here . Once you have had a wander, watched the Tai Chi and seen Marx-Engels, why not pop in here for some great "tapas" or a drink. The Restaurant is right next to one of Shanghai's best modern art galleries too. ShangArt often have brilliant and radical exhibitions by artists from throughout China. It is always worth popping in to this small and friendly gallery to see what is on display.

 

Xujiahui 徐家汇   7 Photos   Oct 9, 2008
 
[YEAR: 1600]
[LOCATION: 121.4337513510059,31.19577044607086]
[CATEGORY: Streets]
[DISTRICT: Xuhui]
[ALIAS: Zikawei]

Xujiahui is an area in the Xuhui District of Shanghai. Its history can be traced back to Ming Dynasty. Xujiahui literally means "property of Xu family at the junction of two rivers" in Mandarin. The "Xu family" actually refers to the family of Xu Guangqi (1562-1633), China's most notable Catholic convert, also a great agricultural scientist of ancient China. Xujiahui was once the ancestral home of Xu Guangqi and his family. The two rivers refers to Zhaojia Bang and Fahua Jing. Xujiahui is also the place where Catholicism began to be spread in Shanghai.

Xujiahui was on the west border of the former French Concession of Shanghai. Pronounced in the old Shanghainese dialect of Wu Chinese, it is called "zi-ka-wei". During the 18th century it was known by Shanghai's western residents as "Ziccawei". With land donated by Xu Guangqi's family and those acquired by other means, the Society of Jesus established a grand cathedral as well as an entire one square mile complex that covers most of present-day Xujiahui. In addition to the cathedral, the mainly French Jesuits also built orphanages, monasteries, schools, libraries and an observatory. Xujiahui began to show heavy influence of Catholicism.

The St. Ignatius Cathedral also referred to as Xujiahui Cathedral, is a Gothic Roman Catholic cathedral, located on Puxi Road, in the Xujiahui district of Shanghai. It was built in 1847 as one of the first structures to be built by the Jesuits. It was later reconstructed in 1906. Designed by English architect William Doyle, it is said to have once been known as "the grandest cathedral in the Far East." It can accommodate 2,500 worshippers at the same time. Before 1920s, it was the highest architecture in Shanghai. The cathedral was featured in the opening scenes of Steven Spielberg's 1987 film Empire of the Sun. Today, the cathedral is attended by over 2000 people every Sunday.

Other structures that can still be seen today include Xuhui College on 68 Hongqiao Road, now renamed Xuhui Middle School. Established by Jesuits in 1850, Xuhui College was the first educational institution in China to offer a fully western curriculum.

Now it's mainly a commercial district of Shanghai. On the location of a former brick factory now stands the Xujiahui park, which was completed in 2002. The park also contains a man-made pond and meandering brook, basketball courts, and a children's playground. The Shanghai Conservatory of Music, located to the park , often stages free performances during the Spring and Autumn months in the park.

The main Xujiahui shopping district is centered around the intersection of the streets Hongqiao Rd, Huashan Rd, Zhaojiabang Rd and North Caoxi Rd. Each of these streets terminates at the intersection, which is home to three supermarkets, six major shopping malls and nine large-scale office towers. Everything from cosmetics to cars to cucumbers is available within five minutes, but the type of product that Xujiahui is most famous for is electronics. It is one of the biggest places for people to get electronic equipment, from computers, cameras to game consoles as well.

 

Nanjing Road 南京路   5 Photos   Oct 9, 2008
 
[YEAR:1851]
[LOCATION: 121.470197439,31.236683103]
[CATEGORY: Streets]
[DISTRICT: Huangpu]
[ALIAS: Nanking Road]

Nanjing Road, also known as Nanking Road, which attracts over 1 million visitors daily, is the main shopping street of Shanghai and is one of the world's busiest shopping streets. It is called the No.1 Shopping Street of China. Today's Nanjing Road comprises two sections, Nanjing Road East and Nanjing Road West. In some contexts, "Nanjing Road" refers only to what was pre-1945 Nanjing Road, today's Nanjing Road East, which is largely pedestrianised. Today, its eastern section is in Huangpu District and extends from The Bund west to People's Square. The western section begins at People's Square and continues westward towards Jing'an District.

The history of Nanjing Road can be traced back to the year 1851. At that time it was called Park Lane, which comes from the Bund to He’nan Road. In 1854, it was extended to Zhejiang Road, and eight years later, once more extended to Xizang Road. In 1865, it was named formally Nanking Road by the Municipal Council, which administered the International Settlement. In Chinese it was usually referred to as the Main Road. In 1943 the International Settlement was annulled, and after World War II the government changed its name from Nanking Road to East-Nanjing Road, meanwhile named the former Bubbling Well Road West－Nanjing Road, and give a general name of the two roads Nanjing Road, which with five kilometres total length.

As early as in the beginning of 20th century, eight big department stores were established along the street one after another, such as Sincere, Wing On, Sun Sun, and The Sun. Today, East Nanjing Road is a dedicated commercial zone. Located here are most of Shanghai's oldest and largest department stores, as well as a variety of domestic retail outlets, and some traditional eateries with a long history.

Tourists and guests often celebrate various holidays and festivals at Nanjing Road, such as the Chinese New Year, New Year's Eve, Christmas and Shanghai Tourism Festival. Some parts of the buildings and shopping malls seen in front of the Nanjing Road today may host a fireworks display over the main isle of the street.

 

The Bund 外滩   10 Photos   Oct 9, 2008
 
[YEAR:1840]
[LOCATION: 121.4860426620846,31.23847752340768]
[CATEGORY: Streets]
[DISTRICT: Huangpu]
[FEATURE: The Bund]

The Bund is an area of Huangpu District in Shanghai. It's one of the most famous tourist destinations in Shanghai.The area centres on a section of Zhongshan Road within the former Shanghai International Settlement, which runs along the western bank of the Huangpu River, facing Pudong, in the eastern part of Huangpu District. The Bund usually refers to the buildings and wharves on this section of the road, as well as some adjacent areas.

Located along the Huangpu River, the Bund shows off Shanghai's outstanding foreign buildings, most of which were erected before 1937. In the 1930s, the string of buildings hosted the city's financial and commercial centers, and the world's greatest banks and trading empires established a base here, including banks and trading houses from Britain, France, the U.S., Russia, Germany, Japan, The Netherlands and Belgium. A building boom at the end of 19th century and beginning of 20th century led to the Bund becoming a major financial hub of East Asia. The former French Bund, east of the walled city was formerly more a working harbourside.

By the 1940s the Bund housed the headquarters of many, if not most, of the major financial institutions operating in China, including the "big four" national banks in the Republic of China era. However, with the Communist victory in the Chinese civil war, many of the financial institutions were moved out gradually in the 1950s, and the hotels and clubs closed or converted to other uses. The statues of colonial figures and foreign worthies which had dotted the riverside were also removed.

The Bund centres on a stretch of the Zhongshan Road, named after Sun Yat-sen. To the west of this stretch of the road stands some 52 buildings of various western classical and modern styles, including Gothic, Baroque and Romanesque. They are called "The International Architectural Exposition''.

At the northern end of The Bund, along the riverfront, is Huangpu Park, once called British Public Gardens,which was under the control of the Brits in 1930s. It was forbidden territory to Chinese people for years, unless they were accompanying employers. That's why the park is famous for the sign reported to have proclaimed "No dogs or Chinese", although this exact wording never existed. Today, the park is free and open to everyone, in which is situated the Monument to the People's Heroes, a tall and abstract concrete tower which is a memorial for the those who died during the revolutionary struggle of Shanghai dating back to the Opium Wars.

Near the Nanjing Road intersection stands what is currently the only bronze statue along the Bund. It is a statue of Chen Yi, the first Communist mayor of Shanghai. Further east is a tall levee, constructed in the 1990s to ward off flood waters. The construction of this high wall has dramatically changed the appearance of the Bund.

From the Bund, you can also see the Oriental Pearl Television Tower and many skyscrapers in Pudong located on the other side of the Huangpu River.

 

Zhouzhuang Town 周庄镇   6 Photos   Oct 1, 2008
 
[YEAR: 1086]
[LOCATION: 120.8405103234644,31.11744681811393]
[CATEGORY: Town]
[DISTRICT: Kunshan]

Zhouzhuang, one of the most famous water-rich towns in China, is situated in Kunshan City, 92 km northwest of Shanghai downtown. It is noted for its profound cultural background, well-preserved ancient residential houses, elegant waters and traditional lifestyle with a strong local flavor.

In the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476BC), Zhouzhuang was a part of the fief Yaocheng, called Zhenfengli. Zhouzhuang got its present name in 1086 during the Song Dynasty, in the memory of Zhou Digong, a very devout Buddhist, who donated this piece of land to the Quanfu (Full Fortune) Temple.

The town covers an area of 3600 hectares. Most of its residential houses, about 60 percent of the total, were built during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Zhouzhuang is well known for its beautiful environment and simple architecture. Although more than 900 years have past, its architectural style is still well preserved.