From Wikitravel

The French Concession is the area of Shanghai once designated for the French. Today, the area's central Huaihai Rd is a busy shopping street, but the tree-lined avenues and their many Tudor mansions still retain an air of the "Paris of the East".

[edit] Get in

Metro Line 1 runs along Huaihai and Hengshan Roads. Most useful stop is probably the Shan Xi Nan Lu station, which is fairly central.

[edit][add listing] See

• Xintiandi (新天地, near Metro Huangpi Nanlu) - Xintiandi is a popular spot for young people, particularly well-heeled yuppies. It is a place where you can find a lot of restaurants and clubs. Besides these pubs you can also see some traditional Shanghai-style lodgings (Shikumen) which are a unique blend of European and Chinese design. There is a nice miniature museum, showing the configuration and interior of a recreated 1930s shikumen house.

• Old French Concession Streets get away from the busy streets and explore the area between Julu Lu to the north and Huai Hai Lu running through the center, plus Mao Ming Lu and surrounding area to the south of Huai Hai Lu. Pleasant tree-lined streets and local Shanghainese bustle, combined with a growing number of trendy boutiques and restaurants. Chang Le Lu and Xin Le Lu are rapidly becoming the places to find small designer clothing shops. Interesting architecture built with French and Belgian money and showing mixed Chinese-European styles.

[edit][add listing] Do

• Explore the sylvan streets of the French Concession and admire Shanghai's Art Deco residential architecture, reputedly the world's largest (although not the most well-kept). Most historic buildings have a bronze plaque that details their original use. The area sandwiched between Fuxing Rd. and Huaihai Rd. is particularly interesting with a sprinkling of tucked-away shops and discreet cafes, a refreshing alternative to the city's generally megalomaniac streetscape.
• Experience the nightlife in one of the many bar and club districts: Julu Lu, Hengshan Lu, Xintiandi. Pick up a copy of City Weekend or That's Shanghai or other local free magazines in English for local listings.

[edit][add listing] Buy

Ruijin Erlu (瑞金二路, "Ruijin 2nd Road") is a tree-lined boulevard is the heart of the French Concession, where you can experience the real Shanghai longtang (a narrow alley from house to house, which is a distinctive Shanghai architecture style).

• • Diva Life Nail & Beauty Lounge, Ruijin Erlu (near Jianguoxi). A 2,700-square-foot-house, mixed with Chinese and European style, is located on Rui Jin Er Road, near road. Established in 1933, this three story complex was once the home of the Jewish wine merchant H.L. Menken.

• Huaihai Road (淮海路 Huáihǎilù) - The main commercial street, with mainly international brand stores.

• Xujiahui (徐家汇) - big shopping malls here. You can get here by metro. Right at the Xujiahui intersection a large computer mall can be found.

• Julu Lu, Chang Le Lu and Xin Le Lu - these two parallel east-west streets and the surrounding neighbourhood are gradually acquiring some outstanding boutiques and shops.

• An Fu Lu - interesting boutiques (and bars and restaurants) both in the eastern and western ends of this street.

• Garden Books - near to the junction of Chang Le Lu and Shanxi Nan Lu - good selection of China travel guides, as well as coffee and ice cream. Their monthly bric-a-brac sales are a popular local social event

• Torana House formerly in Shan Xi Nan Lu, now at #164 An Fu Lu (just west of Wu Lu Mu Qi Lu) has Tibetan and Chinese carpets and Tibetan furniture in a contemporary gallery (www.toranahouse.com).

• Spin Ceramics - designer ceramics by Chinese artists but with a Japanese flavor, in a stylish minimalist space off Julu Lu. Bit difficult to spot since it is set back off the street: it is next to Mesa restaurant (known to many expats for its excellent Sunday brunch)

• Silk QiPao shops a row of shops along Chang Le Lu, between Mao Ming Lu and Shan Xi Nan Lu specializes in silk Qi Paos (traditional Shanghai-style silk dresses), which can be made to measure for you. The shops are especially popular with Japanese visitors staying at the nearby Okura Garden Hotel.

• eno, 139-23 Changle Lu (between Ruijin Lu and Chengdu Lu), [1]. Two story shop featuring tee-shirts, sweatshirts, bags and shoes designed in conjunction with China's hottest up and coming artists. Also has a cafe with Illy coffee.

• Mme Mao's Dowry in Fu Min Lu. Cultural Revolution nostalgia

• Ferguson Lane, in a narrow alley off Wu Kang Lu in the western end of the French Concession District, a '30s building converted to restaurants and boutique shops.

All these streets and the connecting north-south streets are worth a stroll, and something new seems to open every week. This is also the area to see Shanghai style Deco architecture, that has been getting a lot of press lately.

• Other nearby areas:
• Posh Shopping along Mao Ming Nan Lu, by the Jin Jiang Hotel. Designer shops and art galleries. Don't forget your platinum Amex card.

[edit][add listing] Eat

Chaz One is cool.

[edit] Budget

• Vegetarian Lifestyle, 77 Song Shan Rd (in a fabulously decorated alleyway just south of Huai Hai Rd.), 21-6384-8000. Every day until 10pm. Wow! A beautifully appointed modern restaurant where everything just happens to be vegi. You won't find much in the way of fake meat that pervades most of the other vegetarian places. Instead you'll enjoy beautifully cooked dishes from all over the country, and juices from the juice bar. They serve beer as well, but careful, one bottle will double your bill! ~30 RMB (18 RMB Lunch special).

• Xintiandi, at the southeast corner of Huaihai Park. This is not the trendy district, but a small 24 hour coffee/dumpling shop just next to the park. They sell steamed-and-fried soup-filled dumplings are famous for squirting across the room if you don't suck out the juice beforehand. Four dumplings for RMB 1.50 is a steal.

[edit] Mid-range

• Shanghai Uncle is a famous chain of three restaurants known for the Shanghai flair with some Western accents. Known for their spare ribs, smoked fish and fatty pork with garlic. (Phone: 6464 6430) Locations: 211 Tianyaoqiao Lu, others

• Hailaogui (海老亀 Hǎilǎogūi, 41 Yandang Rd 雁蕩路41号) is a cafe that specializes in sweet Chinese desserts with all sorts of beneficial effects for your health (or so they claim), particularly dishes made with turtle. No English menu, but try the milk pudding with ginger (Y10).

• Saleya Chang Le Lu, between Xiang Yang Lu and Shanxi Nan Lu: your neigbourhood French Restaurant. By Chinese standards the prices would be in the "splurge" category, but for a foreign restaurant the prices are very reasonable. Unpretentious and you can close your eyes and imagine you are on the Isle de la Cite...
• Secret Garden Chang Le Lu, a short distance west from Garden Books, serving Cantonese food in pleasant surroundings. The veranda-like space near to Secret Garden has been home to a succession of restaurants, the latest incarnation being a Greek restaurant.

• Di Shui Dong (滴水洞), 56 Mao Ming Road (near Chang Le Rd.) metro Shaanxi Nan Rd., ☎ 62532689. Fiery cuisine from Hunan, the birthplace of Mao Zedong, thus a menu full of "Mao's Shrimp", "Mao's Chicken" and such. Very popular with foreigners. edit

• Enoteca An Fu Lu, an excellent wine bar specializing in Argentinian and South African wines. Food is fairly basic, cheese and meat plates, salads, the wine is outstanding.

• Amokka An Fu Lu (west of Wu Lu Mu Qi Lu) is a coffee bar and restaurant, good for lunch stops.

[edit] Splurge

• Xintiandi (see See) has many of Shanghai's hippest (and most expensive) restaurants, especially international food.

• Mesa on Julu Lu, short distance west from Xiang Yang Lu junction. Excellent Western and fusion food, fine wine list. Not cheap but worth it. Balcony is great in the spring and fall.

• Dome at the corner of Xiang Yang Lu and Xin Le Lu in the North French Concession area. Very interesting building: a converted Russian Orthodox church, complete with domes and painted ceilings. The restaurant currently seems to be closed, which is a pity for such an interesting building.

• Casanova Very competent Italian at the far western end of Julu Lu.

• Shintori Japanese design restaurant with stunning features on Julu Lu, Japanese and fusion kitchen, not at the cheap end.

[edit][add listing] Drink

• Judy's Too, 176 Maoming Nan Lu (Metro: Shaanxi Nan Lu), tel. 6473-1417. Doors open at 6pm, but the party doesn't really get started 'till at least 10pm. A somewhat cheesy but fun favorite among expats. Locals dance it up here here too, but mostly before 11pm. If you've ever wanted to watch a drunk Russian guy try to pick up a French girl in Han Chinese at 2am, this is the place. Some, however, feel this place offers all that is bad about older western men and younger eastern girls in Asia - at times there is some pretty unpleasant letching to be seen here unfortunately. (No cover). http://www.judysco.com/

[edit][add listing] Sleep

• The Shanghai Music Conservatory no longer offers accommodation according to Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree Forum.
• Jin Jiang Hotel is a 4-star business hotel located in the French Concession area offering cozy and luxurious accommodations with world-class amenities and services. Address: 59 Maoming Road South, Luwan District, Shanghai, China.

[edit] Contact

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