Former French Concession 原法租界Yuán Fǎzūjiè

Why go to Former French Concession

The former French Concession is a district of tree-lined streets, apartment blocks and villas in the west of central Shanghai, now filled with cafés, small shops and galleries. Wukang Road and Anfu Road make the classic stroll, with Tianzifang's lanes and Xintiandi's rebuilt stone-gate houses nearby. It is Shanghai at human scale, in contrast to the Bund.

The story

France obtained its concession here in 1849 and kept it until 1943, and for much of the twentieth century it was Shanghai's premier residential district. Wukang Road, once Route Ferguson, was built in 1897 by the American educator John Calvin Ferguson, and in 2011 it was named one of China's National Historic and Cultural Streets.

What to see at Former French Concession

• Wukang Mansion 武康大楼: The former Normandie Apartments, a wedge-shaped French Renaissance block completed in 1924 and designed by László Hudec, stands at the southern end of Wukang Road, where it meets Middle Huaihai Road.
• Wukang Road 武康路: A short plane-tree street lined with 37 protected historic buildings in styles from Mediterranean to Art Deco; a tourist information centre sits in a former residence on the road.
• Anfu Road 安福路: A livelier street of cafés, theatre, fashion and book shops, running through the same leafy blocks.
• Tianzifang 田子坊: A maze of shikumen lanes from the 1930s turned into studios, craft shops, cafés and bars, which grew from the inside out as artists moved in.
• Xintiandi 新天地: Mid-nineteenth-century-style shikumen houses rebuilt as a car-free district of restaurants, bars and shops.

How to visit Former French Concession

Start at Jiaotong University station and walk to Wukang Mansion, then follow Wukang Road north and turn east onto Anfu Road for coffee or lunch, finishing at Changshu Road station; the walk is about 3 km and takes 90 minutes without stops. In the afternoon take the metro to Tianzifang or Xintiandi. A half day covers Wukang and Anfu; a full day adds Tianzifang and Xintiandi at a relaxed pace.

How to get to Former French Concession

Metro Lines 10 and 11 stop at Jiaotong University, the usual start of the Wukang–Anfu walk, and Lines 1 and 7 at Changshu Road at the other end. Dapuqiao station on Line 9 is the way to Tianzifang, and Xintiandi station (Lines 10 and 13) is the closest stop for Xintiandi.

Where to stay

Stay within the former concession for walkable streets and cafés, or in the Xintiandi–People's Square area, which has the best metro links.

What to eat

• Shengjianbao 生煎包: Pan-fried pork buns with a crisp base and juicy filling, eaten hot from the pan.
• Red-braised pork 红烧肉: Pork belly simmered in soy, sugar and rice wine until soft, a Shanghai home-style dish found in local restaurants.
• Scallion oil noodles 葱油拌面: Noodles tossed in oil flavoured with slowly fried spring onions, a simple local favourite.

Tips for visiting Former French Concession

• Go on a weekday morning for the quietest streets; Wukang Mansion and Tianzifang get crowded at weekends.
• People live above and behind the façades, so keep voices down and do not enter gates or courtyards that are not open to visitors.
• Shops and cafés change quickly, so treat the streets rather than any single venue as the reason to go.

Nearby

• Shanghai Museum 上海博物馆 under 10 km
  Ancient Chinese bronzes, ceramics, painting and jade, now shown at Shanghai Museum East
• Yu Garden & City God Temple 豫园与城隍庙 under 10 km
  A Ming-dynasty garden of rockeries and dragon walls beside a Taoist city temple
• The Bund & Lujiazui Skyline 外滩与陆家嘴 under 10 km
  1920s banks on one bank of the river, a sci-fi skyline on the other
• Lujiazui 陆家嘴 under 10 km
  Shanghai's skyline in a loop of river: spheres, a twisting tower and the Bund opposite
• Shanghai Disney Resort 上海迪士尼度假区 20 km
  Mainland China's first Disney theme park, with a castle, rides and nightly shows
• Zhouzhuang 周庄古镇 60 km
  Jiangnan's most famous water town, famed for its Twin Bridges and merchant halls

Also within 30 km: Soong Ching-ling Memorial Residence 上海宋庆龄故居 (under 10 km), Early Buildings of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (Xuhui Campus) 上海交通大学早期建筑 (under 10 km), Xujiahui Origin heritage area 徐家汇源 (under 10 km), St. Ignatius Cathedral 徐家汇天主堂 (under 10 km), Tomb of Xu Guangqi 徐光启墓 (under 10 km), Marble Hall (China Welfare Institute Children's Palace) 中福会少年宫 (under 10 km).

On the map

Open Former French Concession on the illustrated map to see the terrain around it, what else is close, and to add it to a trip and plan the days.