Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
7
THE FORMER FRENCH CONCESSION
Take a walk among the parks, mansions and mysteries of the west-
ern part of the former French Concession, where many historic
homes have been transformed into hip restaurants, cafés, boutiques
and music venues.
DISTANCE:
6km (3.7 miles)
TIME:
A full day
START:
Fuxing Park, junction of Chengdu Road and Central Fuxing
Road
END:
French Consul's Residence, Central Huaihai Road
POINTS TO NOTE:
Take the metro to Xintiandi station and walk west
on Fuxing Road to the starting point. Alternatively, catch a taxi to the
starting point.
In old Shanghai, it was said that the British would teach you how to do business but the
French would teach you how to live. It's a maxim that still holds true, as the old villas and lane
houses of the former French Concession are now hubs of shopping, entertainment and dining.
FUXING PARK
Originally a military drill field and subsequently laid out in 1907 as a public park (called the
Fuxing Road and Chengdu Road; daily 6am-6pm; free) still retains its European landscaping.
A well-executed statue of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, added in the 1990s, beams down
benevolently on the carnival of Chinese martial arts, synchronised exercise and ballroom dan-
cing that can be found here every morning. An old-school amusement park makes this a good
stop for families.
