The Former French Concession - Explore Shanghai - page 132

Head west on Dongping Road to Sasha's (Shasha), see 2 . Built in 1921 by Spanish archi-
tect Abelardo Lafuente, the mansion was the home of TV Soong, of the powerful Soong fam-
ily, then said to be the richest man in the world. The villa next door was the home of TV's sis-
ter, Soong Mei-ling, wife of Nationalist China's president, Chiang Kai-shek. Adjacent to this
was the home of another sister, Soong Ai-ling, married to HH Kung, head of the Bank of Ch-
ina. Only Soong Ching-ling, the widow of the Republic of China's first president, Sun Yat-sen,
lived apart.
From Sasha's, turn left on to Hengshan Road. A five-minute walk will take you to the ivy-
covered International Community Church (Guojie Jiaotang; 53 Hengshan Road; English
services Sun 2pm, 4pm). Founded by a group of Americans in 1925, this Gothic Revival
Protestant church has hosted celebrities from US presidents to Bishop Desmond Tutu.
Continue along Hengshan Road and turn right at Gao'an Road. Enter Lane 18 to the
Xuhui Children's Palace (Xuhuiqu Shaoniangong; 9am-4pm daily). Built in the latest
Streamline Moderne style in 1939 for Rong Desheng, a member of a powerful industrialist
family, the mansion is today a 'children's palace' for after-school and weekend activities.
Walk straight out of the gate down the lane and exit on to Kangping Road. Just past Wan-
ping Road is the Shanghai headquarters of the Communist Party of China. There's no sign,
but the soldiers at attention with bayoneted rifles are a sure tip-off - keep your camera in
your bag.
HENGHSAN PARK AND SOONG CHING-LING'S RESIDENCE
Return to Wanping Road and head south to visit pretty Hengshan Park (Hengshan Gongy-
uan; daily 6am-6pm; free). Formerly Pétain Park, after Vichy collaborator Marshal Pétain, it
was laid out by the French in 1935, and 75 years' worth of lush greenery lends it a near-trop-
ical feel. Beginning at dawn, the park buzzes with t'ai chi practitioners, old men getting hair-
cuts, ballroom dancers and gossiping grandmas.
Retrace your steps along Wanping Road and continue north to Huaihai Road. Head west
(left) until you reach Soong Ching-ling's Former Residence 7 [map] (Song Qingling Guju;
1843 Central Huaihai Road; daily 9am-4.30pm, charge). Sun Yat-sen's young widow lived
here from 1948 until she moved to Beijing in 1963, and the house stands as a monument to
her and to the Communist Party to which she remained loyal despite her family's leadership
roles in the opposing Kuomintang government. Visitors can see her bedroom suite, plus the
living and dining rooms, with photographs of the dignitaries she entertained there, from Mao
to Nehru. A modern building documents the extraordinary Soong clan in letters and artefacts,
and in the garage sit two ebony limousines: a 1952 Jim, a gift from Stalin, and her own
Chinese-made Red Flag.
Directly across the street are the beautiful Normandie Apartments (Wukang Dalou), a
local landmark that dominates the north side of the street. Strongly reminiscent of Manhat-