Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
life'. Now unoccupied, the building was once home to the Shanghai branch of the Rotary
Club and
The Chinese Recorder
, a missionary journal.
A few buildings along is the
Lyceum Building
(185 Yuanmingyuan Road), not a mission-
ary building but a groundbreaking commercial one: built in 1937 by the Shanghai Land In-
vestment Company.
A number of missions had their offices a few doors down at the
Missions Building
(169
Yuanmingyuan Road), including the American Bible Society, the China Council of the Pres-
byterian Church, the London Missionary Society, the National Bible Society of Scotland, the
American Red Cross, and its main occupant, the National Christian Council.
The most striking building on the street is the 'True Light' building at No. 209, with its dra-
matic Gothic Art Deco facade designed by prolific Shanghai-based Hungarian architect
László Hudec in 1933. Officially known as the
China Baptist Publication Society Buildin
g,
the group printed Baptist publications, including the True Light journal, Sunday school les-
sons and Bible tracts.
At the north end of Yuanmingyuan Road, turn right to see the latest incarnation of the
Union Church
(Suzhou Road South), first established by the British on this location in 1886.
Somewhat mysteriously destroyed by fire in 2007, it was reconstructed in time for the World
Expo 2010 in Shanghai, but remains firmly shut, its exterior a favourite spot for brides-to-be
to pose for photographs.
