Shanghai's Former French Concession: A Walking Route

The former French Concession is a large residential area west of the old city, in today's Xuhui district and the western edge of Huangpu. Its streets are lined with plane trees, lane houses and villas from the early twentieth century. There is no gate, ticket or opening time. You come to walk, stop for coffee and look at the buildings. The best place to start is Wukang Mansion, at the corner of Wukang Road and Huaihai Middle Road, about ten minutes from Shanghai Library or Jiaotong University station on metro Line 10. Give it three to four hours on a weekday late afternoon, when the light comes through the trees and the weekend crowds are absent.

It makes a good contrast with the Bund, the city's grand riverfront. The Shanghai travel guide has the full plan.

A three-hour route

The route below starts with the best-known building and ends in the busier café streets. It is about four kilometres at an easy pace.

1. Wukang Mansion (15 to 30 minutes). Built in 1924 by the architect László Hudec as the Normandie Apartments, this wedge-shaped block looks like the prow of a ship on its narrow corner. It is still a residential building, so you look from outside. The classic photo is from the opposite pavement, across the junction on Huaihai Middle Road. Expect a small crowd of photographers at weekends.

2. North along Wukang Road (45 minutes). Wukang Road is a protected historic street just over a kilometre long, with plane trees meeting overhead and villas behind low garden walls. Along the way you pass the Wukang Road tourist information centre, which has neighbourhood maps, and the former residence of the writer Ba Jin at No. 113, now a small museum. Check its booking rules and closing day before you plan around it.

3. East along the side streets (30 minutes). Turn right off Wukang Road onto Hunan Road or Fuxing West Road. These quieter streets have some of the area's best garden villas. Many are now consulates, offices or private homes, so you see them through gates and over walls.

4. Anfu Road and Wulumuqi Middle Road (45 minutes to an hour). Anfu Road is where the neighbourhood is at its liveliest, with small cafés, bakeries, shops and a theatre. This is where to stop for coffee or an early dinner. At weekends the brunch crowd fills the pavements.

5. Finish at Changshu Road station (Lines 1 and 7), or keep walking east along Huaihai Middle Road towards the shopping streets.

What to look out for

Lane houses (lilong and shikumen). Rows of two- and three-storey terraced houses behind a single arched gateway, the standard Shanghai housing of the early twentieth century. Many are still lived in. Look through the gateway, but do not wander into a lane that is clearly residential and closed off.

Garden villas. Free-standing houses in Spanish, Tudor and Art Deco styles on the quieter roads. The mix reflects the different nationalities and tastes of the people who built here.

Hudec's buildings. Once you know Wukang Mansion, you start to spot other buildings by the Slovak-Hungarian architect around the city.

The plane trees. Planted along the streets during the concession era, they now form a canopy over many of the roads. They turn yellow in late autumn, which is the most photographed season.

A little background

The French Concession was set up in the mid-nineteenth century and administered by France, with its own police, taxes and planning rules, separate from the British-American International Settlement to the north. It was handed back in 1943, along with the International Settlement. Its roads were never widened much and many of its buildings survived, which is why the area keeps its low-rise, tree-lined character. Today it is a residential district in which people live, work, walk dogs and argue about parking, and that everyday life is the appeal.

The other side of the old concession

The concession was much bigger than the Wukang Road area. Further east, two well-known areas can fill another afternoon:

• Xintiandi. A block of restored shikumen lane houses turned into restaurants and shops, more polished and expensive than the western streets. The memorial at the site of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China is next door; it is free but has its own entry rules, so check before you go.
• Tianzifang. A maze of narrow lanes off Taikang Road filled with small shops and bars. It is busier and more commercial than Anfu Road, but the lanes themselves are interesting.

Choose one of these or the Wukang Road walk for a half day. Doing all of them in one day means a lot of pavement.

Practical notes

• Cost: nothing. Only house museums and some churches charge or need booking.
• Getting there: Line 10 to Shanghai Library or Jiaotong University (Jiaotong University is also on Line 11). Line 1 or 7 to Changshu Road for the Anfu Road end. Taxis are easy to find on Huaihai Road.
• Best time: weekday late afternoons. Weekday mornings are quieter but less lively. Autumn is the most beautiful season and the most crowded; spring is green and calmer.
• Respect: these are homes. Photograph from the street and do not walk into gated compounds.

Fitting it into a trip

The concession is a good half day on its own, or a slow morning before an afternoon at Yu Garden or the Shanghai Museum. It is also a good place to stay if you want quiet tree-lined streets rather than the riverfront. In the evening, head back to the Bund or cross to the Oriental Pearl Tower for the skyline.

Things to confirm before you go

• Opening days and booking rules for any house museum you plan to visit.
• Whether a lane is open to the public before walking into it.
• Weekend crowds at Wukang Mansion and on Anfu Road.
• The weather; this is an outdoor walk with little shelter in heavy rain.

Frequently asked questions

Is the French Concession free to visit?

Yes. It is a public residential district with no gate or ticket. Only a few house museums and other buildings charge or require booking.

Where should I start a French Concession walk?

At Wukang Mansion, where Wukang Road meets Huaihai Middle Road, about ten minutes' walk from Shanghai Library or Jiaotong University station on Line 10.

How long does a French Concession walk take?

Two hours at a brisk pace, three to four hours with coffee stops, and a full afternoon if you add a house museum or Xintiandi.