Strolling through Huaihai Rd’s golden age one block at a time
Print Edition
STROLLING down Huaihai Road is like leafing through a history book. Grand hotels born of French clubs, Art Deco cinemas, legendary restaurants, old-brand bakeries and leafy French gardens all hide within a few blocks. This walk connects the most iconic “old landmarks & old brands” of Huaihai, letting you taste, watch, read and wander your way through nearly a century of Shanghai stories.
Start Point: The Okura Garden Hotel Shanghai
Originally built in 1926 as the French Club, the Okura Garden Hotel Shanghai is a graceful fusion of history and modernity. The 34-story tower rises beside the preserved Baroque-style heritage building, where the most iconic space, Baihua Hall on the second floor, shines with a rare 7-meter-high ceiling and a stunning stained-glass chandelier shaped like a ship’s hull. The hotel once welcomed national leaders and diplomats and today continues to blend old-world elegance with contemporary Shanghai life.
Address: 58 Maoming Rd S.
Stop 1: Jin Jiang Hotel
Founded in 1951 by feminist pioneer Dong Zhujun, Jin Jiang Hotel is Shanghai’s first state guesthouse. Presidents, kings and premiers have all stayed here. In 1972, the Shanghai Communiqué was signed here, marking a key step in normalizing Sino-US relations.
Address: 59 Maoming Rd S.
Stop 2: The Cathay Theater
The 1930 Art Deco red-brick Cathay Theater is situated at the intersection of Huaihai Road M. and Maoming Road S.. Its geometric façade and vertical spire once represented modern Shanghai. Recently restored, it features Dolby sound halls, barrier-free facilities and a café-themed cultural space, proving that classic cinemas can remain vibrant.
Address: 870 Huaihai Rd M.
Stop 3: Red House restaurant
This iconic red-brick building has been serving French cuisine since 1935. Peking Opera master Mei Lanfang affectionately called it the “Red House.” The late Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai recommended it to foreign guests, and celebrities like Eileen Chang have praised its onion soup and baked clams. When you order the famous baked clams or French onion soup, you’ll experience nearly a century of Shanghai nostalgia.
Address: 845 Huaihai Rd M.
Stop 4: Shanghai Hongkong Joint Publishing Bookstore
This bookstore has been a bridge between Shanghai and Hong Kong since 1990. It specializes in Hong Kong and Taiwan publications, social science and arts, and hosts frequent exhibitions such as Jin Yong and book-design shows. Step inside, and the noise of Huaihai fades into quiet pages.
Address: 624 Huaihai Rd M.
Stop 5: Shanghai Science Hall
Originally established as the French Sports Club in 1904 and later becoming the French School, this Renaissance-style complex was renamed Science Hall in 1956 by Shanghai’s first mayor Chen Yi. The Mansard roofs, cobblestone façade and Art Nouveau iron railings evoke the charm of Paris. Zhou Enlai once hosted scientists here, and today, it continues to serve as a grand venue for academic exchange.
Address: 47 Nanchang Road
Stop 6: Fuxing Park
Shanghai’s only preserved French classical garden, Fuxing Park, is all symmetry: fountains, lawns and century-old plane trees. Once called “French Park,” it has hosted open-air concerts, public art and even esports in recent years. Sit beneath the trees, and you’ll understand why generations of locals consider the park their urban living room.
Address: 105 Yandang Rd
Stop 7: Lao Da Chang Bakery
Once two rival bakeries, one French-owned and one Chinese, Lao Da Chang became Shanghai’s most famous Western pastry shop. Its buttercream cakes and cream puffs were once considered worthy gifts for future in-laws.
Address: 558 Huaihai Rd M.
Stop 8: Site of the First National Congress of the CPC
This modest brick residence, hidden in a quiet shikumen lane, is where history changed course. In July 1921, delegates from across China secretly gathered here to hold the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China, marking the birth of the Party. Though the meeting was later moved to Jiaxing’s South Lake, this Shanghai house remains the symbolic starting point of a nation’s modern journey.
Address: 76 Xingye Rd
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