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Huaihai Road: Shanghai鈥檚 epitome 鈥╫f taste and style, history and culture
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HUAIHAI Road, an embodiment of luxury and charm, is often compared to the Champs-Élysées in Paris, New York’s 5th Avenue, Tokyo’s Ginza and Singapore’s Orchard Road.
With a heritage spanning over a century, this boulevard is not just a street but a cultural phenomenon, lined with historical landmarks, venerated local brands and luxury boutiques, making it a modern symbol of taste and style in the heart of Shanghai.
The road’s rich history infuses it with a deep cultural aura. It is near the Site of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Sun Yat-sen’s former residence and Soong Ching Ling’s one-time mansion.
Beyond its cultural roots, Huaihai Road also pulsates with a vibrant commercial spirit.
In “Memories of Huaihai Road,” author Qian Nairong details the section from Danshui to Xiangyang roads as the most interesting.
“Even up to renovations in the 1990s, this stretch proudly hosted classic Shanghai brands and specialty shops,” he wrote. “The area thrived with an exuberant market atmosphere, lively stores and streets teeming with people, shoulder to shoulder.”
In his recollections, the road was also a haven of delightful gastronomy, drawing both locals and visitors to its culinary treasures.
In the early 1950s, the intersection of Huaihai Road M. and Chongqing Road S. was known for its cluster of Russian restaurants. Among them, the Huaihai Cinema at 550 Huaihai Road M. housed a famous Russian cuisine restaurant, celebrated for its high-quality food and affordable prices.
Additionally, this segment of Huaihai Road, particularly around Maoming and Shaanxi roads, became a hotspot for distinctive food shops.
The Shanghai Food Store offered delights like chocolate crisp candies, cream cakes, borscht bread and salad bread, while Lao Da Chang Food Store was famed for its sponge and rum cakes. These Western-style pastries and confections were perennial favorites among locals and often sold out quickly due to their popularity.
In addition to its culinary riches, the stretch of Huaihai Road M. in the west of Changshu Road ranks among the city’s most prestigious residential areas, dotted with various garden mansions and upscale villas.
The consulates of the United States, France, Japan and other nations are located here, and the Shanghai Library is also housed along the boulevard.
Today, Huaihai Road retains its splendor. Each streetscape along the boulevard brims with the spirit of the times: well-dressed men and women window-shopping; public buses in bold colors weaving through the traffic. The road is flanked by commercial buildings under plane trees, with sculptures and parks along curbsides.
Surrounding side streets — Taicang, Yandang, Sinan, Ruijin, Maoming, Fenyang, Fuxing, Hunan, Gao’an and Yuqing roads — enhance the diversity of this strip.
If Nanjing Road is the symbol of Shanghai’s commerce, then century-old Huaihai Road takes the prize as the most beautiful and fashionable street in Shanghai, with its shops, restaurants, hotels and entertainment venues.
It’s a timeless boulevard, cherished for its romantic ambiance and its welcoming, inclusive spirit.
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