The French Concession

The French Concession was founded in 1862 in southwest Shanghai as a result of the Treaty of Nanking. It now covers the Luwan and Xuhui districts.

The concession is a pleasant mix of wide tree lined streets and interesting European style architecture.

The foreign diplomatic quarter, top hotels, great shopping and international restaurants and bars are all found in this area's art deco buildings.

The former residences of Sun Yatsen, Song Qingling and Zhou Enlai are also in the old French Concession. In the 20s and 30s the French Concession was famous for its lawlessness and decadence. This spirit of anarchy also attracted political activists and a house in the concession is the Site of the 1st National Congress of the Communist Party.

Huaihai Road once known as Avenue Joffre is one of Shanghai's favorite shopping roads. Chic shops housed in French style buildings sell Shanghai's finest goods, designer clothes and much more.

The French district is still vibrant. These days it is inhabited predominantly by Chinese professionals, with a cosmopolitan mix. Streets like Huaihai, Ximing and Huashan were all part of international settlements in the 19th century. Today they form an area famous for shops, Western (moderate to expensive) cuisine and miraculously preserved and maintained villas.

If you feel like a taste of Kiev or Paris while still in China, wander Huaihai and its neighboring streets and enjoy their European ambience. Alternatively, just sit and sip coffee in a street cafe.