Huaihai Road Commercial Street
Tree-lined boulevard turned upscale shopping street, born from a Russian émigré wave of cafés.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to Huaihai Road Commercial Street in Shanghai traces its start as Avenue Joffre, when White Russian emigres fleeing the 1917 revolution filled the French Concession boulevard with cafes, bakeries and taverns after 1920. It follows the street's repeated renamings under French, Japanese, Nationalist and Communist rule before it settled on Huaihai in 1950. You'll hear why locals once called it the Oriental Nevsky Prospect. Look for what still lingers beneath the plane trees.
This audio guide was created using AI.
Similar places
Orthodox Church of Our Lady Hall
Blue-domed nineteen-thirties cathedral built by Russian refugees, its hidden frescoes rediscovered beneath decades of paint.
French Concession
Tree-lined former colonial district of villas, stone-gated lanes and boutique-lined boulevards.
Sinan Mansions
Reconstructed 1920s French Concession villa quarter of garden mansions turned open-air dining and lifestyle district.
Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum
Restored nineteen-twenties synagogue and museum honoring the Jewish refugees sheltered here during World War Two.
Wukang Mansion
Wedge-shaped, ship-prowed apartment block, one of the city's most photographed corners.
Fuxing Park
French colonial-era garden of formal lawns, a lake and plane-tree alleys, now filled at dawn with dancers and tai chi.