Wukang Road and the Hengfu Historic Area

Background

Wukang Road and the Hengfu Historic Area lie in Xuhui District, Shanghai, the former residential quarter in the west of the French Concession. Wukang Road runs from Huashan Road in the north to Middle Huaihai Road in the south; the Hengfu Historic Area centres on Hengshan Road, Fuxing Road, Wukang Road and nearby streets, a continuous historic residential district. Wukang Road is only 1.17 km long, lined with 37 protected historic buildings in Mediterranean, French Renaissance, English and Art Deco styles, under the shade of plane trees. At its southern end, the Wukang Mansion (formerly the Normandie Apartments), designed by the Hungarian-born architect László Hudec in French Renaissance style and completed in 1924, has a wedge-shaped corner that is one of Shanghai's most recognisable street corners; one account says its old name came from the French battleship Normandie of the First World War era. You can seek out former homes of famous residents such as Ba Jin's House (No. 113, Spanish style, built in 1923) and Huang Xing's former residence (No. 393, now the Wukang Road Tourist Information Center). The Hengfu part is anchored by Hengshan Road: formerly Avenue Pétain, it was built in 1922 to link the heart of the French Concession with Xujiahui, and is lined with the former American school (No. 10), the Community Church (No. 53, built in 1925) and more, with garden houses and plane-tree streets stretching on block after block. This was once an upscale residential quarter of the French Concession. Wukang Road was paved in 1907, renamed in 1943 after Wukang County in Zhejiang, and named a National Historic and Cultural Street in 2011. The Wukang Mansion was home over the years to film people including Wu Yin, Wang Renmei, Qin Yi, Zhao Dan, Sun Daolin, Wang Wenjuan, Shangguan Yunzhu and Zheng Junli; across Middle Huaihai Road from the road's southern end is the Soong Ching-ling Memorial Residence. Many garden houses were built along Hengshan Road in the 1920s; in the 1990s many old mansions became bars, nightclubs and restaurants, and from 2016 onward many of the bars closed or moved away.

Local customs

• Start from the Wukang Mansion and walk north along Wukang Road, passing Ba Jin's House, Huang Xing's former residence and the garden houses along the street
• the tourist information center at No. 393 offers self-guided walking tours. Then turn into Hengshan Road, Fuxing Road, Dongping Road and Taojiang Road to see the Community Church, the Blackstone Apartments and the façades of old villas, with cafés and small shops along the way for a rest. The streets are at their most atmospheric in autumn when the plane-tree leaves fall.

Travel tips

• The Wukang Mansion is a residential building and can only be viewed from outside
• opening hours and visiting arrangements differ at each former residence, and some are not open inside, subject to official information. This is mainly a walking route, so wear comfortable shoes
• in summer guard against the heat, and fallen leaves make the pavements slippery when wet.
• Take Metro Line 10 or 11 to Jiaotong University Station for the southern end of Wukang Road, or Metro Line 1 to Hengshan Road Station for the heart of the Hengfu area
• several bus routes serve Middle Huaihai Road and Hengshan Road, details subject to official information. Walking is pleasant in every season, most comfortable in spring and autumn
• autumn, when the plane-tree leaves turn yellow and carpet the streets, is the most popular season
• summer has deep shade but is muggy, and winter brings fewer visitors and quiet streets.