Shanghai's Hidden and Authentic Treasure Romantic Neighborhood
🚶♀️Avoid the crowds! This City walk route, hidden with architectural aesthetics and stories of time, immerses you in the "secret tenderness" of the Magic City—
🚇Transportation Guide:
Exit at Nanjing East Road Station on Metro Line 10 and start a romantic journey spanning over a century~
🏦【Former East Asia Bank Building】
At the corner of Nanjing East Road, the "East Asia Bank" and "Shangtou Building" retain the unpolished golden texture of old Shanghai Bund. Standing at the intersection, one side shows the weathered texture of Shikumen, the other side the modern light and shadow of the Oriental Pearl Tower, where time and space quietly converse.
🏨【Backstreet of Peace Hotel】
Turn into Dianchi Road and instantly leave behind the hustle and bustle of Nanjing East Road. Bluestone pavement, cast iron railings, old walls covered with vines... this is the "backside of time" of the Peace Hotel, where even the wind carries the lazy rhythm of old Shanghai jazz.
🌆【Yuanmingyuan Road: The Underrated International Architecture Blind Box】
This street, hiding half of Shanghai's modern history, surprises at every step—
▪️ Born in the 1860s, it has witnessed many changes and is now a "living architectural museum":
✅ East side: The spired New Tian'an Church (built in 1886, former high point on the south bank of Suzhou Creek), the tranquil former British Consulate, and the modern Peninsula Hotel neighboring historic buildings, where new and old gently shake hands;
✅ West side: Eight row houses with distinct styles, from Queen Anne Revival to Art Deco, known as a "miniature international architectural cluster," each brick quietly telling its past.
🌟Must-visit Architectural List:
1⃣️【Zhanguang Building】
Designed by Hungarian architect László Hudec, featuring dark brown brick walls and vertical glass windows, a textbook example of American Art Deco, formerly the site of the Chinese Baptist Press and Shanghai University, blending literary charm with modernity.
2⃣️【Lanxin Building】
Formerly Shanghai's first Western-style theater "Lanxin Theatre," rebuilt in 1929 with exquisite neoclassical carvings, it became a cultural landmark again after the film starring Gong Li with the same name.
3⃣️【Hami Building】
Former site of the Wen Hui Bao newspaper, retaining a solemn temperament despite the vicissitudes, with the warmth of old Shanghai's ink and paper hidden in the brick joints.
4⃣️【Yuanmingyuan Apartments】
Bare brick walls with white reliefs, typical British Queen Anne Revival style, balcony railings patterned like lace skirts from old times.
5⃣️【Amoy Trading Company】
British classical stone columns paired with a dome, now transformed into Christie's art space, where oil paintings collide with old architecture, making every shot an art piece.
🌉【Zhapu Road Bridge: The Romantic Final Stop】
Walk along South Suzhou Road to Huqiu Road and step onto this century-old iron bridge known as the "Sister Bridge of Shanghai's Waibaidu Bridge"—
On the left is the golden skyline of the Bund buildings, on the right the winding shimmering Suzhou Creek. At dusk, the sunset gilds the old buildings, and even the wind turns into a gentle orange.
📸 Roaming Tips:
▪️ Recommended to start after 3 PM, when the slanting light adds more story to the old buildings;
▪️ Along Yuanmingyuan Road, there are niche cafes and art galleries where you can sit down for a coffee and watch the plane tree leaves fall on the stone pavement when tired~
Escape the crowds in Shanghai, hidden in these "breathing old streets." Stroll along the architectural textures and listen to time softly say: "Hello, this is romance itself."