The Fascinating History & Culture of Shanghai's Nanjing Road

Nanjing Road is a road in Shanghai, the eastern portion of which is the city’s primary retail area. Together with Fifth Avenue, Oxford Street, Orchard Road, Takeshita Street, and the Champs-Élysées, it is one of the world’s busiest retail avenues. The street is named after Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu Province, which borders Shanghai and is the previous national capital of the Republic of China. Nanjing Road is a road in Shanghai, the eastern portion of which is the city’s primary retail area. Together with Fifth Avenue, Oxford Street, Orchard Road, Takeshita Street, and the Champs-Élysées, it is one of the world’s busiest retail avenues.

The street is named after Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu Province, which borders Shanghai and is the Republic of China’s old national capital. Nanjing Road is now divided into two sections: Nanjing Road East and Nanjing Road West.

In certain cases, “Nanjing Road” solely refers to the pre-1945 Nanjing Road, today’s Nanjing Road East, which is mostly pedestrianized. Before the implementation of the pinyin romanization in the 1950s, its name was represented in English as Nanking Road. The historic Nanking Road was completely enclosed by the Shanghai International Settlement.

Location of the Nanjing Road

Nanjing Road is located in the city centre and runs west-east. Its eastern portion is located in Huangpu District and continues west to People’s Square. The western part starts at People’s Square and goes west to Jing’an District.

History of the Nanjing Road

The origins of Nanjing Road may be dated back to 1845. It was known as “Park Lane” at the time, and it ran from the Bund to He’nan Road. It was expanded to Zhejiang Road in 1854 and then again eight years later to Xizang Road. The City Council, which managed the International Settlement, legally called it “Nanking Road” in 1862.

It was commonly referred to as the Main Road in Chinese. By 1930, it was a busy street with at least one casino. The International Settlement was nullified in 1943, and following World War II, the government renamed Nanking Road “East Nanjing Road” while simultaneously renaming the previous Bubbling Well Road “West Nanjing Road.” and the general name of both roads became “Nanjing Road”, including five kilometres long.

In the early 20th century, eight department stores were created along the street. Several franchised stores were also set up.

The Nanjing Road East

European-style eateries and cafés were historically concentrated just west of the Bund sector, but in recent years these have diminished in number as tourists from other parts of China have replaced wealthy locals as the majority of Nanjing Road’s patrons. The Peace Hotel is located in the Bund’s center area, which is at its eastern end.

The Nanjing Road pedestrian mall, which is further west, houses the majority of Shanghai’s oldest and largest department stores, as well as a variety of domestic retail outlets, as well as some traditional eateries with a long history. The Central Market, a century-old outdoor market that today specializes in electronic components and digital media, is nearby.

The Nanjing Road West

West Nanjing Road begins here and features many upscale malls, including Plaza 66, Jing An Kerry Centre and HKRI Taikoo Hui, office buildings, the Shanghai Exhibition Centre, and shops.

This area also previously featured several large mansions and estates, most of which were converted into apartments. People’s Park, formerly the Shanghai Race Course, is where the pedestrian mall and East Nanjing Road end. Opposite the park are some of Shanghai’s most prestigious historic hotels.

Bubbling Well Road, an extra-settlement road outside of the concession proper, was transformed into West Nanjing Road in 1860. It was once one of Shanghai’s most prestigious neighborhoods, but over the past ten years, it has undergone continuous development. This area is now host to several five-star hotels, upscale shopping centers, restaurants, and prime office buildings. Recently, the construction of Subway Line 7, which connects with Line 2, has benefited the neighborhood.

On West Nanjing Road, there are a lot of boutiques for designer clothing, luxury goods, and sportswear.

Transportation of the Nanjing Road

Along Nanjing Road, Shanghai Metro Line 2 passes by the following stations in addition to others:

At the junction of Middle Henan Road and East Nanjing Road is Nanjing Road (E).
The west end of the pedestrianized section of the road is located across M. Tibet Road from People’s Square, the metro station on People’s Square in the middle of Nanjing Road, and the Nanjing Rd / M. Tibet Road crossing, which marks the intersection of E. and W. Nanjing Rd.
Shimen Road, also known as Nanjing Road (W.), was formerly known as Shimen No. 1 Road.
The farther western end of Nanjing Road is home to Jing’an Temple (W. Nanjing Road/Jiaozhou Road).
The following station is on lines 1 and 8 of the shanghai metro:
The west end of the pedestrianized section of the road is located across M. Tibet Road from People’s Square, the metro station on People’s Square in the middle of Nanjing Road, and the Nanjing Rd / M. Tibet Road crossing, which marks the intersection of E. and W. Nanjing Rd
The following station is part of line 10 of the shanghai metro:
The west end of the pedestrianized section of the road is located across M. Tibet Road from People’s Square, the metro station on People’s Square in the middle of Nanjing Road, and the Nanjing Rd / M. Tibet Road crossing, which marks the intersection of E. and W. Nanjing Rd.
The following station is located along Shanghai Metro Lines 12 and 13:
(W. Nanjing Rd. / Shimen Rd.) Nanjing Road

Events on the nanhing road

Chinese New Year, New Year’s Eve, Christmas, and Easter are just a few of the holidays that visitors and locals frequently celebrate at Nanjing Road. Some areas of the structures and shopping malls visible in front of Nanjing Road may host fireworks display over the street.