The long and winding Huashan Road, stretching from Jing'an Temple to Xujiahui area, has always been fascinating to explore. It was built in the 1860s and during the days of the French concession between 1921 and 1943 was called "Avenue Haig" after the British General Sir Douglas Haig.
The street holds many stories and was home to both wealthy and powerful figures who lorded over the growth of Shanghai from their grand villas. Several elite artists and scholars also lived there in earlier times.
A walk along the street is an introduction to the fabric of Shanghai history and the glory of its golden era in the 1930s, through visiting historical landmark buildings as well as famous residences where historical Chinese figures lived.
You will find different architectural styles that were fashionable in the 1920s and 1930s, including more traditional European styles, art deco and Spanish colonial.
A glance through the lanes reveals a lifestyle that's largely unchanged because people still live in style. Great eateries are also inside lane houses, offering a unique romantic dinner away from the hustle and bustle. So enjoy a Sunday stroll, especially along the middle part of the road.
Jing An Hotel
Sitting grandly on the fringe of the former French Concession, Jing An Hotel is an historic building surrounded by 6,000 square meters of landscaped gardens. The four-star hotel is a classic Spanish-style building that was built in the 1920s and originally named as "Haig Court. The building evokes an atmosphere of harmony and nobility, isolating guests from the urban hustle and bustle outside. It is superbly located in the heart of the business and nightlife district of Shanghai and has a total of 126 guest rooms and suites, all retaining the original Spanish decorative style. In terms of location, historic ambiance and modern facilities, Jing An Hotel is a unique oasis for visitors to the city.
The Zhenliu Mansion
The Zhenliu Mansion at 699-731 Huashan Road is a famous building in Shanghai because of its top-grade facilities and its celebrity clientele. With a swimming pool in the basement, elevators and a reception desk in the lobby, the mansion was considered in the 1930s one of Shanghai's best apartment addresses. Zhenliu is a word from a Chinese poem meaning "beside a brook, so the complex was also called "Brookside Apartments. In the book "Right Here Shanghai: A Map of the Life of Eileen Chang,?the apartments are described as a British-style house with a British-style elevator. "Windows are small; maybe the designers were still thinking of the heavy fog in London without sunshine, it said. China's famous singer-actress Zhou Xuan lived there from 1932 until she died in 1957. Apart from the "Golden Voice, nearly 20 celebrity residents in the apartment included the former Editor-in-Chief of Wenhui Daily Xu Zhucheng and Yueju Opera masters Fu Quanxiang, Fan Ruijuan and Wang Wenjuan. The apartment was built in 1930 and later bought by the family of Li Hongzhang, prime minster of Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), along with Dingxiang Garden for use as their private property. The building is now listed among Shanghai's excellent heritage buildings.
