Full View of Shanghai
Old Street, Shanghai
The Old City Area, Shanghai
Shanghai is universally acknowledged as the metropolis in the world with modernization and glamour. However, there are indeed some traces of the past that keeps here. Shanghai Old Street is a tourist avenue where a glossy, embalmed wedge of the past is preserved.
As an important part of the Yuyuan Garden tourism zone, Shanghai Old Street starts from South Henan Road, and then leads into the Yuyuan Mart, where you can go further into Yuyuan Garden and Old City God's Temple nearby.
Running 825 meters (902 yards) long, the street is divided into the eastern and western section by Guanyi Street. The eastern section stretches to Renmin Road and the western section to South Henan Road. Both ends are featured by decorated archways. The architectural style from western to eastern section demonstrates the historical changes of old Shanghai from Ming (1368 - 1644) and Qing (1644 - 1911) Dynasties. The decoration and renovation of the eastern section help to keep the characteristic of residences in late Qing Dynasty.
The street is distinctly featured with houses on both streets that are fitted with lattice windows, shop-fronts of wooden boards, balustrades and swing doors, roofs with upturned eaves and protruding corners, laced drain-pipes and horse-shape wall tops. The eastern section is lined with a diversity of shops such as florists, restaurants, shoe and clothing retailers, exclusive shops for local specialty, Chinese tea and all other snacks. The houses on the western section follow the structural style of Ming and Qing Dynasties. Black tiles, white-washed walls, red columns and upturned eaves dominate the street so that the atmosphere of Old Shanghai is totally reflected here.
You may feel surprised when several magnificent buildings of European style come to your sight in a cluster of Chinese classical residences. Those are the products when western culture prevailed through Shanghai. They are not the symbols against the grain in the old street. Just because of these European-stylish architectures, you can feel the generosity and open-mindedness of Shanghai in the old days.
The Old Street is a fun place to roam around for a taste of the old days when Shanghai was a walled city. Time seemed to have been turned back about 100 years when you enter those old streets. What you see is the thriving market of old days. On the sides of the street stand the traditional two-story buildings, vendors have filled in the attractive buildings to do their brisk businesses.
Shanghai Old Street is a special street for sightseeing, shopping recreation and culture. A batch of time-honored shops including the earlier money shops, gold wares, teahouses, theaters, etc. were firstly open here and have existed for over a hundred years. The excellent location and human landscape along the street account for its rich cultural deposits and great popularity.
Entrance Fee: Free
Transportation:
A. Take Bus No. 11, 64, 304, 736, 801, 920 or 930 and get off at Xiaodongmen stop;
B. Take Bus No. 17, 26, 320 or 926 and get off at Laobeimen stop;
C. Take Bus No. 24 or 581 and get off at Yuyuan stop;
D. Take Bus No. 66, 66 (Through), 783, 929, 969, 980 or Fang-Chuan Special Line and get off at Henan Road Fuyou Road stop;
E. Take Subway Line 9 and get off at Xiaonanmen;
F. Take Subway Line 10 and get off at Yuyuan station
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