Area Boasts Numerous Attractions
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
2 | Friday, July 9, 2021 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY PAGE TWO Wukang Mansion rises like the bow of a huge ship at the junction of Wukang Road and Huaihai Middle Road, Shanghai. The structure attracts some 40,000 visitors a day. GAO ERQIANG / CHINA DAILY Road: Area boasts numerous attractions From page 1 scenic area gave me the inspiration to create artistic meals,” he added. Must-see sites “The specialized shops, restaurants, cof- on Wukang Road fee shops and many well-known stores have Artists’ invitation transformed the street from a quiet residen- Wukang Road is not the only attractive tial area into a trendy and popular attrac- neighborhood in the city, with several inter- Wukang Mansion: The first apartment tion,” she added. esting destinations now drawing crowds of building with a veranda in Shanghai, the Internet celebrities dressed in fashiona- young people. eight-story structure looks like a giant ship ble attire take videos on Wukang Road, Columbia Circle, a compound in Chang- and sits at the junction of Wukang Road and while young people out with their pet dogs ning district that used to be home to US Huaihai Middle Road. It was selected as part eat brunch with friends on weekends. Mid- expatriates, is now a multifunctional com- of the city’s second batch of outstanding dle-aged ayis wearing colorful qipaos take plex with offices, stores, a bookshop, restau- historical buildings in 1994. photos in front of the historic villas, min- rants and cafes. gling with local residents who have lived in At the fourth Shanghai Urban Space Art The Cottage Cafe and Bar: Located on the area for dozens of years. Season, which starts on Sept 25, artists will the ground floor of Wukang Mansion, the So, what has made the road the center of be invited to design public works that meet cafe serves brunch and afternoon tea, in attention? History provides some of the people’s daily needs, according to Jin Lei, addition to coffee and other beverages. It answers. deputy director of the Municipal Bureau of also features a special area where old items Built in 1907, Wukang Road was originally Culture and Tourism. The bureau has also bought by the owner are displayed. named Ferguson Road after the United encouraged districts to turn areas in States missionary and educator John Calvin schools, shopping malls, parks, subway sta- Ferguson Lane: Located at 376 Wukang Ferguson, according to place name records tions and other neighborhood sites into Road, the lane is also known as Wukangting for Shanghai’s Xuhui district. It was exhibition halls for art shows. or “small Europe”. The Spanish- and French- renamed Wukang Road in 1943. Suzhou Creek is another example of an style historical buildings in the courtyard In 1914, the road was included in the attractive area. Long pedestrian paths along housed diplomats during the Republic of Chi- French Concession, a community where for- the banks of the waterway were completed na period, the office of the former Shanghai eigners, celebrities and wealthy people set- by the end of last year, giving residents more Instrument Bureau and a hotel where over- tled and built homes in Spanish or French space for leisure activities. seas celebrities stayed. The lane is now a Renaissance styles. At a recent meeting, the city’s urban plan- fashionable courtyard with award-winning More than 50 ancient buildings, includ- ner said it understood that the charm of a restaurants, shops selling wine, clothing and ing the Capetown Apartment site and the metropolis is not only based on hardware flowers, and galleries. writer Ba Jin’s former home, are located on facilities but also an “inner spirit and attrac- Wukang Road. tion” or its “soft power”. Former residence of Ba Jin: Situated at The area has been well preserved by the According to the plenary meeting of the 113 Wukang Road, this three-story mansion city government and is listed as a top-level Top and above: Coffee shops, bakeries and ice cream parlors attract young Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Com- was built in 1923. The writer Ba Jin moved to preservation zone. The heights of buildings people to Wukang Road. PHOTOS BY GAO ERQIANG / CHINA DAILY munist Party of China on June 22, the city the building in 1955, living there until his along Wukang Road and the architectural led the nation in conducting research to death in 2005. The 640-square-meter resi- style are regulated to retain the original improve its soft power, with the aim of dence opened to the public in 2016. The first appearance. enhancing Shanghai’s value in all respects floor houses a living and dining room, and Among the buildings, Wukang Mansion located, said, “The environment in the The coffee shops, bookstores and court- to build a better society in the new era. the second floor a study and bedroom. rises like the bow of a huge ship and sits at area improved after the renovation, yard restaurants, the remodeled Wukang According to Li Qiang, Shanghai’s Party the south end of the road, forming a 30-de- changes to the traffic flow system in 2017 Market, along with furniture shops and art chief, many aspects of hard power in the city Romeo’s Balcony: Located at 210 gree apex at the junction with Huahai Mid- and reconstruction work on the building galleries, highlight the city’s traditional meet top-level requirements among major Wukang Road, this mansion with a popular dle Road. It has become a landmark feature in 2019.” hardworking characteristics, blending Ori- destinations worldwide, including develop- balcony was built in 1923. The main building of Wukang Road, if not of the entire city. Chen Zhongwei, manager of the design ental and Western culture, and creating a ment of its economy, finance, trade, trans- has three floors and features the character- Built in 1924, the structure was designed company responsible for the renovation, unique atmosphere. portation and scientific innovation. istics of a typical Spanish garden house. A by Hungarian-Slovak architect Laszlo said: “After consulting a wealth of histori- Zhou, the restaurant owner, said, “The However, there is still room for Shanghai to good place for couples to take photos. Hudec. According to local officials, it was cal material, we concluded that Wukang decent environment, local lifestyle and cus- improve its soft power. designed as an apartment building for Mansion’s most illustrious period was tomers with taste, along with other features, “In our view, urban soft power is mainly FNJI Furniture Store: This independent white-collar workers who were single. when it had just been built. Therefore, we attracted us to stay here and open Lokal, a about an intangible strength guided and store at 370 Wukang Road was renovated The eight-story building with two eleva- made every effort to retain its original catering business that is part of the Wagas formed by value, culture and systems,” Li from a three-story mansion built in 1941. The tors was one of the city’s earliest modern res- appearance, leaving no trace of our repair group, on Wukang Road in 2018.” said. design team retained the building’s traditional idential high-rises for upper-class work.” The outlet’s French-style courtyard, The meeting decided that Shanghai structure, giving it an artistic tone. Founded expatriates. Later, prominent Chinese fig- Bai said: “We invited residents to discus- brunch and coffee quickly attracted groups would develop more original cultural prod- by domestic designer Gai Guqi in 2010, the ures in politics, culture and the arts moved sions with the designers, which included of young people, who sometimes have to ucts and protect its historic culture, while FNJI brand launched the store after three in. selecting the clothes drying area after wait in line for entry during weekends. also striving to create a comfortable envi- years of preparation. It opened to the public in In 1994, the structure, home to about 140 clothes racks were removed from the build- “The creative atmosphere on Wukang ronment for living, working, studying and 2019, but only by reservation. households, was listed as a city-level histori- ing’s windows. We also added a garden on Road attracts many trendy people and travel. cal building. the second floor for residents to grow flow- makes it more personalized. Sitting on the Xiong Yuezhi, a renowned social sciences Rac Bar: This French restaurant, located in Qi Yingzhu, 61, a resident of the building, ers and exercise.” street during the weekend, you see numer- expert, endorsed the city’s efforts in an inter- a yard tucked away at the junction of Wukang said it was convenient to live there, as a wet To further improve the area, plans were ous stylish people,” Zhou said. view with local newspaper Jiefang Daily. Road and Anfu Road, boasts an eye-catching market, convenience stores and a barber- drawn up to relocate underground the Guo Ruiqi, regional manager of Lokal, “It is not enough for a metropolis to boast retro green door frame. It also has an open shop were within walking distance. numerous wires and cables above the road said turnover from January to May rose by of its hard power — a city’s soft power, which dining environment and offers tastes of Wukang Mansion, which is adorned with junction. 35 percent over the same period in 2019, includes living environment, quality of life, France, including coffee, bread, pastries, pan- attractive red bricks on its exterior, is a After the renovation, more people visited with the business catering to more than 600 administration and culture, is extremely cakes and organic wine.