The Former French Concession is a large residential district west of the city center. Its name refers to the area’s past as a French-run concession. What visitors come for now is its streets: low villas, 1920s and 1930s apartment blocks and long rows of plane trees that meet overhead in summer.
There is no single sight and no gate. You walk, look up at the buildings, stop for coffee and walk on. For a first visit, the best stretch is Wukang Road and Anfu Road, with Fuxing Park as a quiet place to sit. Our Shanghai city guide shows how this fits into three days.
What you see
Wukang Mansion stands where Huaihai Middle Road meets Wukang Road. It was completed in 1924 to a design by the architect László Hudec. Its red-brick block narrows to a rounded point at the junction, which is why people compare it to a ship. It is the most photographed building in the district, and it is still a home to residents.
Wukang Road itself, once called Route Ferguson, runs north from the mansion under plane trees. Most of the houses sit behind walls and gates, so you see them from the pavement. Around number 393 is a small tourist information center, and Ferguson Lane, a courtyard of cafés and restaurants, opens off the street.
Anfu Road crosses the north end of Wukang Road. It is shorter and livelier, with the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre, small fashion and design shops, bookshops and cafés.
Fuxing Park lies further east. Laid out in 1909, it covers almost 9 hectares, mostly in a French style with Chinese garden elements: lawns, flower beds, a fountain and plane-tree avenues. Since 2022 it has been open 24 hours a day, with no wall or ticket.
A sensible route
Take Metro Line 10 or 11 to Jiaotong University station. Walk to Wukang Mansion; search for 武康大楼 in Apple Maps or Amap. Photograph it from across the junction, then cross over.
Near the mansion, at 1843 Huaihai Middle Road, is the Soong Ching Ling Memorial Residence. It opens Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 to 17:00, with last entry at 16:30, and you buy a ticket by scanning a QR code at the door. Opening arrangements can change, so check on the day.
Walk north along Wukang Road with no hurry. At the north end, turn right onto Anfu Road and follow it east, past the theater, toward Wulumuqi Middle Road and then Changshu Road station on Lines 1 and 7. The whole walk is about 3 km and takes about 90 minutes without stops.
For Fuxing Park, take Line 1 one stop from Changshu Road to Shaanxi South Road and walk from there, or use Xintiandi station on Lines 10 and 13. The park’s address is 105 Yandang Road.
When to go
Weekday mornings before about 10:00 are the quietest time on Wukang Road. Mid-afternoon light from about 14:00 to 17:00 is warm on the brick, but that is also when the crowds and photo shoots arrive, especially at weekends.
The walk works in every season. Summer is hot, but the trees give real shade. In Fuxing Park, a small free sightseeing train runs on Thursday to Sunday evenings from 20:00 to midnight.
Practical tips
- Wear comfortable shoes. Pavements are narrow and uneven in places, and you will stand at busy crossings.
- These are lived-in streets. Keep your voice down near houses and do not open closed gates.
- Shops and cafés change often. Check current hours in your map app rather than relying on any list.
- Mobile payment is the norm in small shops; foreign cards and cash are not always accepted. See our paying in China guide.
- If you want to see a play at the Dramatic Arts Centre, book ahead rather than counting on tickets at the door.
- End the day with a Shanghainese dinner; our Shanghai food guide explains what to order.
Checked on 29 October 2026. Opening times and ticket rules change; confirm on the official site before you go.
