Nanjing Road (Nanjing Lu) - The Busiest Pedestrian Street in Shanghai

Nanjing Road (南京路; pinyin: Nánjīng Lù) is the first and busiest commercial street in Shanghai, and it to Shanghai is what the Fifth Avenue to New York. It starts from the Bund in the east and ends at Yan'an west road in the west, stretching from Jing’an district to Huangpu district with a total length of 5.5km, attracting millions of travelers. It was named after the neighboring city of Shanghai, the capital city of Jiangsu province, Nanjing. As Tibet Middle Road crosses Nanjing Road, it has two sections, namely Nanjing East Road and Nanjing West Road. In some context, the largely pedestrianized Nanjing Road, Nanjing Road Walkway often refers to Nanjing East Road in Huangpu District from Tibet Middle Road to Henan Middle Road and this section is only about 1599 meters. It is mainly a tourist site with all kinds of shopping areas, while Nanjing West Road is the most luxurious commercial street with the highest rent in China, mainly for selling luxury and high-end products. The two roads met on the northern edge of the Shanghai Race Club.

The history of Nanjing East Road is earlier than that of Nanjing West Road. About 150 years ago, its official name was Parklane built to the bund. Later, the lane had been reconstructed and expanded to the former Nanjing Road. Since its great location, it has become the first commercial street in China. Nowadays, strolling along the road, you can see a bustling scene of all kinds of time-honored shops, pedestrian malls, and crowds. Here are located most of the oldest and largest department stores in Shanghai, some traditional eateries, as well as some domestic retail outlets. There are more than 700 shops on both sides. With the opening up of Shanghai, Nanjing East Road hosts more than 700 shops on both sides of the pedestrian street, which are brands from all over the world, and this commercial street has become a real "first street" in China. 

The four major department stores (Sincere Company, XinXin Company, DaXin Company, Yong'an Company) on the old Nanjing Road have created countless firsts in Asian Department Stores: the first to use escalators in the department, the first to use air-conditioning systems, the first to issue receipts, the first to wear the uniform for service personnel, and the first to integrate department with other businesses such as restaurants, cinemas, casinos, etc.

Also, the prosperous street attracted many celebrities. One of the most famous hotels is located here, where Chiang Kai Shek and Song Meiling got married. You can go straight from Nanjing East Road to the scenic spot, the Bund. From the Bund, you can panorama of Huangpu River, Oriental Pearl Tower, Jinmao Tower, Shanghai International World Financial Center, and so on.

Historic Sites on Nanjing East Road

Nanjing West Road formerly known as Jing'an Temple Road (靜安寺路) or Bubbling Well Road (涌泉路), was built in the 1860s. In 1862, the concession government extended the Parklane (today's Nanjing East Road) westward through the concession border(now Tibet Middle Road) to Jing'an Temple, and connected with Xujiahui Road (now Huashan Road). It once was a residential area in Shanghai with a large number of mansions and estates. Though most of them have no longer remained. Nanjing West Road has witnessed the development of the city. Now, it hosts Shanghai Exhibition Center, many luxury prestigious historic hotels, high-end shopping centers, fancy restaurants, and office buildings. There are more than 1200 well-known brands, among them, there are more than 750 international brands. Moreover, more than 90 international top brands have flagship stores or exclusive stores here. Many luxury and fashion brands and goods can be found in Nanjing West Road. Therefore, it is the most upscale shopping place in Shanghai.

Distance from Nanjing East Road to other main Shanghai attractions:

• About 1.2km from The Bund
• About 1km from Shanghai Museum
• About 1.6km from Yu Garden
• About 1.8km from City God Temple
• About 2.4km from Oriental Pearl TV Tower

For the geographic location, it is recommended to cover Nanjing Road and nearby attraction Nanjing Road, the Bund, Oriental Pearl TV Tower in one day.

Walking along the Nanjing East Road, you can reach the Bund (外滩) at ts east end. It is the top must-see landmark site in Shanghai. There are 52 buildings with various international architectural styles which makes the Bund “An Exhibition of International Buildings”.When the evening comes, the neon lights on both sides of the Huangpu River. Facing Lujiazui, the Bund is the best sightseeing area to roam around.

Yu Garden and City God Temple - to the South

As metro line 10 runs through both Yu Garden and Nanjing East Road, the two sites are well connected, and you can walk for about 1.6km from Nanjing East Road to Yu Garden. Yu Garden or Yuyuan Garden is only steps away from the City God Temple. It is also known as Yuyuan Garden (豫园), is the most celebrated classical Chinese Garden in the Shanghai downtown area. It also enjoys the reputation of "the crown of beauty in Southeast China", offering charming and pleasant views. Yu Garden Bazaar or Yuyuan Bazaar is located next to Yu Garden, with beautiful Chinese architecture and design coupled with hundreds of shops selling pieces of jewelry, silk, antiques, arts, crafts, souvenirs, and local snacks. Walking a little further to the Temple of the City God, you can appreciate the traditional architecture and decors in a Taoist Temple, and it is like a museum telling about the city’s history.

Shanghai Museum, People’s Square, and Urban Planning Exhibition Center - to the West

Walking about 1km to the west side of Nanjing East Road, you will reach the people’s square metro station which is only steps away from Shanghai Museum and Urban Planning Exhibition Center. At the Urban Planning Exhibition Center, you will see the amazing transformation of Shanghai that was originally a small fishing village and now surprisingly a super modern world metropolis. At Shanghai Museum, you can feast your eyes with its large number of collections of historic Chinese artistic relics, from bronze, ceramics, painting, and calligraphic works, to jades, coins, furniture, seals, sculpture, etc. 

Best known as an international popular tourist destination, Shanghai perfectly preserves mixed culture of the western and eastern. The duration and theme of your Shanghai tour can be flexibly arranged based on your time and interests. Usually, tourists spend 2 days on sightseeing the most famous landmarks, including the Bund, Yu Garden, skyscrapers like Shanghai Tower, World Financial Center, Wukang Road, Shanghai Museum, etc. With one extra day, you can enjoy family fun in Disneyland Park or visit Zhujiajiao Water Town in the suburb. Don't miss the Shanghai Maglev Train, wonderful nightlife and Shanghai Cuisine.

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