Nanjing Road is one of the main highlights of modern Shanghai. It’s classified as one of the longest shopping districts on a global scale with hundreds of shops inside. The street is about 5.5 kilometers (3.4 miles) long with over one million visitors every day. This famous shopping street has one end in The Bund and the other in Jing’an District.
The street is divided into two main sections, which are Nanjing East Road and Nanjing West Road. Nanjing East Road has more of a historical environment which unfortunately has gone a little downmarket these days. Nanjing West Road, on the other hand, is bold and modern representing a more luxurious theme attached to it. (Video Credit: Margoswelt)
East Nanjing Road
The eastern part of Nanjing Road is an old commercial center. This area is mostly overcrowded, particularly in the late afternoon and on weekends. The malls, shops, cafes, and restaurants in this part attract both locals and visitors.
Bund central section
The eastern end of the Nanjing Road reaches Bund central section. In the western part of the Bund, due to many years of Europeans residing, has multiple European cafes and restaurants.
Central Market
Central Market, which is an outdoor market that with over 100 years old, is nearby and mostly is about digital media and electronic component products.
Nanjing Road Pedestrian Mall
Continuing in the west direction, you will reach the Nanjing Road pedestrian mall. This area is home to some of the largest and also oldest department stores in Shanghai. This part also features many local specialty shops alongside multiple old traditional eateries, which makes it an excellent place to experience a feel from old China.
Pedestrian Section
The Pedestrian section of Nanjing Road, located between Henan Zhonglu and People’s Park, is a good market for books and stationery stores. There is a store named the Shanghai Book City, which is one of the largest establishments in the area selling books in the Chinese language. Just down the street, there is another store named the Foreign Book Store and as the name suggests, it can be the favorite of western visitors.
The pedestrian mall and East Nanjing Road both reach the People’s Park, which used to be the Shanghai Race Course. On the other side of the park, there are some of the prestigious historic hotels in Shanghai.
Shanghai Nanjing Road
West Nanjing Road
West Nanjing Road starts from the opposite of the People’s Park, which has an international vibe including upmarket shopping malls and many boutiques. This place has been an upscale area and formerly had numerous large mansions and estates. Plenty of such structures are not seen today as they were either destroyed or are now under government use.
For those who love to spend money and shop when traveling, this place is an excellent choice. The prices in this part of town are not much different than the European or American ones, but the small shops neighboring the street are different. Those shops can be quite useful for the ones who want to get a good bargain.
This part of Nanjing Road is close to Jing’an Temple that has been in continuous development since more than a decade ago. Today, this part of Nanjing Road is the center of upscale by the prime office buildings, classy shopping centers, modern restaurants, and five-star hotels.
There are many stores for luxury products alongside sport and fashion boutiques in this section such as Louis Vuitton, Versace, Rolex, D&G, Ralph Lauren, Nike, Hard Rock Cafe, Samsung Electronics, Lego Store, KFC, etc.
West Nanjing Road, Shanghai
Attractions near the Nanjing Road
The Shanghai Museum
The Shanghai Museum is a great place if you want to know more about ancient Chinese art. It is one of China’s largest and most sophisticated museums located on People’s Square in the Huangpu district in the heart of Shanghai. The building has been designed in a manner to show the symbolic use of dome around heaven on a square land, which is an ancient Chinese perception of our world.
Shanghai Museum, China
People’s Square
People’s Square is situated at the heart of Shanghai as the cultural and political center of the city. During the colonial era, it was used as a racecourse. In 1966, this place was the point where around a million Red Guards gathered. Today, it has transformed into a beautiful park to spend a nice time, breathe some fresh air, and enjoy watching some pigeons. People’s Park entry is free on the northern half.
Shanghai Art Gallery
It neighbors the People’s Square on the north-west as a sizable international gallery with different programs all around the year.
Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall
The name may not justice the fact that how interesting this place can be. This is where many of the Shanghai history documents are kept alongside the plan for Shanghai in the future. The first two floors of this hall feature changing exhibits and the rest have a permanent exhibition. There is a sizeable futuristic model of Shanghai in the year 2020 which could be quite fascinating.
Jing’an Temple
Jing’an Temple is one of the most ancient monuments in Shanghai. This temple belongs to 247 AD that is much older than a large number of historical attractions of Shanghai.
Shanghai Grand Opera Palace
Shanghai Grand Opera Palace is located in the western area of People’s Park. This place often hosts classical opera performances and has been listed as one of the top opera houses of the world.
There are places in this area that perform Chinese operas, which is quite different than the ones played in the west. These operas sometimes focus more on acrobatic stunts and sometimes on singing. Unfortunately, these performances are only in Chinese, and tourists will not be able to understand the story very well.
Foods & Restaurants
On this street, you can find many restaurants and food stores. Some of the best food stores in this city are:
- Zhen Lao Da Fang (smoked fish, moon cakes, etc.)
- Shanghai First Food Hall (local snacks, traditional cakes, etc.)
- Wangjiasha Pastry Shop (desserts, snacks, wontons, etc.)
- Shen Da Cheng (moon cakes with the fillings of meat)
- Shao Wan Sheng (mud snails and wine cured crabs)
Tourist Guide
How to get to?
By Metro
- Metro Line 1, Line 2, and Line 8 can help you to reach People’s Square.
- Line 2 and Line 10 help you to reach East Nanjing Rd. Station
- Line 2, Line 12 or Line 13 help you to reach West Nanjing Rd. Station
By Bus
- You can also take City Sightseeing Bus Line 1 to the Madame Tussauds or East Nanjing Rd. Station.
- You can take bus No.23, 24, 41, 301, 304, or 955 to Shimen Yilu Nanjing Xilu Station.
Nanjing Road of Shanghai, China
As a tip, don’t forget to try the old-style Dangdang tram from 8:30 to 22:00. This slow tram helps you to take a ride on this long street and have an enjoyable time. It takes 10 minutes and you should pay 10 Yuan for it. Put this street in your itinerary in Shanghai and don’t forget to share your experiences and thoughts. Besides, if you are planning to visit Shanghai, you can leave your questions and our professional experts will reply as early as possible.
