Historic site · SHANGHAI
Former French Concession
法租界 · Fǎzūjiè
About
Plane-tree-shaded streets of 1920s villas in central Shanghai. Wukang Road, Anfu Road, Yongkang Road — the city's most photographed cafe-and-villa district.
The French Concession was established in 1849 as a French-administered zone in treaty-port Shanghai, covering the area southwest of the Old City between the British Settlement and the Chinese quarters. France surrendered administration in 1943, but the urban fabric it left is the most architecturally layered district in modern Shanghai — a dense mix of late-Qing courtyard houses, 1920s Art Deco apartment blocks, shikumen lane-house complexes, and 1930s European villas set behind walled gardens.
The central streets are the draw. Wukang Road runs northeast to southwest for about a kilometre, lined with plane trees and anchored at its northern end by the Wukang Mansion (1924), a Norman-style apartment building designed by the Hungarian-Hong Kong architect László Hudec. It is one of the most photographed buildings in Shanghai. Anfu Road, crossing Wukang, has independent fashion boutiques, specialist booksellers, and cafes. Fuxing Road has walled Republican-era villas set behind iron gates. Yongkang Road was for years a strip of hole-in-the-wall bars; it has been substantially gentrified but remains lively in the evenings. The Sun Yat-sen and Soong Ching-ling former residences are nearby on Xiangshan Road.
Walking is the only effective way to see the area — the streets are too varied to make sense from a bus or car. A half-day circuit from Shanghai Library metro station south to Hengshan Road and back covers the principal streets. Spring (March–April) and autumn (October–November) are the most pleasant times, when the plane trees are in full leaf or turning gold. The area is busy but rarely overwhelmed in the way that Tianzifang or Yuyuan Bazaar can become.
How to get there
Metro Lines 1, 7, 10, 11 to Shanghai Library or Hengshan Road.
When to visit
Afternoon for cafe culture; spring and autumn for the plane-tree shade.
Other attractions in Shanghai
Itineraries featuring this site
- Shanghai in 3 days
3d · Bund, French Concession, Pudong, Yu Garden, museums.
- Shanghai weekend — 3 days in the city
3d · Three full days in Shanghai covering the Bund, French Concession, Yu Garden, Tianzifang and Pudong — the city's distinct neighbourhoods at a pace that leaves time for coffee and wandering.
- China in 5 days: fastest first-timer route
5d · Beijing's big three sights, a flight south, and two days navigating Shanghai's contrasts.
- Beijing + Shanghai — 5-day first-timer classic
5d · Two of China's three great cities in five days: imperial Beijing followed by the modern skyline of Shanghai, linked by a quick domestic flight or overnight train.
Other historic sites in China
- Ancient Villages of Southern Anhui — Xidi and Hongcun皖南古村落—西递、宏村
UNESCO · UNESCO-listed pair of Ming-Qing Huizhou merchant villages in southern Anhui, renowned for whitewashed walls, inky horsehead gables and moon-shaped ponds.
- Anqing Zhenfeng Pagoda安庆振风塔
A seven-storey Ming Dynasty pagoda standing on the bank of the Yangtze River in Anqing, considered one of the finest riverside pagodas in southern China and long used as a navigation landmark by Yangtze river pilots.
- Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City良渚古城遗址
UNESCO · UNESCO-listed archaeological site in Hangzhou preserving the remains of a 5,000-year-old city with a sophisticated water-management system, jade ritual culture and social hierarchy — regarded as one of the earliest state-level societies in East Asia.
- Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom高句丽王城、王陵及贵族墓葬
UNESCO · UNESCO-listed capital cities and royal tombs of the Koguryo Kingdom in Jian, Jilin — the Chinese portion of a transnational heritage property shared with North Korea, representing one of the most powerful states of ancient East Asia.
- Classical Gardens of Suzhou (UNESCO)苏州古典园林
UNESCO · UNESCO-listed collection of private gardens in Suzhou — four inscribed in 1997 and five more added in 2000 — representing the pinnacle of Chinese garden design through the refined integration of architecture, water, rock and plant.
- Danba Tibetan Watchtowers丹巴碉楼
Clusters of ancient stone watchtowers rising above Tibetan village complexes in the Dadu River valley, said to be among the oldest surviving examples of Tibetan defensive architecture.
- Drum Tower and Bell Tower鼓楼钟楼
Yuan-dynasty drum and bell towers that kept official time for imperial Beijing. Climbable; daily drum performances.
- Dujiangyan Irrigation System都江堰
UNESCO · 2,300-year-old irrigation system on the Min River. Still in use. UNESCO-listed jointly with Mt Qingcheng. Engineering rather than architecture, but one of the great works.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does Former French Concession cost to visit?
- Entry to Former French Concession is free.
- When is Former French Concession open?
- Former French Concession opening hours: Public streets 24/7. Sites and cafes vary.
- How long do you need at Former French Concession?
- Allow 3–5 hours for Former French Concession. Add buffer time if you plan to visit at peak season or include nearby sights in the same trip.
- When is the best time to visit Former French Concession?
- Afternoon for cafe culture; spring and autumn for the plane-tree shade.
- How do you get to Former French Concession?
- Metro Lines 1, 7, 10, 11 to Shanghai Library or Hengshan Road.
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