The 770-meter-long Yuqing Road in the former French concession links Hengshan Road and Huaihai Road Middle, two of the most prosperous thoroughfares in the city. The road was called Route Edan in the early 1920s, and its current name was given in 1943 by the government of Wang Jingwei, the president of the Japanese-backed puppet regime.

Yuqing Road is a quiet, tree-covered neighborhood dotted with European-style buildings. Among the noteworthy homes found here is Edan New Village, a residential compound that includes the former residence of the great Chinese educationalist Tao Xingzhi (1891-1946), who resided at No.13, Lane 143 Yuqing Road after the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1937-45) until his death.

Located in the former French concession, Yuqing Road is a quiet, tree-lined street dotted with European-style buildings. Photos: Yang Fan/GT

 

The compound also housed the headquarters of Kunlun Film Studio, a privately owned film company that produced many popular films in the 1940s, including The Spring River Flows East (1947), and Crows and Sparrows (1949).

At the northern end of the road stands the magnificent Wukang Mansion, formerly known as the I.S.S Normandy Apartment, designed by Hungarian architect L.E. Hudec. Many Chinese film stars have lived here, among them Qin Yi, Sun Daolin, Zhao Dan and Zheng Junli.

At the intersection of Yuqing Road and Huaihai Road Middle is the former building of the Pathé Record Company, which was built in 1921 and officially recognized as a piece of heritage architecture in 2005.

Yuqing Road retains a strong local flavor with small shops and restaurants offering delicate food, high fashion and fine arts. The Global Times paid a visit to get a feel for the charm and explore some of the lesser-known attractions along the street.

Design Republic

 

Design Republic

A high-profile tenant on the road is the multi-brand designer boutique Design Republic (88 Yuqing Road, 6082-3882), a classy retail brand founded by Shanghai-based architect couple Lyndon Neri and Rossana Hu.

Design Republic sells the latest home furnishings from local and international companies. As well as large pieces of furniture, items such as exquisite lamps and mirrors are available.

The store is exclusively used for showcasing collections from Christian Liaigre, an internationally popular French luxury brand founded by the French designer of the same name, who has worked for big name clients like Calvin Klein and Karl Lagerfeld. The store is the first Christian Liaigre showroom to be opened on the Chinese mainland.

Items on show are handmade in France, and have simple, clean shapes and colors. They are certainly not cheap. For instance, a floor lamp can cost as much as 58,100 yuan ($9,340).

Design Republic also has a larger outlet on Jiangning Road, which offers a wider selection of international brands like Rosenthal and FLOS, as well as their own brand, Neri & Hu. Their designs vary from minimalist to retro.

The store is open from 10 am to 7 pm daily. Visits are by appointment only.

 

Shanghai Morning

 

Shanghai Morning

Dining options along the street are few, but Shanghai Morning (80 Yuqing Road, 6282-7979) is a solid option for relaxing over some delectable food. The restaurant serves a good range of authentic Shanghai-style noodles in a spacious, cozy environment. A large, old noodle-making machine on the first floor creates a nostalgic atmosphere.

Some of the store's most ordered dishes include spicy meat noodles and eight treasure noodles (gingko seeds, water bamboo, ham, mushroom, chicken breasts, tripe, shrimp meat and duck's gizzard) with spicy sauce.

Noodles in various shapes are available here, like extra thin noodles and wide flat noodles. Customers can choose their own noodles and toppings, or buy some uncooked noodles to prepare at home.

The restaurant also serves a great variety of appetizing side dishes including marinated edamame (6 yuan) and pickles and shredded meat (9 yuan). Private dining rooms are available on the second floor and reservations are required. The restaurant is open daily from 11 am to 2 pm and from 5 pm to 9:30 pm.

Sleep Café

Sleep Café

Sleep Café (104 Yuqing Road, 5403-7239) is unassumingly housed in a French-style villa with a small, picturesque courtyard.

The owner gave the store an apparently contradictory Chinese name, Bu Mian, which means sleeplessness, to make it more easily remembered by its customers.

The shop's interior design is casually elegant, with a French window and lounge sofas that create a relaxed, homelike atmosphere.

Popular drinks include freshly ground coffee and raspberry or pineapple yogurt. A hand-drawn menu nicely illustrates some of the food's ingredients and cooking methods.

It has free Wi-Fi. The café is only open on weekends.