Old french concession

The French Concession is an area of Shanghai that in late 1800s and early 1900s was administered by the French. From that time, it has kept its very agreable streets planted with 'platane' trees ('wutong' in chinese), which makes it very pleasant to walk. Many landmarks such as parks or famous homes (ex. the writer Lu Xun). The architecture of typical shanghai houses has been kept as well, sometimes restored for living or transformed into restaurants/commercial areas. There are many parks. Some blocks have kept their names in french, although the streets lost their french names fir chinese ones. What makes the French concession distinctive compared to other areas of Shanghai is its numbers if small boutiques and narrow streets. It gives you a real a sense of how people live here. The best is to borrow or rent a bicycle by a sunny day, stroll from cafes to boutiques, parks and restaurants and to escape for a while from the view of the modern skyscrappers and elevated roads. Experience it!