Wukang Road (), originally Route Ferguson (福开森路), is a historic road in the

Xuhui District Xuhui District is a core urban district of Shanghai. It has a land area of and a population of 982,200 as of 2008. The Xuhui District is named after its namesake, the historic area of Xujiahui. Xujiahui was historically land owned by Ming dyna ...

Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...

, China, located in the western part of the former

French Concession The Shanghai French Concession; ; Shanghainese pronunciation: ''Zånhae Fah Tsuka'', group=lower-alpha was a foreign concession in Shanghai, China from 1849 until 1943, which progressively expanded in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Th ...

area of the city. In 2011 Wukang Road was recognized as one of the National Historic and Cultural Streets of China.

Overview

Wukang Road is only long, but is lined with 37 officially protected historic buildings. The buildings in the road incorporate a diverse range of architectural styles, including Mediterranean, French Renaissance,

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

, and

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...

. The area is characterized by quiet streets lined with ''wutong'' (

London plane London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major se ...

) trees. Well-known blogger Wang Jianshuo calls it his favourite street in Shanghai. Increasing café and restaurant openings have led to more tourists visiting the street. In Ang Lee's 2007 film '' Lust, Caution'', Route Ferguson is where the hero and heroine have their secret rendezvous. The road is also featured in

Chen Danyan Chen Danyan (; born 18 December 1958) is a writer based in Shanghai, China. Born in Beijing, she moved to Shanghai as a child and her writing revolves around Shanghai and Shanghainese women. She is best known for her trilogy of biographical narr ...

's novel ''Shanghai Memorabilia''. It is a popular sightseeing location for tourists interested in the architecture and history of the area. There is a tourist information center at 393 Wukang Road that provides self-guided walking tours.

History

In 1897,

John Calvin Ferguson John Calvin Ferguson (; 1866–1945) was an American scholar of Chinese art, collector and procurer for American art museums, and a Chinese governmental adviser. Ferguson was the son of John Ferguson and Catherine Matilda Pomeroy (Ferguson). Hi ...

, an American educator and president of

Nanyang Public School Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU; ) is a Public university, public research university in Shanghai, Shanghai, China. The university is funded by the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Ministry of Education of China ...

(predecessor of Shanghai Jiao Tong University), built the road with his own salary to make it easier for colleagues and students to get to the school. The road was thus named ''Route Ferguson'' in his honour. It was paved in 1907 and broadened by the government of the French Concession. It was renamed Wukang Road in 1943, after Wukang County (now part of Deqing) in nearby

Zhejiang Zhejiang ( or , ; , also romanized as Chekiang) is an eastern, coastal province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable cities include Ningbo and Wenzhou. Zhejiang is bordered by Jiang ...

province, but its original name is still well known to locals. Wukang Road has been home for numerous Chinese celebrities, especially during the mid-20th century. Famous residents include revolutionary

Huang Xing Huang Xing or Huang Hsing (; 25 October 1874 – 31 October 1916) was a Chinese revolutionary leader and politician, and the first commander-in-chief of the Republic of China. As one of the founders of the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Republic of ...

, first lady Soong Ching-ling, high-ranking politicians Zhou Fohai, Tang Shaoyi, Chen Lifu,

Chen Guofu Chen Guofu or Chen Kuo-fu (; 5 October 1892 – 25 August 1951), was a Chinese politician in the Republic of China. His given name was Zudao (), though he was also known as "Guofu (果夫)". He was born in Wuxing, Zhejiang, China (modern Huzh ...

, Chen Yi,

Deng Xiaoping Deng Xiaoping (22 August 1904 – 19 February 1997) was a Chinese revolutionary leader, military commander and statesman who served as the paramount leader of the People's Republic of China (PRC) from December 1978 to November 1989. After CC ...

, writers Ba Jin,

Zheng Zhenduo Zheng Zhenduo (Cheng Chen-to; December 19, 1898 – October 17, 1958), courtesy name Xidi, was a Chinese journalist, writer, archaeologist and scholar. His pen names were Baofen (寶芬), Guo Yuanxin (郭源新) and CT. He made a significant co ...

, Li Shizeng, singer

Zhou Xuan Zhou Xuan (; born Su Pu (); August 1, 1920 – September 22, 1957), also romanized as Chow Hsuan, was an iconic Chinese singer and film actress. By the 1940s, she had become one of China's Seven Great Singing Stars. She was the best known o ...

, and many movie stars and business tycoons. In 1937, Tang Shaoyi, the first prime minister of the

Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast ...

, bought a house on Route Ferguson (now at No. 1, Lane 40, Wukang Road) and retired there. The following year, the

Imperial Japanese Army The was the official ground-based armed force of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945. It was controlled by the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office and the Ministry of the Army, both of which were nominally subordinate to the Emperor o ...

invaded and occupied Shanghai (though not yet the foreign concessions), and tried to recruit Tang to head a pro-Japanese puppet government. Fearing Tang may collaborate with the Japanese, the

Kuomintang The Kuomintang (KMT), also referred to as the Guomindang (GMD), the Nationalist Party of China (NPC) or the Chinese Nationalist Party (CNP), is a major political party in the Republic of China, initially on the Chinese mainland and in Tai ...

assassinated him at his home on 30 September 1938.

Notable buildings

Wukang Mansion

The

Wukang Mansion The Wukang Mansion or Wukang Building (), formerly known as the Normandie Apartments or International Savings Society Apartments, is a protected historic apartment building in the former French Concession area of Shanghai. It was designed by the ...

(formerly Normandie Apartments), at the southern end of Wukang Road, on the corner with Middle Huaihai Road, is a protected historic building. It was designed by the renowned Hungarian-Slovak architect László Hudec (1893–1958) in the French Renaissance style, and was completed in 1924. It was home to numerous celebrities including famous actors and actresses Wu Yin, Wang Renmei,

Qin Yi Qin Yi (; 4 February 1922 – 9 May 2022) was a Chinese actress. She gained fame for her stage performances in the war-time capital Chongqing during the Second Sino-Japanese War. After the war, she became one of China's most popular film actre ...

Zhao Dan Zhao Dan (June 27, 1915 – October 10, 1980) was a Chinese actor popular in the golden age of Chinese Cinema. Biography Zhao first became famous working in the Mingxing Film Company in the 1930s including playing opposite Zhou Xuan in '' St ...

Sun Daolin Sun Daolin () (December 18, 1921 – December 28, 2007) was a Chinese actor and film director. Biography Sun Daolin was born in Beijing on November 18, 1921. He was born Sun Yiliang 孙以亮 into a family of four children. His father Sun Wen ...

, Wang Wenjuan,

Shangguan Yunzhu Shangguan Yunzhu (; 2 March 1920 – 23 November 1968) was a Chinese actress active from the 1940s to the 1960s. She was considered one of the most talented and versatile actresses in China, and was named one of the 100 best actors of the 100 ...

, and actor/director

Zheng Junli Zheng Junli (December 6, 1911 – April 23, 1969) was a Chinese actor and director born in Shanghai and who rose to prominence in the golden age of Chinese Cinema. His films ''The Spring River Flows East'' and ''Crows and Sparrows'' are widely c ...

. Soong Ching-ling, the widow of President

Sun Yat-sen Sun Yat-sen (; also known by several other names; 12 November 1866 – 12 March 1925)Singtao daily. Saturday edition. 23 October 2010. section A18. Sun Yat-sen Xinhai revolution 100th anniversary edition . was a Chinese politician who serve ...

, lived at the end of Wukang Road across Huaihai Road. Her home is now open to the public as the Soong Ching-ling Memorial Residence.

Former residences

The road was the former residence for a number of notable people: * No. 2 : the Former Residence of Mo Shangqing, "silk czar". * Lane 40, No. 1: the Former Residence of Tang Shaoyi, politician. * Lane 40, No. 4: the Former Residence of Yan Fuqing, academic. * No. 67: the Former Residence of Chen Lifu, politician. * No. 99: the Former Residence of the British executive of the Zhengguanghe beverage company. * Lane 107, No. 2: the Former Residence of

, politician. * No. 113: the Former Residence of the writer Ba Jin (1904–2005). The house was originally built in 1923 in Spanish style. Ba Jin lived there from 1955. The residence was opened to the public in December 2011. * Lane 117, No. 1: the Former Residences of

Zhou Zuomin Zhou may refer to: Chinese history * King Zhou of Shang () (1105 BC–1046 BC), the last king of the Shang dynasty * Predynastic Zhou (), 11th-century BC precursor to the Zhou dynasty * Zhou dynasty () (1046 BC–256 BC), a dynasty of China ** West ...

(1882–1955), banker. * Lane 117, No. 2: the Former Residence of Li Jilan (1904–1957), lieutenant-general. * No. 274: the Former Residence of

Zheng Dongguo Zheng Dongguo () was a field commander in the Republic of China National Revolutionary Army. He took part in the Second Sino-Japanese War, and was active in southern China and in the Burma theatre of the war, drawing troops from Yunnan. After t ...

, general. * No. 390: the Former Residence of the Italian consul general, built in 1932. The building is now the headquarters of the

Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation SAIC Motor Corp., Ltd. (formerly Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation) is a Chinese State-owned enterprises of China, state-owned automobile manufacturer headquartered in Anting, Shanghai. Founded in 1955, it is currently the largest of the ...

. * No. 393: the Former residence of

, Chinese revolutionary. The south building was built in 1912 and the north building was built in the 1930s. It now houses the Wukang Road Tourist Information Center and the Xuhui Historical Building Art Center.

References

External links

* {{coord, 31.2076, N, 121.4401, E, display=title 1897 establishments in China Streets in Shanghai Tourist attractions in Shanghai History of Shanghai Culture in Shanghai