China's premier shopping street, 3.4-mile-long
Nanjing Road, starts at the Bund in the east and ends in the west at the
junction of Jingan Temple and Yan'an West Street. Today Nanjing Road is
a must-see metropolitan destination attracting thousands of fashion-seeking
shoppers from all over the world.
After the Opium War (1839-1842), Shanghai became a treaty port. Nanjing Road was first the British Concession, then the International Settlement. Importing large quantities of foreign goods, it became the earliest shopping street in Shanghai.
Over time, Nanjing Road has been restructured, undergoing significant change. For shopping convenience, its eastern end has an all-weather pedestrian arcade. Big traditional stores no longer dominate the market since modern shopping malls, specialty stores, theatres, and international hotels have mushroomed on both sides of the street.
Today
over 600 businesses on Nanjing road offer countless famous brands, superior
quality, and new fashions. KFC, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, and other world-famous
food vendors line both sides of the street. Upscale stores include Tiffany,
Mont Blanc, and Dunhill. In addition, approximately a hundred traditional
stores and specialty shops still provide choice silk goods, jade, embroidery,
wool, and clocks.
Open-air bars, abstract sculptures, and lingering sounds from street musicians enhance evening strolls. A trackless sightseeing train provides a comfortable tour of the night-transformed pedestrian street. Flashing neon signs illuminate the magnificent buildings and spangle the night skyline of this lively city.