Shanghai Weekend Getaway: Tian'ai Road and Neishan Bookstore

Duration: 1 day Time: March Cost per person: 6 yuan With whom: Spouse Activities: Cultural, Free and[...]

Duration: 1 day

Time: March
Cost per person: 6 yuan
With whom: Spouse
Activities: Cultural, Free and easy, Walking, Bohemian, Budget-friendly, Weekend getaway
Posted on: 2023-03-12 21:50

Preface: In our quest to uncover and explore the ‘finer charms’ of Shanghai, my spouse and I decided to dedicate half a day every weekend to eco-friendly travel, utilizing Shanghai’s convenient public transportation to seek out ‘interesting corners’ of the city. The reason for limiting our outings to half a day each weekend is twofold: firstly, due to our busy work schedules (sometimes even weekends are occupied with work-related matters); secondly, to allow time for ‘pre-trip research’ and ‘post-trip reflection and summary’.

Main Text: Off we go! Today’s route: Tian’ai Road — Neishan Bookstore — Duolun Road. Exit the Hongkou Football Field Station at the No. 6 gate of Metro Line 8, walk along Sichuan North Road, and after passing by Lu Xun Park, you will soon arrive at ‘Tian’ai Road’. En route, you will pass by the ‘Hongkou District Tourism Public Service Center’, where various maps are available for visitors. Known as ‘Shanghai’s most romantic road’, Tian’ai Road is connected to Qianshain Road, and was once called Qianshainli or Qianshain Road, later renamed Tian’ai Road. At the entrance stands a special love mailbox (heart-shaped mailbox), and the road is flanked by a ‘Wall of Love’ composed of 28 famous love poems from China and abroad. Tian’ai Road still maintains its unique charm, where young people like to come and hold their lover’s hand, feel the atmosphere of love, and enjoy the rare tranquility in the bustling city.

Walking to the end of Tian’ai Road (Sichuan North Road), turn left, and we arrive at ‘Neishan Bookstore’. This is also the most valuable spot on our journey! Neishan Bookstore was founded in 1917 by the renowned Japanese social activist Neishan Kanzo, originally located in Wei Sheng Li on North Sichuan Road, and moved to its current location in 1929. In the 1930s, Neishan Bookstore was the main outlet for Shanghai’s left-wing progressive publications and a gathering place for Sino-Japanese progressive cultural figures. Additionally, Neishan Bookstore served as a contact point for Chinese Communists and progressives, having protected and rescued patriotic cultural figures such as Lu Xun, Guo Moruo, and Xu Guangping. The bookstore is now open to the public with three floors: the right room on the first floor has been restored to the appearance of Neishan Bookstore in 1927, the middle is a modern bookstore, and the left room is a coffee shop and flower shop; the second floor ‘Ji Wai Ji’ is a reading space for readers, with a more elegant environment, almost full when we visited; the third-floor attic was selling some educational auxiliary books, which felt somewhat out of place with the bookstore, hence the impression was not very good.

Upon exiting the bookstore, you can see an Islamic restaurant diagonally across the street, said to be an old establishment with a constant queue at the entrance, which we would like to try in the future. Starting from the Islamic restaurant, turn left and walk along Sichuan North Road for about 4 minutes to reach Duolun Road, the street of cultural celebrities. Originally named Doulasi Road, it forms an L-shape, with a total length of no more than 550 meters, yet it is serene and quiet. The small buildings on both sides of the street are closely packed and exhibit a variety of styles. Duolun Road has been a cradle of hidden dragons and tigers in modern Chinese history, and was also a significant cultural hub in the early 20th century, where many literary figures who have left their mark on history once worked and lived. Today, there are still many small private collection museums on Duolun Road, inheriting and continuing the unique urban context of Duolun Road. Duolun Road, the street of cultural celebrities, is an old attraction.Known as “Shanghai’s most romantic road”, Tian’ai Road is connected to Qian’ai Li on Shanyin Road. It was once called Qian’ai Li or Qian’ai Road and later renamed Tian’ai Road. At the entrance stands a special love mailbox (heart-shaped mailbox). The walls on both sides of the road are adorned with a “love wall” composed of 28 famous love poems from China and abroad. Tian’ai Road still maintains its unique charm. Young people are willing to come and hold their lover’s hand, feeling the atmosphere of love and enjoying the rare tranquility in the bustling city.

Walking to the end of Tian’ai Road (North Sichuan Road), turn left, and we arrive at “Neishan Bookstore”. This is also the most valuable spot I found on this trip! Neishan Bookstore was founded in 1917 by the famous Japanese social activist Neishan Kanzō. It was originally located in Wei Sheng Li on North Sichuan Road and moved to its current location in 1929. In the 1930s, Neishan Bookstore was the main sales point for left-wing progressive publications in Shanghai and a gathering place for Sino-Japanese progressive cultural figures. At the same time, Neishan Bookstore also served as a contact point for Chinese Communists and progressives, having protected and rescued patriotic cultural figures such as Lu Xun, Guo Moruo, and Xu Guangping.

The bookstore now has three floors open to the public. The first floor has a room on the right side restored to the appearance of Neishan Bookstore in 1927, a modern bookstore in the middle, and a coffee shop and flower shop on the left. The second floor “Ji Wai Ji” is a reading space for readers. The environment is relatively elegant and was almost full of people when we visited. The attic on the third floor was selling some educational auxiliary books, which felt somewhat out of place with the bookstore, so the feeling was not very good.

After leaving the bookstore, you can see an Islamic restaurant diagonally across the street. It is said to be an old store, with a long queue at the door. If there is a chance in the future, I would like to try it.

Starting from the Islamic restaurant, turn left onto North Sichuan Road and walk for about 4 minutes to reach Duolun Road, the street of cultural celebrities. Originally named Doulatan Road, Duolun Road forms an L-shape and is less than 550 meters long. It is a tranquil and secluded pathway. The small buildings on both sides of the street are closely packed, each with its own unique style.

Duolun Road has been a cradle of hidden talents in modern Chinese history and was a significant hub for the cultural community in the early 20th century. Many literary figures of the time worked and lived here. Today, Duolun Road is home to many small private museums that continue to carry on the unique urban culture of the area. Duolun Road, as a cultural celebrity street, has been a popular attraction for a long time. I visited it a long time ago and found it quite impressive. However, on this visit, it seemed less vibrant than before, with a diminished cultural atmosphere. Some small shops do not fit in with the ambiance of the cultural celebrity street, creating an odd feeling. Maintenance of some sculptures has also not kept pace, giving the street an overall sense of decline and desolation.

Easter egg: On the way, I stumbled upon the “Lu Xun Trail” and the “Red Route Map”. Following these might lead to pleasant surprises. Plan to explore them next time.