Shanghai’s Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street East Expansion Opens, Drawing Huge Crowds

### **Shanghai: A Day of Photography and Cultural Exploration** #### **Duration: 1 Day** #### **Time[...]

### **Shanghai: A Day of Photography and Cultural Exploration**

#### **Duration: 1 Day**
#### **Time: September**
#### **Who: Couple**
#### **Activities: Photography, Cultural Exploration**
#### **Places Visited:**
– Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street
– The Bund
– People’s Square
– Shikumen
– Shanghai Peace Hotel
– Jiangxi Middle Road

#### **Published on 2020-09-15 at 22:30**

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### **Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street Expansion**

On September 12th, the eastward expansion section of Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street, hailed as ‘China’s First Commercial Street,’ officially opened. This significant event marks the largest upgrade and renovation since its opening in 1999, extending from Henan Road to The Bund. The street was bustling with visitors on its first day, offering continuous surprises within just 500 meters. Old brands and new districts caught the attention of consumers, making it a must-visit destination.

### **Street Transformation and Extension**

The eastward expansion continues from Henan Middle Road to Zhongshan East First Road, allowing one to walk all the way from People’s Square to The Bund. The pedestrian street, originally 1033 meters long, has been extended by about 500 meters. Vehicle lanes have been removed, transforming the ground into walkways leading to the buildings on both sides, widening the pedestrian paths by 10-20 meters. The rest benches, signs, streetlights, and other details incorporate elements of Shikumen, filled with the essence of Shanghai’s culture. The paving material chosen was ‘Xinjiang Kamay Gold’ granite, harmonizing with the hues of the historical buildings along the eastward expansion route and maintaining a certain stylistic continuity with the pedestrian street on the west side.

### **New Design and Layout**

Turning into the new area of the pedestrian street from The Bund, the view immediately opens up. With the disappearance of vehicle lanes, the ground has been changed to walkways leading to the buildings along the street. The absence of obstructions allows for the sight of citizens and tourists taking photos at every turn. The eastward expansion of Nanjing Road has been designed into three types of areas based on pedestrian flow and the surrounding architectural functions: a strolling area, a leisure area, and a characteristic rest area. Each area is designed to cater to different needs, making the pedestrian street a comfortable and enjoyable space for all.

### **Security and Order**

The enthusiasm of citizens and tourists is particularly high. At the intersection of Nanjing Road and Henan Road, where there used to be a constant stream of vehicles, today there is a rare scene of ‘people surrounding cars.’ The ‘flow of people like a tide’ and ‘a sea of people’ have made the security task on Nanjing Road extremely heavy. To maintain order and prevent collisions, security personnel not only continuously broadcast announcements about visitor precautions during peak hours but also form a human wall with on-duty police officers and armed police, becoming a unique scene of the day.

### **Historical Significance**

Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street holds significant meaning for Shanghai. Along the street, there are not only various shopping and entertainment venues but also historical and cultural facilities that stand out. In addition to well-known historical buildings like the Peace Hotel, the first arc light in Shanghai is also located here. It is understood that this light was lit up in 1882 near the intersection of East Nanjing Road and Middle Jiangxi Road. During the eastward expansion of Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street, this piece of history has been unearthed and amplified. The original site has been transformed into the ‘1882 Plaza’. The arc light from a century ago has been relit, and beneath it, there is a copper book engraved with the history of the development of Shanghai’s electricity since 1882.

### **1882 Plaza**

On the eastward extension, the site of the first arc light has been turned into a plaza called ‘1882 Plaza’, where the designer has paired a variety of spotlights on the surrounding ground and walls to create a dazzling effect. The lamp post is inscribed with phrases such as ‘The people’s city is built by the people’ and ‘The people’s city is for the people’, and the ground is engraved with text introducing the history of Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street.

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This comprehensive exploration of Shanghai’s Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street offers a unique blend of modern urban development and historical preservation, making it a must-visit destination for any photography and cultural enthusiast.The plaza will become a place where citizens and tourists can enjoy both day and night. At night, one can enjoy the changing lights; during the day, one can read the ‘history’ in detail.

It is reported that on the ground beneath the lamp post, there is an engraving introducing the history of Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street: near the location of the lamp post, on July 28, 1882, the first power generation company in China—Shanghai Electric Company—officially started commercial operation; in 1882, the first electric light in China was lit here; in 1883, the first overhead lines were erected in China; in 1906, the first tram line in Shanghai was opened on Nanjing Road; in 1928, the Grand Bright Theater opened.

On the left is the fashionable New World Daimaru Department Store, and on the right is the 85-year-old ‘Nanjing Building’, which recently opened the world’s largest Huawei flagship store! At the entrance of New World Daimaru Department Store, a rose flower house has appeared, filled with bright flowers, and the mall has laid a red carpet from inside to outside, creating a ‘mall + outdoor small square T-stage’ runway show. Looking towards the Bund from the French Blue Counter at New World Daimaru Department Store, one can clearly see the iconic spire of the Peace Hotel building.

Continuing to move forward, one arrives at the intersection of Sichuan Middle Road, getting closer and closer to the Bund! Opposite the Milun Building, on Ci’anli and Cichangli, a wave of new stores will open along the street, including flagship stores, trendy stores, and revitalized old brand stores! At 172 East Nanjing Road, the Cichangli Building, built in 1911.

At the location of the former Day and Night Sparkling Store, there is the well-known South Korean brand KAKAO Friends. This is a trendy ’emoticon pack’ store with many cute derivative products. In this block, there will also be the flagship store themed on the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, an internet-famous snack collection store, and the first store in China of the well-known Italian dessert brand Rinaldini!

The Central Building has a sense of familiarity. It was formerly called the Central Market, which is an even more nostalgic name. It mainly sells department store goods, clothing, electrical appliances and other commodities. It was a famous comprehensive shopping mall in Shanghai in the past. Long ago, this was the busiest landmark in Shanghai: For repairing things, go to the Central Market! For hunting bargains, go to the Central Market! For visiting snack streets, go to the Central Market! The building in memory has been renovated! From 1920 to now, it has a sense of history! There is Peet’s Coffee on the first floor and sports brands on the second floor! The third floor is interconnected with another building! The fourth, fifth and sixth floors are all filled with catering and bars! Just take a look!

Continuing to walk forward, we will see the Hui Luo Company familiar to us Shanghai people! The facade of the Hui Luo Company building has also been renovated and the space at the entrance has become very spacious. No. 100, Nanjing East Road. Hui Luo Company is the largest global department store established by foreign businessmen in modern Shanghai and was built from 1904 to 1906.

When the landmark Peace Hotel comes into view, the Bund is also close at hand! Unconsciously, we have strolled all the way from Henan Middle Road to the Bund. Crossing the road and looking back, Nanjing Road is crowded with people and tourists. View the scenery from the Bund observation deck.