Nanjing Road in Shanghai

Nanjing Road in Shanghai

Attractions Overview

Nanjing West Road is the top commercial street in Shanghai today. The four major department stores on Nanjing Road in old Shanghai set a precedent for numerous Asian department stores: they were the first to integrate department stores with other formats such as catering cinemas, casinos and variety shows. The interweaving of tradition and modernity adds another charm to this century-old street.

English Name: Nanjing Road in Shanghai
Type: Shanghai Scenic Area, Shanghai famous spots & Shanghai attractions
Best Time: All Year Around
Recommended Visiting Hours: 2-3 hours

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Why is Nanjing Road so Special?

China’s main shopping street, Nanjing Road, 5.5 kilometers (3.4 miles) long, starts from the Bund in the east and reaches the junction of Jing ‘an Temple and Xi ‘an Street in the west. Today, it is a must-see metropolitan destination, attracting thousands of fashion shoppers from all over the world.

Nanjing Road, a century-old street in Huangpu District of Shanghai, witnessed the history of the city. With the passage of time, it has undergone reorganization and major changes. Large traditional shops no longer dominate the market, as modern shopping centers, specialty shops, theatres and international hotels are springing up on both sides of the street. In order to facilitate shopping, there is an all-weather pedestrian street at its eastern end.

Where is Nanjing Road?

Nanjing Road in Shanghai is the earliest commercial street established after Shanghai opened its port. It starts from the Bund in the east and ends at Yan ‘an West Road in the west. It spans Jing ‘an and Huangpu districts and is 5.5 kilometers long. It is divided into east and west sections bounded by Tibet Middle Road.

Main Attraction of Nanjing Road

Exploring traditional department stores and latest fashion stores

More than 600 enterprises provide countless high-quality brand names and new fashions on the trip. High-end shops include Tiffany, Marlboro, Omega and Dunhill. About 100 traditional shops and specialty shops offer a selection of silk, jade, embroidery, wool and clocks. Shopping lovers will be immersed in the pleasure of shopping here.

Savoring snacks of time-horned brands

It is easy to find a century-old shop on Nanjing Road. You can not only taste the most authentic Shanghai cuisine here, but also buy some for your friends and family as gifts.

Top 5 food stores on Nanjing Road:

Zhen Lao Da Fang: Selling smoked fish and moon cakes with meat fillings

Shanghai First Food Hall: Gathering various kinds of local snacks including traditional cakes

Wangjiasha Pastry Shop: Offering wontons, desserts, and special snacks for traditional Chinese festivals

Shen Da Cheng: Mainly making moon cakes with meat fillings

Shao Wan Sheng: Best for its wine cured crabs and mud snails

Taking the Dangdang sightseeing tram

It is an unforgettable experience to take the old Dangdang tram running from 8:30 to 22:00 every day. On the slow train, you can see all kinds of shops outside the window, old or new, leaving your view one by one like history. A trip takes about 10 minutes and you have to pay CNY 5 pounds.

Best Time to Travel Nanjing Road

The best travel time is spring and autumn, usually March-may and September-November.

Catkin, peach blossom and flying warbler are most suitable for outing in the suburbs in spring. Peach Blossoms in Nanhui, Cherry Blossoms in Gu Village Park and Tulips in Shanghai’s Fresh Flower Port are in full bloom. They are the best time to enjoy flowers. Autumn with red leaves all over the sky is the best time to taste hairy crabs. The so-called “autumn wind is ringing and crab legs itch”. At this time, hairy crabs have yellow legs, thick crab fat and beautiful crab meat, which make people drool.

How to Get There

  • To the middle of Nanjing Road
    1. Take Metro Line 1, Line 2 or Line 8 and get off at People’s Square.
    2. Take City Sightseeing Bus Line 1 and get off at Madame Tussauds.
  • To East Nanjing Road:
    Take Metro Line 2, Line 10, or City Sightseeing Bus Line 1 and get off at East Nanjing Rd. Station.
  • To West Nanjing Road:
    1. Take Metro Line 2, Line 12 or Line 13 and get off at West Nanjing Rd. Station.
    2. Take bus 23, 24, 41, 301, 304, or 955 and get off at Shimen Yilu Nanjing Xilu Station.

Useful Travel Tips

Shanghai Nanjing Road consists of Nanjing East Road and Nanjing West Road, separated by Tibet Middle Road. In contrast, Nanjing East Road is busier because it is adjacent to Shanghai’s landmark Bund. Tourists can choose to walk along the whole road according to their physical strength and time, or they can choose to be only a part of it.

  • The rainy season is from mid-June to early July, with continuous rain.  From the end of August to the first half of September is the typhoon season, often with sudden storms, these two periods of travel to Shanghai must take umbrellas.
  • The entertainment life in Shanghai is quite rich. The modern facilities and natural scenery in major theme parks and parks make people feel relieved and happy.  Shanghai, as the birthplace of Chinese movies and the host of one of the world’s nine major film festivals, has many cinemas with state-of-the-art audio and video equipment, which can experience incomparable viewing effects.  If you are a fan and fan, then in Shanghai, a series of world-class art venues and theatres will definitely make you feel full of happiness.
  • You can buy a wide range of Shanghai specialties, snacks and handicrafts in Shanghai, such as spiced beans and pear paste candy from the Old City God Temple, which are generally available in local specialty stores and supermarkets.

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Edited by Doreen/张洋