Nanjing Road is the most prosperous business street in Shanghai and it is regarded as The first business street in China. At the length of 5.5 kilometers, Nanjing Road stretches from The Bund east towards Hongqiao, with Shanghai's center point People's Square in the middle. It passes Jingan Temple, leading to People's Park and it’s separated into two sections: east and west by XiCang Middle road. Nanjing Road is the most important commercial street in Shanghai, with hundreds of shops, many with a rich history and famously named one of the World's Seven Great Roads in the 1930s and now making a rapid comeback after decades of Maoist austerity. As a rough generalization, Nanjing East Road is more historical but these days a little down market, while Nanjing West Road is brash, modern and caters more to the status-conscious luxury shopper.Today, as the best place for entertainments, Nanjing Road Walking Street is one of the most crucial places for retail goods shopping and commercial activities in Shanghai, offering all-in-one shopping centers, various stores, gorgeous restaurants and spectacular night views over this area.Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street, the car-free central section between People's Park and Henan Road, is known for its stationery and book stores. One of the largest is the Shanghai Book City which is all Chinese language, or the Foreign Bookstore just down the street which caters to Western tastes. The Foreign Language Bookstore is on the south of Nanjing East Road, located on Fuzhou Road, between the intersection with Fujian Road and Henan Road on the northern side. Offers the largest variety of language learning books in Shanghai and it’s the best place to shop for Chinese learning books. The bookstore is also popular with foreign language students.It is a good idea to see the Shanghai Acrobatics show. The Shanghai Acrobatics Show features all the impressive acts of Chinese circus packed into one 90 minute show. The location is easy to walk by as the theater is hidden inside the Ritz-Carlton hotel building, on West Nanjing Road 1376. Tickets are best bought in advance, especially in the weekend. The good acts are up right from the start, so don't be late!Here are the recommended restaurants:Da Niang Shui Jiao, part of a chain of dumpling restaurants around the country. Think of it like the McDonalds of Chinese dumplings. Some of the cheapest food on the Nanjing Road pedestrian mall but be prepared with either a phrase book or a Chinese friend. Dumplings are ordered in fen. san fen (三分) = three fen = a normal sized plate. To order dumplings: number + fen + filling (pork, vegetable, etc.) Soup is also available.Saizeriya is one of a Japanese chain of Italian restaurants where a decently-sized plate of pasta. Menus are available in English. The restaurant is close to Jingan Temple station.For the convenience of your Shanghai travel in China, below is a selection of nearby Shanghai hotels. For more sightseeing attractions in Shanghai, please visit our Shanghai Tourism website for a map to guide your China tour and to find your ideal China hotel.
Benson W.