Shanghai's Most Endearing Street—Huangdu Road

🌼The essence of life's everyday hustle and bustle is hidden within the narrow lanes of the city. Huangdu Road is one such lane, an S-shaped alley that, despite its short length, is steeped in history. On one side of the alley, modern high-rise buildings dominate the skyline, while the other side is still home to traditional lane houses, offering a contrasting view. 🌼Today, Huangdu Road is a place of tranquility amidst the bustling city. The ground floors of the old houses sporadically host small tobacco and sundry shops. When the sun shines brightly, the neighborhood dogs can be seen basking in the sunlight on their sofas. The entire street exudes a sense of peace and detachment from worldly concerns. However, in the past, this road was fraught with hidden dangers. 🌼No. 15, Lane 107, Huangdu Road was the former residence of the martyr Li Bai (Image 9️⃣). He was the real-life inspiration for the protagonist of the film "The Eternal Wave". He was arrested and sacrificed here in the early hours of December 30, 1948. Today, this place serves as a memorial hall, open to the public from Tuesday to Saturday. The entire Lane 107 is lined with European-style terraced villas, featuring Dutch-style triple-pitched roofs. This unique architectural style is said to be one-of-a-kind in Shanghai. 🌼No. 3, Lane 17, Huangdu Road (Image 3️⃣), is a standalone garden residence built in the 1930s. 🌼No. 79, Huangdu Road is another standalone garden residence (Image 5️⃣). Built in the 1920s, it features a Tudor-style architecture. The beautiful round archway (Image 6️⃣) is flanked by exquisite brick-built classical columns. 🌼The intersection of Huangdu Road and Dongjiang Bay Road is the former site of the Japanese Navy Special Landing Forces Headquarters, built in 1924 (Image 8️⃣). 🌼Lane 49, Huangdu Road, was once a garden hotel run by the Japanese. In January 1931, the renowned writer Lu Xun and his family sought refuge here. His famous verse, "Enduring the sight of friends becoming ghosts, angrily seeking small poems in a knife crowd," was born here. This place was once the Shanghai Radio Factory No. 8, and is now the "Space 188 Creative Park". The entrance still retains part of the archway and Roman columns. #thingstodoshanghai