Laofangzi Stories
  • Laofangzi Stories
Quiet Wukang Road
Time:2013-5-3 11:49:37Source: Author:Elmindo Hua 197 Tags: 1

In 1897, an American, Route Ferguson, also known as the English teacher of Nanyang Public School, built the road to make it easier for his colleagues and students to get to school. The road was named Ferguson Road, and then renamed "Wukang Road" in the 1930s.

Wukang Rd is only 1.17 km long. Each house and its detail show its stories and history. All of the buildings on the road are in European style, and while walking on Wukang Road you'll get the sense that you have arrived in Europe.

Wukang Building is the most famous building on Wukang Road. The building, shaped like a giant vessel, was the most famous English-styled building in Shanghai back in the 1930s. The Wukang Building was designed by Hudec, the well-know architect.

Shanghainese call Wukang Road "the mini Xintiandi" because of the special shops and restaurants on the road. People from France, Russia, the Philippines, and Italy run businesses on Wukang Road. Spend half a day walking along Wukang Road for a different experience in Shanghai.

No.2 Wukang Road, the Former Residence of Mo Shangqing, the silk king.

 

Lane 40, No.1, Wukang Road, the Former Residence of Tang Shaoyi

This garden villa was built in 1930 and is listed in the Third Group of Excellent Historical Architecture of Shanghai.

 

Lane 40, No.4 Wukang Road, the Former Residences of Yan FuQing

 

No.67 Wukang Road, the Former Residence of Chen Lifu

This is a former residence of Chen Lifu and just likes his brother, Chen Guofu’s house; it is also an English country garden villa. It has been designated as a heritage building. This building was built in 1946.

 

No.99 Wukang Road, the Former Residence of British Merchant Zheng Guang He Taipan

 

Lane 107, No.2, Wukang Road, the Former Residence of Chen Guofu

 

 

No.113 Wukang Road. Former residence of literary master Ba Jin, built in 1923.

 

No.115 Wukang Road. Midget Apartment, built in 1931.

 

Lane 117, No.1 Wukang Road, the Former Residences of Zhou Zuomin, the original general manager of Jincheng Bank. After the liberation and after the Cultural Revolution, they were used by Chen Pixian and Wei Wenbo as a residence.


These villas consist of a mixed Chinese and Western style architecture, but, built with Western-style eclecticism. The construction commenced during 1943 to 1944 and was designed by the well-known Chinese architect Fan Nengli.

 

Lane 117, No.2 Wukang Road, Former Residence of Li Jilan

It has been designated as an outstanding historical building in Shanghai and immovable cultural relic in Xuhui District.
It is a Spanish-style garden house built in the 1930s.

No.210 Wukang Road. Romeo’s Balcony.

 

 

No.232 Wukang Road, Kauflman Apartment

 

No.240,No.242,No.246 Wukang Road. Cape Town Apartment, was built during 1940.

This is another building featuring a Western modern architectural styleThe most peculiar aspect about this building is its triangular layout which was the result of certain historical condition Since the urbanization development of the concession areas in Shanghai had come to an end by the 1930s, villas and low houses had already occupied large areas of downtown and only fragmented plots and mostly on street corners were available for the construction of apartment buildingsConsequently the architects had to make do with the limited land and take maximum efficiency into consideration. Therefore, 240 Wukang Road is a good example of flexible design in a limited space.

 

 

No.274, Wukang Road,Former Residence of Zheng Dongguo

It has been designated as an immovable cultural relic in Xuhui District.
Built in the late 1920s, the modernism architecture is partially characterized by Art Deco. From 1950 to 1952, Zheng Dongguo (1903 – 1991), the hero in Anti-Japanese War and former standing committee member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference lived here.

 

No.376, Ferguson Lane

Wukang Rd is a road with many distinctive buildings and if we were to translate the road name to the original name of Wukang Rd which is Ferguson Lane, it shows her French Style. There are businesses established here, serving the leisure fashion clients. You will find a blend of Chinese and western cultures. The word Ferguson Lane is written on the top of the door of 376. You will find that there are 10 shops located here. To enter the small courtyard, there are two buildings of varying height with French red brick on the right. The atmosphere brings you to the France of the 1940s to 1950s. Some residents are living here. It’s filled with the breath of the daily life of Shanghainese who enjoy living in the lanes.

 

No.390 Wukang Rd, Former Residence of Italian Consulate General in Shanghai, built in 1932.

This is now the headquarters of the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation. This is another famous historic building, with its brick-wood structure and its spacious corridors with flat arches and round windows and doors on the east, west and south side the walls are painted with light yellow featuring white borders, reflecting the lively and cheerful atmosphere. There are dormer windows in the central arc of the south gable roof, which is shown in an elegant and unique style.

However, this building was the original Italian Consulate General in Shanghai. Many Chinese young people came here to go through the registration formalities for entry into Italy.

 

 

No.393 Wukang Road. Former residence of Huang Xing &Wukang Road Tourist Information Center, Xuhui Historical Building Art Center, the south building was built in 1912, the north building was built in 1930’s.

 

No.395 Wukang Rd, the Pharmaceutical Research Institute of the National Beiping(old name of Beijing)Academy

 

No.1836-1858 Huaihai Middle Rd, Wukang Mansion (Normandy Apartment), designed by Ladislaus Hudec, completed in 1924.

There’s a building of interest sited east to west on the intersection of Wukang Road and Huaihai Road. It is surrounded by the lower set houses in the western style. This building, Wukang Mansion, is dominating the other buildings in the area and features a Normandy style of building.

This Wukang apartment building is actually composed of two buildings. The Normandy apartment and the Eastern U.S. special apartment. The former, according to the information we have, was built around 1924-1925. Normandy is 30 metres in height which is almost the highest building on former Xiafei Rd area., which is now Middle Huaihai Road. The building appearance is designed in a French Renaissance Architectural Style, or close to the Classical style. This is mainly because of its architect, Hudec from Hungary:

The Normandy Apartment Building was the first apartment with an outside-gallery in Shanghai. The 8-storey building belongs to the three-stages Classical style or from the upper to the lower levels. You should pay particular attention to the continuous arcade, which makes people feel that they are seeing a design from the style of Ancient Rome and the arches they designed during that period and which also embodies the ideas and forms of Renaissance Architecture.