The 5.5-km long Nanjing Road is the most bustling and prosperous street inShanghai and famed as China’s No 1 Shopping street. It was first built in 1851. Formerly it was a country path in the fields running east-westward from the Bund to Henan Road. In 1853 the Fuli Company was opened here. In 1851, 14 firms like the Waston, Lao Deji Pharmacy; 9 cotton and woolen fabrics store were set up. Along with the development of the city and the import of large quantities of foreign merchandise commerce, Nanjing Road had experienced rapid developing. Hundreds of big stores and famous shops were opened one after another. With the opening of five department stores, Wing On, Sincere, Sun Sun, Dai Sun and China Chinese Goods, the colorful and brightly lit Nanjing Road became the most bustling commercial street in Shanghai and in the whole country.

Since 1949, it has been totally remolded and the newly rearranged Nanjing Road has become the centre of Shanghai’s busy downtown. Here, one will find hundreds of modern malls, famous old-brand stores and special product shops. It has become the largest collecting and distributing centre of retail goods and an information centre. The every-day visitor flow here reaches over a million person/times. At night, lights glitter in blazing colors, especially at weekends; it becomes a pedestrian walkway for shopping and sightseeing. Nanjing Road, with its magnificent building, shops standing in rows upon rows, bustling street scene and brilliant night view, is worth of its reputation as “China’s No 1 Shopping Street”. On Oct. 1, 1999, “China’s No 1 Shopping Street” was opened as a 24 hour pedestrian walkway extending from Henan Road to Xizang Road. On the northern side of the straight road there is a continuous “golden belt”, collecting artistic sketches, flower-beds and bus-waiting stands, forming a number of movie-like picturesque scenes under the sun light. Shanghai No 1 Department Store, Hualian Commercial Building, and New World Department Store will keep their characteristics of department stores, while the other shops will be turned into “one shop, one commodity”. At the same time, facilities for catering, leisure and recreation will be increased to make Nanjing Road a pedestrians walkway "graceful in the eastern section, special in the middle section and prosperous in the western section".

Shanghai Nanjing Road Travel Tips

Admission Fee: free

Opening Hours: 24 hours (shops open from 09:00-21:00)