French Concession

French Concession, Shanghai- 3/2023

After China’s loss in the Opium Wars in 1842 Shanghai, among other cities, was forced to open their ports to facilitate free trade for the Western powers. In 1849, the government of Shanghai conceded a large of segment of land to the French consulate and it was administered by the French government from 1849 until 1946. The French Concession progressively expanded in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The concession came to an end in 1943, when Vichy France under German pressure signed it over to the pro-Japanese Reorganized National Government of China in Nanjing. For much of the 20th century, the area covered by the former French Concession remained the premier residential and retail district of Shanghai, and was also one of the center of Catholicism in China. Despite re-development over the last few decades, the area retains a distinct character and is a popular tourist destination.

The French Concession is known to be lined with beautiful London Plane trees.

The tree-lined avenues and the many fine old houses in the area still retain an air of the "Paris of the East"

City planners call it a super tree. Its secret is its peculiar camouflage-patterned bark, which peels off in quick succession, allowing the tree to ‘clean’ itself from pollution. As a result, it has a high tolerance to pests and diseases, and captures smog and carbon well. Additionally, it can handle temperatures both high and low. It needs little water but also survives an abundance of it. It can handle heavy pruning. It grows in most soils, and because it has shallow roots it doesn’t break up roads. Its leafy canopy on top of crooked branches provides shade in hot summers.

In 1887, the French Concession authorities spent a fortune in silver to purchase plane trees from France, and the trees soon became very popular in the city. By 1902, the trees planted in upscale residential areas along Avenue Joffre (present-day Huaihai Road) in the French Concession were almost exclusively plane trees.

Hunan road. We usually walk around 6:30am and the streets in our neighborhood is pretty deserted.

Two out of tree trees in Shanghai are plane trees.

The plane trees lining the street are so gorgeous.

A recycle collector on his motor bike early in the morning.

A building from 1920

The Orthodox Church of our lady Hall on Xinle road. It is the largest Russian Orthodox church in Shanghai

Xiangyang Road

Julu Road

Apartments on Julu road

Xiangyang Park on Huaihai Middle Road

A lot of people come here to exercise and dance in the square at Xiangyang Park

Huaihai Middle Road

The French built many houses in a colonial-era style, dubbed by the locals as ‘Lao Yang Fang’ (‘Old foreign houses’), from lane houses to Normandy cottages.