Overview
The road began as a track to a racecourse in 1851 and became the commercial spine of the International Settlement. Its department stores — Wing On, Sincere — introduced Chinese cities to the format in the 1910s and 1920s, and several buildings survive under new names. East of People’s Square it is a tourist street; west of it, the shops turn to international brands and locals.
Highlights
Walk east to west and end at People’s Square, where the Shanghai Museum holds the best bronzes and ceramics collection in the country, free with booking. The sightseeing train along the pedestrian street is for tired legs, not sights. Come at night, when the neon that gives the street its reputation is lit.