The leafy Former French Concession stroll

timeoutshanghai.com/features/Around_Town-Shanghai_walks/35550/The-leafy-Former-French-Concession-stroll.html

Stroll along Route Ferguson, the place for quiet country living in the city

Posted: Friday June 3 2016

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Start at Soong Ching Ling Memorial Residence (1843 Huaihai Zhong Lu), a stately house
of one of the celebrated Soong sisters and the wife of ‘father of the country’ Sun Yat-sen.
Tour the house museum for a glimpse into Soong Ching Ling’s remarkable life. Look for
ships and anchors carved on the window shutters and the fish-shaped weathervane on the
roof – traces of the residence’s original owner Captain Leo R Ball, who lived here from
1922-30 and helped to guide larger ships up the Huangpu River.

2.

normandie-apts-crop

Across the street from Soong Ching Ling’s residence is the Normandie Apartments, one of
Shanghai’s architectural treasures, at 1850 Huaihai Zhong Lu. The French Renaissance-
style building with its grand arcade, ornate cornice, and elegant balconies was designed by
Hungarian master architect Laszlo Hudec, and in the1940s housed a cosmopolitan mix of
international residents and stars of the Chinese silver screen, including Zhao Dan. Walk
into the main lobby to see the original terrazzo floor and the grand flagpole at the entrance.

3.

Walk to the intersection and continue to 390 Wukang Lu. This elegant Mediterranean-style
villa was built for a Mr Alfred Eric Sheppard Thompson, owner of an import-export firm who
lived here from 1918-22. When he went spectacularly bankrupt, the villa was sold to
stockbroker Lewis R Andrews, who lived there from 1928 to 1931, during which time he and
his wife found themselves the victims of an ‘arranged robbery’ with all of Mrs Andrews’
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Paris gowns and every piece of French lingerie stolen, according to the North China Herald.

4.
Walk to 113 Wukang Lu. This 1920s European-style villa with its pebble-dash exterior and
gambrel roof was originally the home of British chemist Dr Alan Richardson and his family
for almost 20 years. By 1955, it became the home of the renowned writer Ba Jin, who lived
here until his death in 2005 (save for a ten-year period when he was relocated during the
Cultural Revolution). Now the Ba Jin House Museum, it’s filled with his books, manuscripts,
photographs and a lovely garden.

5.
Continue to 288 Wuyuan Lu and walk to the end of the lane, where you’ll find the Zhang
Leping Museum (Tue Sun 9am-4.30pm, free). Zhang Leping was the creator of the beloved
San Mao cartoons, the little orphaned boy who navigated his way through the streets of
Shanghai, drawing attention to social injustice and anti Japanese feelings. The first floor of
this beautiful villa features well-curated exhibitions on Zhang Leping’s art, while the upstairs
showcases his bedroom and study, with original furniture.

Adapted from Carolyn Robertson’s Wukang Lu chapter in Historic Shanghai’s newest

book, The Where’s Where of the Who’s Who of Old Shanghai, available at the historic
shanghai website.

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