Hotels near The Former French Concession

The Former French Concession was administered by France from 1849 until 1943, and the physical legacy is a district of low-rise villas, garden apartments and avenues lined with London plane trees that the French planted. It covers parts of Xuhui and Huangpu, and it looks and feels unlike anywhere else in the city.

Wukang Road is the best single street, anchored by the wedge-shaped Wukang Mansion of 1924, designed by the Hungarian-Slovak architect Laszlo Hudec. Anfu Road and Wuyuan Road carry independent coffee shops, wine bars and small galleries. Fuxing Park, laid out by the French in 1909, is where locals dance and play cards in the early morning.

Pro Tip: Walk this district rather than plan it. Start at Wukang Mansion, head east along Wukang Road and turn wherever the trees look best. Sunday mornings are quietest and the light through the plane trees between 8am and 10am is the reason photographers come here.