Shanghai: The Former French Concession (ongoing)

[giallo]

I've been a resident of the Former French Concession (FFC) neighbourhood for over 3 years, and since moving here, I've gained a massive amount of respect for my surroundings. It's an oasis deep inside an ever-expanding grey monolith. An almost unbroken mirror in to Shanghai's colonial past. The fact that it still exists at all is due to the dedication of passionate locals that have fought hard to have many of the buildings obtain a protective heritage status, and the marketplace that values the area, and is willing to pay the (relative) high price to work, shop or live here. Without these two reasons, I believe the FFC would only live on in black and white photos.

Rather than put this with my other Shanghai photo thread, I decided to give it an ongoing, dedicated spot where people can come, and view pictures about the FFC, and the FFC only. The Former French Concession is large. It spans three districts, and can't possibly be covered properly in a couple photo walks.

So let's begin.

This thread has been a long time coming. I wanted to start it last spring, but seeing as this thread will focus more on the architecture and urban realm of the neighbourhood, it makes much more sense to do it in the winter. The Former French Concession's streets are lined with century-old maples planted by the French, and with only around 15 feet or so between each tree, it becomes almost impossible to shoot the buildings. The tree canopy's leaves are too thick to be able to take detailed photos of the surroundings. The streets are a beautiful sight in the summer, it's just not the best season to shoot the FFC's built environment.


We'll start with a satellite photo of Shanghai, and the FFC's placement (roughly) within it.

fc aerial new by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr


Zoomed in.

fc new by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr


This day's walkabout (right to left and down).

Starting on Anfu Rd., walking down Wukang Rd., and ending on Huaihai Rd.

french concession space 3 by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr


Anfu Rd. is a small, residential street with a decent mix of restaurants, cafes and clothing shops. Some of the old houses have been fitted for offices and retail.

fc 1 by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr



fc 2 by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr



fc 3 by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr



fc 4 by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr



fc 5 by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr



fc 6 by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr



fc 7 by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr



fc 39 by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr



Walking south on Wukang Rd.

fc 8 by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr



fc 9 by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr



fc 10 by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr



fc 11 by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr



fc 12 by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr



fc 13 by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr



fc 14 by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr



fc 15 by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr



fc 16 by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr



fc 17 by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr



fc 18 by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr



fc 19 by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr



fc 20 by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr



fc 21 by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr



fc 22 by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr



fc 23 by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr



fc 24 by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr



fc 25 by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr



fc 26 by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr



fc 27 by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr



fc 28 by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr



fc 29 by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr



fc 35 by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr



fc 36 by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr



fc 37 by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr



fc 30 by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr



fc 31 by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr



fc 33 by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr



fc 34 by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr



fc 38 by Andrew Rochfort, on Flickr


If you have any questions about the FFC or any of the images, feel free to ask. I'm by no means an expert on the area, but I'll do my best.


Next up: The coziness of Shaanxi Rd.