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.