Hengshan Road Leisure Street

　　Highlights: plane trees, lush greenery, tranquility, exotic charm, European-style architecture, and bars — this is Hengshan Road. Some say: walking along Hengshan Road is like stepping into the diverse elegance of Shanghai. With a history of over 80 years, Hengshan Road stretches 2.3 kilometers from Taojiang Road in the east (connecting Baoqing Road) to Huashan Road in the west. It is Shanghai’s most renowned street for leisure and entertainment. Originally built in 1922, it was once the famous Avenue Petain in the French Concession and was renamed Hengshan Road in October 1943.

　　The road is lined with lush French plane trees, and the shaded areas feature distinctive high-end European-style buildings. Both sides also have European-style pedestrian guardrails, imitation cobblestone-patterned reddish-brown sidewalks, and tree trunk covers. The garden villas along the route have “green walls” that blend into the scenery, resembling a gallery of oil paintings. Among them, the Changde Apartment at No. 195 Changde Road was once the residence of Eileen Chang — the former Edinburgh House.

　　The most charming aspect of Hengshan Road is its bars. At night, the brightly lit bars create a hazy, ambiguous, and uniquely alluring ambiance that attracts visitors from around the world. The bars here come in various styles and sizes — there's the British-style “Longsha,” the American-style “Bobo Street,” the cozy and nostalgic “Time Tunnel,” the Irish-themed “O’Mally,” the East-meets-West “Little Red House,” the avant-garde “True Love,” and the down-to-earth “Fafa Bar.” Nearly every person, regardless of taste or social background, can find their favorite spot on Hengshan Road, enjoying a rare sense of relaxation and ease.

　　Suggested Duration

　　30 minutes; stay out as late as you like for bar-hopping in the evening

　　Transportation

　　Accessible via Line 1 Hengshan Road Station, Line 10 Shanghai Library Station, Lines 7 & 9 Zhaojiabang Road Station; also reachable by buses 167, 816, 315, 320, 824, 830, 93, 96

　　Admission

　　Free

　　Opening Hours

　　Open all day (bars are livelier in the evening)