Wukang Road (武康路)
Open neighbourhood · Xuhui · Shanghai. A plane-tree street of 1920s–30s villas ending at the ship-shaped Wukang Mansion.
Source: https://chinafootnotes.com/places/wukang-road · Data checked 2026-10-02 · Rendered for 2026-10-03 (Asia/Shanghai). Facts carry their status; "not found yet" means we searched and found no reliable source.
Notices in effect
- 2026-09-24 to 2026-10-07: Free 'Wutong Leying' music bus, 13:00 and 15:30 daily from Shanghai South Railway Station (Route 867 terminus) through the Hengfu area.
Why go
Wukang Road (武康路) is the best-known street of the former French Concession: about 1.2 km of plane trees, villas and apartment buildings from the 1910s–30s running from Huashan Road to Huaihai Middle Road. At its south end stands Wukang Mansion (武康大楼), a wedge-shaped 1924 apartment block that is one of Shanghai's most photographed buildings. Come for a slow architecture walk with cafés and small shops along the way.
What to do
- Photograph Wukang Mansion. Wukang Mansion (武康大楼) stands where Wukang Road meets Huaihai Middle Road. Designed by László Hudec in 1924 and still lived in, you can photograph its wedge-shaped “bow” from the opposite pavement or another lawful standing area; keep moving through the crossing.
- Ask at the tourist centre. The Wukang Road Tourist Information Centre occupies a 1912/1933 Neoclassical-to-Art-Deco building at 393 Wukang Road.
- Step into Ferguson Lane. Ferguson Lane (武康庭, 376 Wukang Road) is a small courtyard of red-brick buildings with cafés, restaurants, galleries and shops — a good coffee stop halfway along.
- Walk north under the plane trees. Pass the Former Residence of Ba Jin (巴金故居, 113 Wukang Road) for its exterior. Indoor visits depend on a reopening notice after renovation; do not assume the house is open.
- Continue to Anfu Road. Turn off Wukang Road onto Anfu Road (安福路), about ten minutes' walk, for independent boutiques, bakeries and vintage shops.
- Don't miss: Normandie Apartments' ground-floor arcade along Huaihai Road — cross at the pedestrian crossing to see the arches up close.
- Best time: 06:00–08:00 or a weekday morning
- Skip if: Skip it if you only want one photo of Wukang Mansion and dislike crowds at the crossing; the rest of the street rewards a slow walk.
Practical details
- Hours: Public street; venue hours vary
- Wukang Mansion is a residential building; visitors cannot go inside.
- Hongkou District said on 24 Sep 2026 that the Former Residence of Ba Jin was closed for renovation; no reopening notice was established as of 3 Oct.
- Admission: Free public street
- Booking: No booking for the street
- Public street walking needs no reservation; Ba Jin residence admission is a separate matter and it was closed for renovation in the 24 Sep notice.
- Last admission: No last entry on a public street
- Time to allow: 1.5–3 hr with Anfu Road
- Getting there: Lines 10 / 11 · Jiaotong University
- Metro Line 10/11 to Jiaotong University (交通大学), about 10 min walk
- Metro Line 10 to Shanghai Library (上海图书馆), about 10 min walk
- Show a taxi driver: 武康大楼，徐汇区淮海中路与武康路路口（武康路393号游客中心附近）
- Map: Apple Maps · Amap 高德
- In 2024, shops between Jiaotong University station and Wukang Mansion offered luggage storage at ¥10–20 per case per day.
- Address: 武康路，徐汇区 / Wukang Road, Xuhui district. The government guide lists the visitor information centre at 393 Wukang Road.
- Foreign visitors: Public street; no ticket checkout
Not found yet
- hours.notes: Hongkou District announced Ba Jin’s former residence closed for renovation on 24 September 2026, without a reopening date; ordinary visitor hours after reopening remain unknown. (searched: WebSearch, Sogou web, media)
- transport.metro[1].exit: Only one visitor names Shanghai Library station, without an exit. (searched: Trip.com Moments, Sogou web, DDG, government)
- hours: No official 24-hour street-hours statement; Ba Jin residence has a recent closure notice and other venues keep separate hours. (searched: Shanghai government scenic page, visitor guide)
- transport.metro[0].exit: Only wk-got names Exit 7; the second visitor gives the station but no exit. (searched: official/government web, local news/guide, individual visitor posts)
Traveler tips
- Take Line 10 or 11 to Jiaotong University, Exit 7. Take Metro Lines 10 or 11 to Jiaotong University (交通大学), then walk to Wukang Mansion at the Huaihai Road end of Wukang Road. One 2026 visitor used Exit 7 and described a 5–10 minute walk; check the station map for current exit access. Caveat: Exit 7 has one non-commercial traveller report plus a commercial team guide. Neither establishes a current official exit recommendation, and the guide does not substantiate a Shanghai Library Exit 3 route. source
- Shoot the mansion from the opposite pavement. Photograph Wukang Mansion from the opposite pavement or another lawful standing area. Cross streets only with the pedestrian signal and keep moving through the crossing; do not stop in the roadway for a picture. source
- Come at 06:00–08:00 to beat the crowd. A crowd of photographers usually lines the road opposite the mansion. Two 2026 visitors recommend early morning — one says 06:00–08:00, with soft light, little traffic and almost nobody else — or early evening. Weekdays are calmer than weekends. (3 travelers) source
- Do not try to go inside Wukang Mansion. Wukang Mansion is still a residential building with about 700 residents. A guard at the entrance keeps visitors out and there are no interior tours, so admire the facade from the street and keep doorways clear. source
- Walk the whole street, not just the mansion. Visitors who walked on found the street more interesting than the single famous building: boutiques, small lifestyle shops, cafés and restaurants line Wukang Road, and Ferguson Lane (武康庭, 376 Wukang Road) is a courtyard of cafés and galleries. Walking or using a shared bike lets you stop when something catches your eye. (2 travelers) source
- Continue to Anfu Road for shops and bakeries. Start at Wukang Road and then walk into Anfu Road (安福路), about ten minutes away: tree-lined, with European-style houses, bakeries, cafés, fashion and design shops and bookshops. Do not plan the side streets too tightly; wandering is the point. (2 travelers) source
- Ride the free 'Wutong' music bus. From 24 September to 7 October 2026, Xuhui District runs a free themed bus at 13:00 and 15:30 daily from the Route 867 terminus at Shanghai South Railway Station (south square). It passes Yongfu Road/Hunan Road, Wulumuqi Road/Anfu Road, Xiangyang Park and Fuxing Road/Fenyang Road, with live music at stops such as Ferguson Lane, then returns to the station. source
- Check museum days before you go. The Former Residence of Ba Jin (巴金故居, 113 Wukang Road) is a historic house on the walking route. The latest district notice found says it is closed for renovation, so plan to view the exterior instead of expecting entry. Check for a newer reopening notice before an indoor visit. Caveat: Hongkou District published the closure notice on 24 September 2026; last checked on 3 October. It gave no reopening date, so this reminder has no invented end date. source
- Leave luggage at a shop near the station. If you arrive with a suitcase, many shops on the stretch between Jiaotong University station and Wukang Mansion have joined luggage-storage platforms; in 2024 they charged ¥10–20 per case for the day. Caveat: Price from a June 2024 report. source
- Try the bakeries nearby. A Reddit visitor in August 2026 went back several times to Apoli Ita, a bakery near Wukang Road, for its pastries; the street and Anfu Road have many bakeries and cafés for a break. (2 travelers) source
Sources
- Shanghai Municipal People's Government (published 2023-12-18)
- Shanghai Municipal People's Government (published 2024-06-27)
- Shanghai Municipal People's Government (source: 上海发布) (published 2023-12-18)
- Shanghai Municipal People's Government (news) (published 2024-06-27)
- 上海徐汇 (Xuhui District official WeChat) (published 2026-09-24)
- Kenny132 (Trip.com Moments) (published 2026-09-29)
- gotravelling (Trip.com Moments) (published 2026-09-28)
- TheSofaView (Trip.com Moments) (published 2026-09-04)
- _TI***ee (Trip.com Moments) (published 2026-08-24)
- Sienna.trip (Trip.com Moments) (published 2026-08-23)
- Paopaoeiei (Trip.com Moments) (published 2026-09-18)
- Liliia_lilium (Trip.com Moments) (published 2026-08-27)
- Peroksa (Trip.com Moments) (published 2026-08-12)
- Mkiki (Trip.com Moments) (published 2026-09-08)
- Rani Mamahit (Trip.com Moments) (published 2026-09-23)
- u/LLL_Elisa (Reddit r/travelchina) (published 2026-08-20)
- Hongkou District People’s Government (published 2026-09-24)
- Wander in China (published 2026-07-21)