Fuzhou Road

Fuzhou Road is a renowned location in China because of its rich history and interesting cultural transformation. During the 19th century, this street was also known for the numerous brothels. There were almost 151 brothels that lined the streets and were called “singsong houses” to subtly disguise them. Interestingly, these establishments co-exist along with stores for books and school supplies.

Today, the brothels have long gone, and the remaining establishments are the more wholesome stores. This street is still the place to be when it comes to books, stationery, and school supplies. Aside from such establishments, there are also theaters and cinemas for family entertainment.

The Fuzhou Road has long been known as the “Culture Street”, though of course, this has a different meaning during the days when the brothels still existed. These days, it is still coined as Culture Street because of the musical and theatrical presentations.

Places to Visit

There are more than 30 different bookstores within the area of Fuzhou Road. In all of Shanghai, it is the place that has the highest density of book stores. Hence, people who are looking for a new book to read or an excellent reference textbook go to this place. The wonderful thing about Fuzhou Road is that it not only offers books. It is also the place where traditional Western and Chinese arts and crafts can be found. There are also places for music and film.

The Shanghai Foreign Languages Bookstore offers three floors of various book titles, both in English and Chinese. It is where contemporary magazines and reading materials can be found. There are also books for ancient Western and Eastern cultures and a whole lot more.

Address: 390 Fuzhou Road, Shanghai

The Shanghai Book City is also frequented by hundreds of visitors daily because of its extensive collection of videos, music, and movies, which come in CD, DVD, and cassette tape format. The different titles are found on the 6th floor of the 7-storey building.

Address: 465 Fuzhou Road, Shanghai

To be able to find some interesting antique pieces, the right place to check out is the Gudian Shoucang Antique Shop. It is the place where century-old antique items can be found and some of which are authenticated to have come from the era of ancient Chinese dynasties. The store sells not only decorative home items like wall hangings, storage chests, and furniture, but also some fine jewelry.

Address: 683 Fuzhou Road, Shanghai

Who says traditional Chinese theater shows can no longer be found these days? The Yifu Theater in Fuzhou Road attracts many local and foreign visitors because of its fabulous presentations. This is also known as the Tianchan Beijing Opera. The history of this cultural place dates back to 1925, and it was restored in 1994. The reason why the Tianchan Beijing Opera was renamed as Yifu Theater is that the reconstruction in 1994 was funded by Mr. Shao Yifu, who is a Hong Kong-based entrepreneur and aficionado of the Peking Opera. This two-floor theater can accommodate up to 928 seats.

Address: 701 Fuzhou Road, Shanghai; It is close to Yunnan Zhong Road

Fuzhou Road is also dotted with several restaurants and food stops that serve sumptuous local and international cuisines. Among the more popular ones is the Lao Zheng Xing, which is known for its Suzhou dishes.

• Location: Fuzhou Road
• Ticket Price: Free
• Opening Hours: No limit
• Performance Time: Between 1:30 pm to 7:15 pm

Best Time to Visit

Fuzhou Road is filled with energy all year round. Both the quintessential stores and bigger establishments are open the entire year during normal business hours.

How to Get There?

• Bus Routes: No.17,49,123,66,20
• Metro No.1 line, People's Square Station