Xuhui displays its charms
Hengshan Road
Xuhui is proud of its parks, romantic streets and ambience — and it wants more tourists to sample what the district has to offer.
It is inviting tourists to experience for themselves the charm of Hengfu area (Hengshan Road and Fuxing Road) as well as its Xujiahui area.
To entice more visitors, the district is organizing jogging events, jazz concerts and night tours during the Shanghai Tourism Festival.
The Hengfu area is known as one of the most romantic blocks in Shanghai. It features a cluster of beautiful old villas, plane-lined sidewalks, chic cafes and restaurants as well as a tranquil and laid-back lifestyle.
Every Saturday afternoon from September 16 to October 6, European street artists will play jazz music under plane trees in the area and interact with visitors as part of the 2017 Hengfu Art Festival. Visitors will be invited to join swing dances and "street flash-mob shows," according to the Xuhui District Tourism Administration.
A jogging event will be organized on 2pm every Saturday during the period and those interested in taking part can gather at Hengshanfang on the intersection of Tianping Road and Huaihai Road, which is the starting point.
The jogging course runs through old villas and past the statues of Pushkin and Nie Er, the composer of China’s national anthem, the former residences of writer Ba Jin,eho lived in a garden villa on Wukang Road, and cartoonist Zhang Leping whose two-story villa where he lived for 42 years home was on Wuyuan Road.
Cycling events will also be organized during the festival.
Four jazz concerts will be held at the Wukang Road Tourist Center at night on September 16, 23, 30 and October 1.
About 50 bars, cafes and shops in the area will offer discounts, and handmade ice cream especially designed for the art festival will be served.
On September 22, an old Shanghai music show will be held at Xujiahui Park. Classic old Shanghai songs will feature.
The night tour includes exploring the Little Red House, once the headquarters of Pathe Records, inside the park.
A 3-kilometer walking tour on September 17 will take visitors to a number of art landmarks on the West Bank, including the Long Museum and Shanghai Center of Photography.
At Guilin Park, traditional Chinese operas associated with the Mid-Autumn Festival, which this year’s festival falls on October 4, will be staged, and an ancient music performance will be played amid the fragrance of the osmanthus flower on October 3 and 4.
