武康路
1.Shanghainese name – Wukon Lu
2.The original name - Route Ferguson 福开森路.
3. It was built in 1897 by John Calvin Ferguson – prominent American educator and president of Nanyang Public School . He invested his own salary into this 'project' to make it easier for colleagues and students to get to the school.
4. In 1907 the government of The French Concession paved and broadened Route Ferguson.
5. In 1943 it was renamed Wukang Road, after Wukang County in nearby Zhejiang Province.
6.Until early 1900s, the neighborhood around Wukang road used to be crisscrossed by farms, graveyards and small creeks.
7. In 2009, Wukang Road was rejuvenated with the goal of reviving its former beauty and making it a nice historical street.
8. Today, Wukang Road is only 1.17 kilometres (0.73 mile) long, but is lined with 37 officially protected historic buildings.They represent a diverse range of architectural styles, including Mediterranean, French Renaissance, English, and Art Deco.
9.It used to be home for numerous Chinese celebrities and politicians, especially during the mid-20th century: First Prime Minister of The Republic of China – Tang Shaoyi, revolutionary Huang Xing, first lady Soong Ching-ling, high-ranking politicians Zhou Fohai, Chen Lifu, Chen Guofu, Chen Yi, Deng Xiaoping, writers Ba Jin, Zheng Zhenduo, Li Shizeng, singer Zhou Xuan, and many movie stars and business tycoons.
10. Some of the most notable buildings are:
The southern end of Wukang Road - Wukang Mansion ( aka Normandie Apartments – the Art Deco giant with a dramatic history)
No. 2 : the Former Residence of Mo Shangqing, "silk czar"
Lane 40, No. 1: the Former Residence of Tang Shaoyi, politician.
No. 115 Art Deco Midget Apartments
No. 113: the Former Residence of the writer Ba Jin . The house was originally built in 1923 in.You can visit it daily - free of charge!
No. 393: the Former residence of Huang Xing, Chinese revolutionary. The south building was built in 1912 and the north building was built in the 1930s. It now houses the Wukang Road Tourist Information Center and the Xuhui Historical Building Art Center.
