Nanjing Road – A Guide to China’s #1 Shopping Street

Stretching for almost 5 KM from the Bund through to Jing’an Temple, Nanjing Road features over 600 business including massive modern multi-level shopping malls, historic stores, specialty stores, theaters, world-class hotels, attractions and much more. Nanjing Road dates back to the Qing Dynasty and many of the same shops are still trading today.

At its eastern end, near to the historic Bund, it begins with flagship stores, malls, restaurants, and cafes that lead into a pedestrian street which stretches from Nanjing Road East Metro station through to Peoples Square Metro Station. The pedestrian section of Nanjing East Road is the main and most popular area, attracting thousands upon thousands of people daily. After Peoples Square Metro Station it then becomes Nanjing West Road.

Historic shops along Nanjing East Road

Shanghai Laojiefu Department 海老介福商厦 (1860) – cloths, silks, and fabrics

Heng Da Li Clocks and Watches Co. 亨达利钟表公司 (1864) – high-end watch and clock sales and repairs

Cai Tong De Pharmacy 蔡同德堂 (1882) – four stories of Chinese Traditional Medicines

Shao Wan Sheng 邵万生 (1852) – Specialty local foods

Duo Yun Xuan 朵云轩 (1900) – Chinese calligraphy and painting

Lao Feng Xiang Jewellers 老凤祥银楼 (1848) – jewellery, gifts, and souvenirs

Heng De Li Clocks and Watches Co.亨得利钟表公司 – Luxury clocks and watches

Guanlong Photographic Equipment Co. Chinese name: 冠龙照相器材公司 – high-end photographic equipment

 

The modern malls along Nanjing East Road

Shanghai Sports Goods General Shop 上海体育用品总店 – all kinds of sports equipment. Address: 2F, 160-166 Nanjing E Rd. (before pedestrian section)

Hualian Commercial Building 上海华联商厦中联店 – fashion and accessories Address: 340 Nanjing Rd Pedestrian St

Shanghai Landmark 上海置地广场 – ten floors of shopping covering homewares, fashion, and accessories. Address: 409 Nanjing Rd Pedestrian St – read more

Shanghai no.1 Department Store 黄浦区南京东路 – an icon of the strip, China’s first department store, now featuring 8 floors of modern shopping retail therapy. Address:  830 Nanjing Rd Pedestrian St – read more

Moving beyond the pedestrian strip and onto Nanjing West Road you’ll find modern malls, restaurants, and cafes aplenty especially around Jing’an which is quite a prosperous area.

 

Highlights along Nanjing West Road

HKRI Taikoo Hui 兴业太古汇 – Impressive new mall, featuring over 250 brands, and loads of eateries. It’s also home to one super-sized Starbucks listed next. Address: 789 Nanjing West Road – read more

Starbucks Reserve Roastery – freshly opened, and now the largest Starbucks store in the world featuring whats described as a multi-sensory experience featuring roastery, three coffee bars offering multiple choices of brewing methods along with a tea bar, artisanal pastries and more.  Address: HKRI Taikoo Hui – 789 Nanjing West Road

Shanghai New World Co., Ltd. (New World City) 上海新世界股份有限公司 – 12 floors of entertainment, shopping, and dining. Home to Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. Address: 68 Nanjing W Rd 黄浦区南京西路 – read more

TAG Heuer – China’s largest store for the Swiss watch brand. Address: 1037 Nanjing W Rd

Westgate Mall (Westgate Isetan) 梅龙镇广场 – mid-level price shopping mall covering 10 floors offering shopping, entertainment, and dining. Address: 1038 Nanjing West Road

CITIC Square 中信泰富广场 – five floors of fashion and dining. Address: 1168 Nanjing W Rd,

Plaza 66 恒隆广场 – High-end luxury brand mall including names such as Prada, Hermes, Christian Dior, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Cartier, Celine, Bvlgari, Loewe, Hugo Boss, Gieves & Hawkes, Lagerfeld, Escada, Versace, and many more. Address: 1266 Nanjing W Rd – read more

Shanghai Center 上海商城 – three floors of luxury brand name fashion such as Salvatore Ferragamo, Gucci, Marc Jacobs, Paul & Shark and more. Address: 1376 Nanjing W Rd.

Jiuguang Department Store  (City Plaza) 久光百货 – 10 floors of shopping, dining, and entertainment. Homewares through to fashion featuring many high-end brands. Address: 1618 Nanjing W Rd.

 

• See my hand-picked list of the Top Hotels in Jing’an District

 

Attractions and Sight-Seeing on Nanjing Road

If you have had your fill of “time-honored brands”, shops, and glitzy malls, then it’s probably time to kick-back a bit more and take in something a little less commercialized. Here are some of the key attractions and sights along Nanjing Road.

The Shanghai Museum 上海博物馆 – open from 9AM-5PM – admission is 20RMB – The world’s largest museum of Chinese bronze works, also China’s number one museum for art and artifacts. Address: 201 Renmin Dadao 人民路201号 (near People’s Square)

Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall 上海城市规划展示馆 – open from 9AM-5PM Closed on Mondays – sounds boring and bureaucratic, but you are sure to be amazed. Discover how planners envisage the future of Shanghai and be stunned by the to-scale model of inner Shanghai that takes u an entire floor. Address:100 Renmin Da Dao 人民大道100号

 

Jing’an Temple 静安寺 – open from 07:30am-5PM – A recently restored Buddhist temple that dates back to the Southern Song Dynasty almost 800 years ago, well worth a visit. There is a delicious vegetarian restaurant and bakery on it’s Nanjing West Road frontage. Jing’an Temple Metro Station and take Exit 1, you can’t miss it.

Shanghai Theatre – Shows at 7.30pm daily – acrobatic show including tightrope, spinning plates and much more. Address: First Floor, Shanghai Centre, 1376 Nanjing Xi Lu, near Xikang Lu, Jingan district 静安区南京西路1376号上海商城1楼,近西康路 Schedule: http://www.shanghaicentre.com/

Shanghai Madame Tussauds Wax Museum – 上海杜莎夫人蜡像馆 – Celebrities in wax – Address: 10th floor of the New World Department Store 68 Nanjing W Rd 黄浦区南京西路

 

Getting to Nanjing Road

You can start from the Bund and walk down Nanjing East Road which still continues in the same colonial architecture style as the Bund.

Alternatively, take metro line 2 or 10 to Nanjing East Road and you are at the start of Nanjing Pedestrian Street.

Alternatively, take metro Line 1, Line 2 or Line 8 and get off at People’s Square, this puts you right in the middle where you can walk east and head down the pedestrian street towards the Bund or head west towards the shopping malls that line Nanjing Road West and onwards to Jing’an Temple.

 

Visiting Tips

There are lots of touts, people offering anything from cheap iPhones, ‘students’ offering free tea parties, and even sexual services, it’s best to firmly and sincerely say no thanks, skip it and move on.

It gets busy and if it’s a holiday it can be really packed, which for some people takes the enjoyment out of things getting caught in a river of people. It works best to be a contrarian, so, when everyone is eating lunch, go do your strolling and window shopping, when everyone is doing that, go eat your lunch.

Also, good restaurants get busy at 12-1 and 6-8, get in early and beat the rush.

If you are not big on walking, just go straight to the pedestrian section, and later if you like, catch the metro to Jingan Station to see the temple and nearby mall.

Shop open hours are generally from 10 am to 10 pm.

Where to start? Unless you want to visit particular shops on the eastern end of Nanjing East Road, I would start at the pedestrian street section (at Nanjing East Road Station), it has the most character and culture, and it also changes from day to night and is well worth visiting at both times especially if you are into photography. Then see the attractions centered around Peoples Square, then check out Taikoo Hui and the Starbucks roastery, then visit Jingan Temple and City Plaza. How long you spend here depends on how long you browse, maybe 4 hours for the above plan. If time is short, an hour just at Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street is OK too.

Hotels on Nanjing Road and where to stay? Check out our hand-picked list of the top 4 and 5 star hotels with reviews here.

 

Nanjing Road Map

On the map you can see the transparent orange overlay, that’s the full length of Nanjing Road. The blue line in the middle of that is the pedestrian st. It also features the metro stations and my personal picks for the top places to stay.