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May 27, 2017

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Ricksha trip through Nanjing Road in 1925

Source: Shanghai Daily | 00:00 UTC+8 May 27, 2017 | Print Edition

FOR the traveler who wants to make a thorough tour of the town, or as thorough as his limited time will allow, there is no better way than to get in a ricksha and follow several of the most interesting thoroughfares, getting off from the vehicles at time and exploring some of the more obscure places.

The following routes will be found to be among the most interesting for the tourists. It starts at the corner of the Bund and Nanking Road and proceeds along the latter road.

Starting west we passed first several curio shops on the left hand side, then the section of the foreign department stores is reached. In the section most of the foreigners’ requirements in the matter of clothing and outfitting can be attended to. A number of excellent lace and embroidery shops are also to be found here. Foreign teashops and confectionery stores follow. This section extends for three long blocks.

Passing Henan Road on the right is a very shabby-looking old building with a strange air of reserve and secrecy. No. 49. This is one of the oldest foreign buildings in the settlement. Many years ago when Shanghai was young and land was cheap, a number of young men in the settlement formed a bowling club and erected their club-house here, the Bowling Alley Club.

The town grew and the land soared in value, but the club remained and once or twice a week some of the very old-timers still come and seem to greatly enjoy the privilege of playing kitties on one of the most valuable pieces of land in the settlement. The club is one of the most exclusive in Shanghai, 24 members only, and to remove one single cobweb from the dusty rafters of their house in the eyes of the members treason of the blackest.

Here also, next door, the visitor will receive an idea of what the Maloo of 10 or 20 years ago looked like. The gorgeous gilded and carved shop front with its sharply up-curving roofs and balconies, and intricately fretted jalousies, and general Chu Chin Chow atmosphere, is one of the last survivors of this delightfully attractive type of building in the street. Modern buildings with an abundance of stucco in Chinese designs, aptly dubbed “comprador-esque,” are unfortunately usurping command of the street.

We are now in the district of Chinese shops. Notice the food shops with their displays of pressed or varnished ducks, and other weird and fearsome looking confections, next see the big silk and silver hongs. These should be visited. Two of the best-known Chinese silk shops in the settlement. Laou Kiu Chwang and Leou Kiu Luen will be found on opposite sides of the street within a short distance of each other in big modern buildings.

Here on the right side is a “joss-goods” shop — incense sticks, joss-paper, imitation sycee, silver dollars, clothing, furniture, etc — for the use of the department “devotional articles” of all sorts. There is a reason for this shop’s situation. Right next door ... in the middle of the bustle and hurry of the busiest street in the Orient we are suddenly in the semi-dark, incense-laden atmosphere of a temple, Hong Miao.

A prosperous, well-patronized Chinese merchant hurries in for a moment to arrange matters with his favorite deity — at so much per matter to the bland-faced priest. Notice that fat old comprador, with the twinkle in his eye and the large cigar just emerging. He has been in to “chin-chin joss” to make sure that the deal he has in mind with a foreign hong will be all his way. The chief gods represented here are Kwan-yin, the Goddess of Mercy, and Midoh and Waydoh, the coming and present Buddhas, with many lesser luminaries.

Past the Chekiang Road, a tremendously busy cross-town thoroughfare, we are between the splendid department stores of the Wing On Co and the Sincere Co. Both these are owned and operated entirely by Chinese.

After passing this part of Nanking Road the traffic becomes less congested. On the left side of the road, the next building of interest is the Town Hall, which houses the market and the public library.

We now come to Tibet Road, formerly defense creek and the former limit of the international settlement. Beyond lies the racecourse and the New World, a Chinese amusement house, containing singing, theaters, restaurants and hundreds of other amusements.

 

— Excerpt from an article named “Ricksha Trips Through City Worth While; Good Routes, Nanking Road Principal Thoroughfare in Shanghai” in 1925 in The China Press

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