Private Walking Tour In The Former French Concession

Sightseeing  :  China  :  Eastern China  :  Shanghai  :  Walking Tours

The former French Concession is always the highlight of a visit to Shanghai. It also becomes the city's hottest and hippest neighborhood, where trendy bars and clubs multiply like mushrooms after a rainstorm. The area still holds something of the alluring mix of scrappy Shanghainese street life, shopworn European colonial charm, Art Deco edifices, hidden brick courtyards and film noir intrigue that have, along with the proud stone edifices of the bund and the twisting alleys of Shanghai's Old city, long defined Shanghai in the Western popular imagination. Shanghai's idiosyncratic push-pull between new and old, development and preservation, takes a special form in the French Concession, making it an absolutely unique urban experience.This tour is designed for city walkers, and minimum walking time is 4 hours. Your English tour guide will lead you through architecture of 1930's Art Deco and leading about modern history of China from 1850 to 1950. You will get to know the environment and culture during this relax walking tour.

You will be visiting following places:

• Okura Garden Hotel: The former French club, the lobby in eastern part shows the best case for French classical style in interior design.
• Lanxin Theatre: The first western style theatre in Shanghai.
• Cathay Mansion: Formerly owned by famous Sassoon's family, known for hosting distinguished guests worldly wide since 1950's as well as its typical Art Deco style.
• King Albert Apartment: Another name popularly known as Royal Garden, built by French Catholic church for expatriates living in Shanghai. Walking through this living community, which is now hidden between two busy narrow streets, one may take a close look to the French Concession.
• The former residence of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen: A museum of China's revolutionary history.
• St. Nicholas Church: An Orthodox church built by Russian expatriates in 1920s, small but delicate.
• Fuxing Park: The only one French style garden in the country, which experienced a lot of changes during the past 100 years. Now stays popular both for senior's exercises in the morning and party animals' gathering in the evening for its club and KTV partyworld.

The walking tours that are designed for the ones of same interests with different options at - routes to go, ways to do and certainly, stories to hear from selected guides who are fond of this part of Shanghai history themselves. Tour duration: 4 hours minimum on foot. This tour offers a choice of morning and afternoon departure time (9:30am or 2:00pm). Your guide will come to meet you at your hotel lobby, and either take taxi or public transportation to attractions at your own cost. After tour, your tour guide will arrange taxi for you to go back to your hotel or you can spend time to walk around in the city by yourself.