Fuzhou Road

Fuzhou Road has historically been a center of the publication and book sale industries in Shanghai, though it is also home to theatres, museums, and restaurants.

[6] As the Shanghai port expanded and the French Concession and International Settlement developed, Fuzhou became a popular location for shops selling both Chinese- and foreign-language publications.

[2] Consequently, through the middle of the 20th century, Fuzhou Road and the surrounding area gained a reputation for literary products, being the location of various bookstores, stationary shops, and publication houses.

[2] At its peak, the road was home to more than 300 bookstores, as well as dozens of newspapers and hundreds of magazines;[7] it was thus the center of the publication industry in country.

[7] Fuzhou Road was also the location of numerous Chinese restaurants, including the Cantonese-style Hang Fa Lau and the Beijing-style Da Ya Loo.

[8] The Hui Le Li, for instance, had more than a hundred and fifty sing-song girls at its peak,[11] and for a time prostitutes could also be found at teahouses, theatres, and restaurants.

[8] Other administrative buildings included the Central Police Station and the Shanghai Volunteer Corps.

In 1998, the 10,000-square-metre (110,000 sq ft) Shanghai Book City opened, drawing large crowds.