Xujiahui was historically land owned by Ming dynasty bureaucrat and scientist Xu Guangqi, and later donated to the Roman Catholic Church.

Vestiges of the French influence can still be seen in the St. Ignatius Cathedral of Shanghai, Xuhui College, the Xujiahui Observatory, and some remaining boulevards and French-style districts.

The former French neighborhoods in parts of Xuhui today constitute some of the city's most popular café areas,[3] including places such as pedestrian Tianzifang.

[citation needed] In the 1990s, the Shanghai municipal government developed the district as a commercial zone.

[citation needed] A once-prominent commercial area in the district was the Xiangyang Crafts and Gifts Market, a haven for souvenirs and intellectual property-infringing products; it was closed on June 30, 2006, by municipal authorities.

[5] Toei Animation Shanghai has its head office in Unit 807 of Feidiao International Plaza in the district.