Tenth Avenue (Great Shanghai Road)

Tenth Avenue (Great Shanghai Road)
Name	Tenth Avenue (Great Shanghai Road)
Location	Shanghai

Tenth Avenue (Great Shanghai Road) is an historic urban thoroughfare in Shanghai that has functioned as a commercial spine, transport axis, and cultural corridor since the late 19th century. Originally laid out during the treaty-port expansion that followed the First Opium War and the Treaty of Nanking, the avenue traverses districts associated with colonial concession planning, wartime occupation, and postwar redevelopment. Its changing built fabric reflects interactions among British, French, Qing, Republic of China and PRC influences.

History

The avenue’s origins are rooted in the treaty-port era after the Treaty of Nanking opened Shanghai to foreign settlement alongside streets such as Nanjing Road and The Bund. During the late 19th century growth driven by firms like the Shanghai Municipal Council and banks such as the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation shaped its early commercial character. In the 1920s and 1930s, migration linked to the May Fourth Movement and industrial investment from conglomerates like Jardine Matheson contributed to its cosmopolitan population, alongside districts associated with the Shanghai International Settlement and the French Concession. The avenue was a scene of contestation during the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Battle of Shanghai (1937), when occupation policies and wartime logistics altered retail patterns and housing. Under Mao Zedong-era planning after 1949, state-owned enterprises such as China National Textile Corporation and institutions like the Shanghai Municipal Government repurposed warehouses and showrooms for industrial use. Economic reforms associated with Deng Xiaoping and the Reform and Opening-up transformed the avenue again into a site of private investment, multinational retail, and transit-oriented development.

Route and Description

The avenue runs roughly north–south, linking riverfront precincts near Huangpu River with inner-city hubs adjacent to People's Square and connecting to radial roads such as Yan'an Road and Zhongshan Road. Its alignment cuts across administrative boundaries that include parts of Huangpu District, Jing'an District, and Xuhui District, and it intersects with major nodes like Century Avenue and Henan Road. Streetscape varies from wide boulevards lined with plane trees to narrower lanes abutting lane-house neighborhoods associated with shikumen typology. Land use transitions from wholesale markets and wholesale houses near port terminals to boutique retail, office towers anchored by firms like China Merchants Group, and cultural venues adjacent to institutions such as the Shanghai Museum and the Shanghai Grand Theatre.

Architecture and Notable Buildings

Architectural styles along the avenue span late Qing commercial blocks, Art Deco apartment buildings, and Modernist postwar structures. Notable surviving facades include examples comparable to those found along The Bund—eclectic facades influenced by Renaissance Revival and Beaux-Arts traditions—and urban housing resembling shikumen courtyards associated with developers who worked in the International Settlement. Former banks and trading houses have been adapted into galleries and hotels in ways similar to conversions on Nanjing Road; several warehouses echo the cast-iron structures seen in Shanghainese industrial architecture. Landmark structures referenced by preservationists include former branch offices of Standard Chartered and former factories linked to the Shanghai Textile Industry Bureau, while newer skyscrapers reflect the influence of architects who previously worked on projects for firms such as Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and Foster + Partners in Shanghai.

Transportation and Infrastructure

Historically, the avenue was served by trams introduced in the early 20th century, emulating networks that connected nodes like Longhua Temple and Jing'an Temple. Tramlines were later replaced by bus routes operated by entities antecedent to current operators such as Shanghai No.1 Public Transport Co., Ltd.. The road is integrated into Shanghai’s rapid transit system with nearby stations on lines of the Shanghai Metro and interchanges connecting to arterial expressways tied to the Huangpu River Tunnel. Freight movement historically linked the avenue to the Shanghai Port complex and logistics yards managed by companies similar to COSCO Shipping. Utility corridors under the roadway have been the focus of modernization projects coordinated with agencies including the Shanghai Municipal Engineering Design Institute.

Cultural and Economic Significance

As a locus of commerce, the avenue hosted trading firms, department stores, and markets that served both expatriate communities and Chinese entrepreneurs associated with families like the Soong family and firms such as Shun Tak Holdings. Cultural life along the corridor has included theaters, teahouses, and cinemas that programmed works from studios like Shaw Brothers Studio and later film festivals linked to institutions such as the Shanghai International Film Festival. The avenue figured in literary and photographic depictions of Shanghai by authors and artists associated with the Treaty Port literature and movements tied to magazines comparable to L'Illustration and The Shanghai Literary Review. In recent decades, the corridor’s retail mix has attracted multinational brands alongside local design ateliers from districts like Tianzifang and creative clusters akin to M50.

Preservation and Redevelopment

Preservation debates have pitted conservationists advocating for protection of shikumen and Art Deco facades against developers pursuing projects similar to redevelopment in Xintiandi and the Lujiazui model. Municipal initiatives have designated sections as historical blocks comparable to measures protecting areas around Fuxing Park and have encouraged adaptive reuse to reconcile heritage with office conversions and boutique hospitality. Redevelopment projects often involve partnerships between state-owned enterprises and private investors such as property groups modeled on China Vanke and SOHO China, with impact assessments conducted by bodies like the Shanghai Planning and Land Resources Administration. Ongoing tensions concern displacement of long-term residents, preservation of intangible heritage associated with local guilds and temples, and integration of green infrastructure promoted by policies at the level of the Shanghai Municipal Government.

Category:Streets in Shanghai