点评:The French Concession was a foreign concession in Shanghai between 1849 to 1946, and it was progressively expanded between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The area covered by the former French Concession in the 20th century was the premier residential and retail districts of Shanghai, and was also the centre of Catholicism in Shanghai. Despite rampant re-development over the last few decades, the area retains a distinct character, and is one of many popular tourist destinations.
During our walk-about there, we saw many historical but nice buildings and houses that could be dated back centuries ago and of course the more recent ones, linked to the three Song sisters and family, with the famous ones married to the revoluntionary leader, Dr Sun Yat Sen and Chiang Kai-Shek, who later lost the civil war and fled to Taiwan. During those days, they were the prominent figures there and owned many properties in the city.
While these houses and buildings have been retained and renovated, many of them have given way to the modern development as they are now education and enrichment centers, cafes, fashion boutiques, art galleries. Some have been transformed to hotels or highend restaurants too.
The road scenes are nice and serene. Right by the best way to explore is by foot, via the small roads and lanes to get up and close to the buildings and feel their cultural presence and context!
翻译:法租界是 1849 年至 1946 年上海的外国租界,并在 19 世纪末至 20 世纪初逐渐扩大。20 世纪前法租界所覆盖的地区是上海首屈一指的住宅和零售区,也是上海天主教的中心。尽管过去几十年来,该地区经历了大范围的重新开发,但仍然保留了独特的特色,是众多热门旅游目的地之一。
在我们漫步期间,我们看到了许多历史悠久但漂亮的建筑和房屋,它们可以追溯到几个世纪前,当然也有一些较新的建筑,与宋氏三姐妹及其家族有关,其中著名的几位嫁给了革命领袖孙中山和蒋介石,蒋介石后来在内战中失败并逃往台湾。在那些日子里,他们是那里的显赫人物,在城里拥有许多房产。
虽然这些房屋和建筑被保留和翻新,但其中许多已被现代化发展所取代,因为它们现在是教育和充实中心、咖啡馆、时装精品店、艺术画廊。有些还被改造成酒店或高档餐厅。
道路景色优美而宁静。顺便说一句,最好的探索方式是步行,通过小路和小巷靠近建筑物,感受它们的文化气息和背景!