French Concession

"Shanghai has always been China’s most cosmopolitan city. After the first Opium War (1839–1842), the city was divided into foreign concessions and entered a golden age, with a thriving nightlife scene, an active film industry, and a booming economy. In the period during which the Japaneseinvaded Shanghai in World War II and afterwards whenthe People’s Republic of China was founded, most of the concessions disappeared—the French Concession is the only one that retains its old name. Its quiet streets are still lined with imported London plane trees, and its regal houses, in architectural styles like French and Spanish Renaissance and art deco, are still intact. This is the perfect neighborhood to take in what remains of Old Shanghai."