Though it’s most well known as a city of commerce, Shanghai is also one of the centers of China’s fashion industry, and Nanjing Road is the center of fashion in Shanghai. The 3.5 mile long street is one of the busiest shopping streets in Shanghai, and indeed all of China. Once a British Concession and thus a center for imports, Nanjing Road today is a great place to shop for both low and high end imports and exports, in short all things fashion.

The eastern end of Nanjing Road is a pedestrian zone. Big names like Mont Blanc, Tiffany and Dunhill all have stores on Nanjing Road, but smaller stores do very well there too. Of the 600 plus businesses on Nanjing Road a majority are western, but the street is known for being on the cutting edge of upcoming trends so local designers do well there too.

Of course, when you take a break from all that shopping, you will need to eat. Big western chains like McDonald’s, KFC and Pizza Hut all have franchises there, and there are plenty of smaller Chinese restaurants too. In the summer, the open-air cafes are a great place to sit and enjoy a lengthy meal under the clear blue sky or the brilliant night lights.

Apart from the shopping and eating, Nanjing Road is a festival center as well. Especially during Christmas and Chinese New Year, Nanjing Road is a great place to go to enjoy city-wide celebrations.

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