Wukang Road

Wukang Road (Chinese: 武康路; pinyin: Wǔkāng Lù; Shanghainese: Wukon Lu), originally Route Ferguson (福开森路), is a historic road in the Xuhui District of Shanghai, China, located in the western part of the former French Concession area of the city. In 2011 Wukang Road was recognized as one of the National Historic and Cultural Streets of China.

Wukang Road is only 1.17 kilometres (0.73 mi) long, but is lined with 37 officially protected historic buildings. The buildings in the road incorporate a diverse range of architectural styles, including Mediterranean, French Renaissance, English, and Art Deco. The area is characterized by quiet streets lined with wutong (London plane) trees. Well-known blogger Wang Jianshuo calls it his favourite street in Shanghai. The buzz of recent café and restaurant openings along the road have drawn both local and international foodies and lifestyle bloggers, with many happily queuing more than an hour for a scoop of ice cream.

In Ang Lee's 2007 film Lust, Caution, Route Ferguson is where the hero and heroine have their secret rendezvous. The road is also featured in Chen Danyan's novel Shanghai Memorabilia. It is a popular sightseeing location for tourists interested in the architecture and history of the area. There is a tourist information center at 393 Wukang Road that provides self-guided walking tours.

In 1897, John Calvin Ferguson, an American educator and president of Nanyang Public School (predecessor of Shanghai Jiao Tong University), built the road with his own salary to make it easier for colleagues and students to get to the school. The road was thus named Route Ferguson in his honour. It was paved in 1907 and broadened by the government of the French Concession. It was renamed Wukang Road in 1943, after Wukang County (now part of Deqing) in nearby Zhejiang province, but its original name is still well known to locals.

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