Coming Down Alert – Rue Picard-Destelan

A series of lilong lanes came down recently – they used to run south off Guangyuan Road (formerly Rue Picard-Destelan) and also bordered Huashan Road (Siccawei Road, later Avenue Haig) to the west. These buildings were reasonably interesting in that, although they were fairly standard Shanghai style lanes houses with commercial premises fronting on to the street, they abutted the border between the French Concession and the Western (or External) Roads Area (huxi to the Chinese).  The other side of the road was lined for many decades with various bars, casinos and houses of ill repute – what became known as the Shanghai Badlands.

Well, a largish block has gone though the street fronting properties (on Guangyuan Road) remain for the moment though the commercial premises fronting onto Huashan Road have also now gone. In recent years I visited a couple of apartments in those structures and though overcrowded and a little run down they were eminently refurbish-able (if that’s a word). A shame to see them gone – especially as they have been replaced with a car park! Presumably this is only temporary, as with most car parks in Shanghai, and it will soon emerge as another skyscraper or shopping mall development to litter the skyline of Xujiahui.

A shot of the cleared buildings first from behind and as seen from Hushan Road and then the remaining commercial premises left on the old Rue Picard-Destelan: