Duolun Road

Name: Duolun Road, Cultural Celebrities Street, Darroch Road
Chinese Name: 多伦路
Construction Time: 1912
Length: 550 meters (600 yards)
Location: No. 146 of Dongjiangwan Road, Shanghai, near the Lu Xun Park and Hongkou Football Stadium

If you want to experience the culture of Shanghai City over the past 100 years, Duolun Road is the best choice. Although only 550 meters long, it used to be the base of China's modern literature, with a lot of cultural notabilities living here, such as, Lu Xun, Mao Dun, Guo Moruo, and Ye Shengtao. Along this L-shaped pedestrian street, in the former residences of these writers, you can still find old book stalls, private museums, and small antique shops selling calligraphy works, paintings, and rosewood appliances. Strolling along the stone-paved path, you can also see western-style mansions, such as Islamic buildings and a Spanish garden villa.

Among the exquisite constructions, League of Left-Wing Writers Memorial Hall is worth mentioning. It is located at No.145 on Duolun Road, covering an area of 818 square yards (684 square meters). The League of Left-Wing Writers was active in 1930s, led by Lu Xun, a great writer whose works still have profound influence in China today. Many excellent writers joined the league to spread Marxism throughout the nation via their works. This memorial hall is a three-storey garden house built of bricks and wood. Many precious relics are displayed here so visitors can learn more about this league and its members.

From the memorial hall, you will be attracted by a 59 feet (18 meters) high bell tower, Xi Shi Bell Tower, on the corner. It was named after a famous prose of Lu Xun, Dawn Blossoms Plucked at Duck (Zhao Hua Xi Shi). There is an old bronze clock embedded in the marble-laid tower. At the top of the tower, there is a robotic device chiming and telling the history of this Cultural Celebrities Street.

Passing by the bell tower, the famous Christian church, Hong De Tang is right in front of you. Different from other churches in China that follow Western architectural style, Hong De Tang is of Chinese features, which is seldom seen in China.

Duolun Cultural Celebrities Street once houses many private museums. Among them, Jinquan Ancient Coins Museum is the most famous one near the northern end of the road and it is still open to the public. This three-storey house used to be the mansion of Tang Enbo, a capable general of the Republic of China (1912 – 1949). Nowadays, over 100,000 coins dating from the Qin Dynasty (221 – 207 BC) to 1949 are on display. Across the road, you can find a row of Shikumen buildings, traditional Shanghai-style architecture combining the features of both Western and oriental buildings. They used to be exhibition galleries of bookplates, bells, and stones. Now, only the one displaying chopsticks is still open to the public. You will see various kinds of chopsticks made of gold, silver, jade, bones, and bamboo. Please note: The museums do not have fixed opening hours; you can only visit when the owners are in.

A carefully decorated street, colorful and beautiful flowers in the street square, an old and simple pavement, and classical architectures, all these scenes make the road a comfortable place to visit and relax. Walking down the road, you will probably encounter some newlyweds in traditional Chinese costume having their wedding photos taken. This sweet moment is just like a ray of sunshine, making this ancient cultural street even warmer and cozier.
 

 By metro
 Take line 3, and get off at East Baoxing Road Station. Get out from Exit 1 and walk along West Hailun Road for two minutes. Turn north to East Hengbang Road to find Duolun Road on the east side.
 Take line 4 or line 10 to Hailun Road Station, and leave from Exit 5 to follow West Hailun Road to the west for five minutes. Turn north into North Sichuan Road to find the eastern end of the Duolun Road.
 Take line 3 or line 8 and get off at Hongkou Football Stadium Station. Use Exit 1 to go down Dongjiangwan Road to get to the northern end of the Duolun Road.

 By bus
 Take bus 18, 21, 52, 167, 318, 854, or 939, and get off at Sichuanbeilu Hengbangqiao Station.
 Take bus 70 or 97, and get off at Sichuanbeilu Duolunlu Station.
 Take bus 18, 21, 47, 52, 167, 318, 597, 854, 939, or 962, and get off at Sichuanbeilu Shanyinlu Station.
 Take bus 47, 167, 597, 854, 863, 939, or 962, and get off at Tian'ailu Sichuanbeilu Station.
 Take bus 18, 21, 47, 52, 167, 318, 597, 854, 863, or 939, and get off at Luxun Gongyuan (Luxun Park) Station.
Shanghai Bus / Metro Search

​ Further Reading
15 Free Things to Do in Shanghai