Xujiahui

Xujiahui (徐家汇) is an area in the south of Shanghai, China.

Name

It literally means "Xu family meeting place". Pronounced in the old Shanghainese dialect of Wu Chinese, it is called "Zikawei" (today pronounced Zhikawei). During the 18th century it was known in the West as "Ziccawei". It is often called simply "Xuhui".

History

Catholic priests from France established a church there. It is located on what is now known as North Caoxi Road and is called in English the St. Ignatius Cathedral. The sign on the street calls it simply "Catholic Church." It was this church that was featured in the opening of Steven Spielberg's film "The Empire of the Sun."

Xujiahui today

During the late 1990s, many of the state-owned factories were sold off and torn down. Xujiahui is now mainly a commercial district of downtown Shanghai. On the location of a former brick factory now stands the Xujiahui park, which was completed in 2002. This park is home to the restaurant "The Little Red House," a French restaurant in a preserved European-build house. It is among the best and more expensive restaurants in Shanghai. The park also contains a man-made pond and meandering brook, basketball courts, and a children's playground. The Shanghai Conservatory of music – located very close to the park – often stages free performances during the Spring and Autumn months in the park, as these are the times when weather in Shanghai is the best.

The main Xujiahui shopping district is centered around the intersection of the streets Hongqiao Rd, Huashan Rd, Zhaojiabang Rd and North Caoxi Rd. Each of these streets terminates at the intersection, which is home to three supermarkets, six major shopping malls and nine large-scale office towers. Everything from cosmetics to cars to cucumbers is available within five minutes.

The Xujiahui subway station is one of the busiest in the Shanghai subway system. The overall plan for the development of the system calls for Xujiahui station to be a transfer point for four subway lines.