Wukang Building

The Wukang Building is incredibly famous, a true Shanghai cultural landmark, and there are crowds of people taking photos around it every day. Architect Hudec was truly a genius, his architectural works are all beautiful and distinctive, with the Wukang Building being the most famous. These photos were taken at the end of 2018, before the surrounding power lines were removed, though they're not noticeable in my photos. I plan to return in spring when the flowers bloom, taking more photos from different angles. Finally, a friendly reminder: the ground floor is a commercial building, but the upper floors are private residences, so please do not trespass.

The Wukang Building, nestled at the southern end of Wukang Road, stands out. Built in 1911, it was originally named "ISS Apartments," short for the International Savings Society. It was later renamed Eastmate Apartments and, during World War II, the Normandy Apartments. Viewed from the west, it resembles a giant ship setting sail, majestically situated at the intersection of Wukang Road, Xingguo Road, Huaihai Middle Road, Yuqing Road, and Tianping Road, three of the most French-style thoroughfares.

This building is near where I live, so I decided to make it my final check-in spot. It's not a particularly famous Shanghai attraction, but I guess the sheer number of people taking photos here makes it lively... so I decided to check it in on my way back to my place. A short walk later, I saw the Wukang Building. It was a little dim at night, but thinking back to the photos I'd taken of the Bund during the day, I was relieved. There's construction going on near the building, making it look like a dangerous building renovation site... But this building should be treated with the same respect as the Xiaobailou Concert Hall in Tianjin... After all, it feels like the road gives way to the building.

As if awakening from a dream, people began to cast affectionate gazes on this legendary building designed by Hudec in 1924. With the change in media communication methods, it has increasingly become the center of the literary and artistic universe, a never-ending urban landscape, and one of the only two enduring traffic holy places in Shanghai, the other being the Bund. The surrounding area has also gradually formed a street ecology that is extremely unique in Shanghai and even in China.

After reading the travelogue, everyone said that Wukang Road is worth seeing, so we arranged a trip to Wukang Road on the third day.

You can see the Wukang Building when you come out of the former residence. Some people take wedding photos here, and many tourists also take selfies here.

Wukang Building is a landmark building on Wukang Road and is worth a visit.

I originally wanted to visit Ba Jin's former residence, but it was not open to the public.

Walking outside, I saw a balcony in a small courtyard. It was so beautiful. It was so stylish. When I saw this balcony, I immediately decided that if I could buy a villa in the future, I would also have a balcony like this one.

The intersection of Xiesan Road, opposite the Wukang Building, is a scene of numerous guns and cannons. It has become a popular check-in spot for photography enthusiasts. I passed by this place with my iPhone 5 and felt embarrassed to compete with the masters in photography skills.

When visiting Wukang Road, it is also a good idea to stop by to see the iconic buildings. The former residence of Soong Mei-ling is opposite, and the Jiaotong University is also nearby. It is worth taking a leisurely stroll.

A comprehensive check-in guide around the Wukang Building is here!



🎈Step 1: It is recommended to start at National Chiao Tung University. If you have more time, you can also visit National Chiao Tung University.



🎈Step 2: Walk from Jiaotong University to Wukang Building. It takes about 700 meters to reach Wukang Building. Dayin Bookstore is downstairs of Wukang Building. Directly opposite the bookstore is the former residence of Soong Ching Ling. The ticket price is 20 yuan.



🎈Step 3: After finishing this section, it is recommended to walk along Wukang Road towards Fuxing West Road. This section of Wukang Road, about 1 kilometer long, is a road with century-old characteristics. Plane trees, old alleys, former residences of celebrities, and old houses are all gathered in this Wukang Road.

Great building. Although there are a lot of people watching, it does not affect its unique appearance at all.

A microcosm of an era. I love the streets here. They are quiet and peaceful.

It is a landmark building in Shanghai, but unfortunately it is under repair recently.

There's nothing much to say about the Wukang Building. It's just a popular check-in spot, so just take some photos.

This is a well-known building in Shanghai, where many celebrities have come from, and it is also a popular check-in spot.

I finally saw the real building that I often see on TV. It is very distinctive and there are many people taking pictures.

Slowly approaching the Wukang Building

Heavy snow falling from the sky

It also makes the Wukang Building more historically rich.

Unforgettable at first sight



Cross the traffic light

Arrive directly opposite the building

Finally got a glimpse of the full view of the Wukang Building

The atmosphere of the Renaissance is everywhere

This is the first external corridor apartment building in Shanghai. There is road construction nearby, so the experience is not very good.

I didn't go inside the Wukang Building, but the outside looks great. It's a must-see on Wukang Road.

The Wukang Building is Shanghai's first veranda-style apartment building. Construction began in 1924 with funding from the International Savings Association and was designed by the renowned Shanghai-based architect, Hudec. In 1994, the Wukang Building was selected as one of the second batch of Shanghai's outstanding historical buildings.

Its value is no longer to meet people's basic housing needs. It carries the changes of the times and the accumulation of years. It stands at the Wukang Road intersection, like an awe-inspiring guard, guarding and witnessing the growth and changes of the entire Shanghai.



Everyone has his or her own Wukang Building in his or her eyes. At this moment, it has gradually disappeared into the night, but there are still many vehicles passing through the intersection in the rain.

The building is located at the intersection of Huaihai Middle Road and Wukang Road. Its shape is flat, like an iron. Its exterior is in French Renaissance style.

The iconic attraction on Wukang Road must be visited! ! ! !

There is a building in Shanghai with a very distinctive appearance. It is very old. Most people don’t pay much attention to this place. I only came to see it after seeing it from a friend’s photo.

I could see the Wukang Building from a distance, but it was under renovation. From this direction, Wukang Road is just to the left of the building, not to the left. From the photo, I saw someone standing on the balcony of this century-old building. Since I arrived early, maybe he was an early riser!

The Wukang Building covers an area of 1,580 square meters and has a total construction area of 9,275 square meters. The building is a reinforced concrete structure with eight floors and a total height of over 30 meters. Its exterior is in the French Renaissance style. Due to its limited geographical location, the ground floor of the building adopts an arcade style, with the store windows retracted inward to leave space for the sidewalk. In addition, the facades of the first and second floors are clad with cement imitation stone walls, making it the style of the building's base. From the third to the seventh floor, the facade is clad with yellow-brown bricks. The top floor, the eighth floor, continues to use cement imitation stone walls, so the building appears to have three different sections. On the third and eighth floors, the designer used a continuous long balcony on the periphery as a three-stage waistline, while also strengthening its layering. On the north side of the building, in order to solve the problem of room lighting, the designer specially left two large atriums facing north.



The first and second floors of the building are generally used as shops and other commercial spaces, while the third floor and above are basically residential areas. The internal apartment types are divided into four types: one-bedroom, two-bedroom, three-bedroom and four-bedroom, with a total of 63 suites and more than 30 servants' quarters, most of which face south. Every room in the building faces south, and the corridor faces north. The kitchen and bathroom of each unit are generally arranged on the north side. There is a dedicated ventilation duct inside the bathroom. In addition to the spiral staircase, there are three passenger and freight elevators for commuting within the building. Although it has undergone many repairs, the elevators in the building basically still retain the floor indicators with semi-circular pointers from the mid-20th century.



In 1930, the International Savings Association built a new five-story building to the east of the apartment building, which was named the New Wukang Building (Wukang Building Annex) with a construction area of 1,700 square meters. In addition, a 1,400 square meter garage and ancillary buildings were built at No. 435 Wukang Road.

Most of the buildings in Shanghai exude a sense of history that inspires awe, and the Wukang Building is no exception.

Do you want to watch the sunrise? Do you want to join me? I love your favorite classic line from the movie. He who understands the times is a hero; he who appreciates delicious food is a hero. Looking at the Wukang Building, Takeshi Kaneshiro's bowl of fantastic instant noodles in the movie is still mouth-watering.

This Renaissance-style building, once known as the "Normandie Residence," boasts a nearly century-long history and is one of Shanghai's earliest high-end apartment buildings. Its long, continuous balconies on the top floor and its sprawling corridors on the ground floor create a quintessential French architectural style, reminiscent of Haussmann-era buildings in Paris, though Parisian buildings are typically off-white.

Because this building is still used for normal residential purposes, outsiders are not allowed to enter and can only be viewed from a distance. The exterior is very distinctive and it happens to be located at a fork in the road. The architectural design follows the direction of the road, making it unique compared to ordinary square buildings. However, perhaps due to visual reasons, no matter which angle you look at it, it always feels a little shaky.

The Wukang Building is quite unique, and you can also explore the other sights along the way. I don't recommend visiting in 2018, as the Soong Ching Ling Former Residence is under renovation and closed for the second half of the year. The Wukang Building is also a commercial building, so it's not cheap. Taking photos at the entrance isn't easy, as there are power lines and the best vantage point is on the street, making it unsafe. If you're walking along the route, it's still a great place to take photos. I'll definitely go again next year.

There is a Dayin Bookstore and the former residence of Soong Ching Ling nearby, which are very close, remember to go there (ฅ>ω<*ฅ)

Take a stroll to the "Triangle Building", whose real name is Wukang Building. It is the most representative landmark building on Wukang Road. From a distance, it looks like a large cruise ship. Its creator is the famous Jewish designer Hudec.

My cousin said that this is a classic building in many TV shows and movies. At first, I didn’t understand why classic buildings appeared so frequently. Until I saw the building itself, I instantly understood it. Haha~ It is really classic.

The building is not very nice, but there is a long corridor that is very suitable for taking pictures.

It's so romantic, I came here just to see it. The atmosphere of the Renaissance is everywhere. You can just sit in a street cafe and watch it quietly for a long time.

At the intersection of Wukang Road and Huaihai Middle Road lies a masterpiece by a master architect. This first gallery-style apartment building, despite the ravages of time, still retains its unique charm through its remaining features. Its ship-shaped design, a style rarely seen in China but common in Europe, has inspired many celebrities, including renowned Shanghainese actresses Wang Renmei and Sun Daolin. Located at 1850 Huaihai Middle Road, it sits at the intersection of Huaihai Middle Road and Wukang Road.

It has appeared in many TV series. It was originally called "Normandy Apartments". Hmm, it's an interesting name. It is a long and flat apartment. It is located at an intersection and is surrounded by roads on both sides. It is said that many celebrities have lived there. But it seems that it would be very noisy.

Suitable for taking pictures, not bad

Not bad, not bad

Purple sweet potato pudding is really hard to make

It is located on a street in Changli Road. The shape is quite unique. Although I am half curious about whether anyone lives there and who lives there now, I am also half thinking about whether it is comfortable to live there. But I have to say that the atmosphere here is really suitable for quiet photography. When I was about to leave, it started to rain lightly. There was a sense of taste in the rain.

The architecture is very Shanghai, and it feels really different from Beijing.

Old buildings represent old flavors. Wander among them and feel the old Shanghai.

This is Tang Jing's residence in "The First Half of My Life" and the place where Takeshi Kaneshiro and Zhou Dongyu watched the sunset in "Like You". It was raining that day, but there were still many people taking pictures. Because there was a lot of traffic at the intersection, please pay attention to safety when taking pictures.

The Wukang Building, originally named the Normandy Apartments, was funded by the International Savings Association and designed by the renowned Shanghai-based architect Hudec. In 1994, the Wukang Building was selected as one of the second batch of Shanghai's Outstanding Historic Buildings.



The Wukang Building is a reinforced concrete structure with eight floors and a total height of more than 30 meters. Its exterior is in French Renaissance style.

The streets near the Wukang Building are filled with French Renaissance style. Sitting at an open-air table in a roadside cafe, drinking a cup of coffee and basking in the sun, it feels like entering another time and space.

It is a very distinctive building with a very tasteful appearance. It was also designed by the designer who requested the designation at that time.

The unique triangular building is located at the intersection of Wukang Road on three sides.

The famous "Normandy Apartments" has a very distinctive architectural design. From the aerial view, it looks like a capital letter A. The building has the flavor of old Shanghai and is worth a visit.

After all, it is a landmark building, so it is necessary to go and see it, but it is just a look. It is very unique and the traffic management nearby is also good.

One of the old buildings in Shanghai, a typical French-style building.

In its early years, it was called the Normandy Building. It's a real estate project from the old Shanghai era, and many celebrities (Sun Daolin, Qin Yi) have lived here. It really looks like a giant ship, or a large piece of bread or a large sandwich (okay, forgive me for just eating...). People often stop here to take pictures. Friendly reminder: This is a road junction, so please be careful when taking photos and visiting.

Near the old French Concession, very charming, I like it very much

The balcony of my eldest sister's house is just like the balcony where Takeshi Kaneshiro and Zhou Dongyu watched the sunrise. I will come to watch the sunrise next time.

Opposite is the former residence of Soong Ching Ling, which is great and can be said to be a classic in this area.

The Wukang Building, Shanghai's earliest veranda-style apartment building, has been home to many famous people throughout history, making it a landmark building. However, the building is still in residential use, so you can't visit it from inside; just look at the outside.

It's a place where many young people gather. Most people who visit Shanghai don't know about the Wukang Building. I only learned about it from China-TravelNote. When I first saw a photo of it, I felt that the building was full of stories, as if it could take you back to the old Shanghai era.

As expected, when I saw it in person, the moment it came into view, I was overwhelmed by the breath of history.

It's just a building on the street, not a tourist attraction, but I just like it. I liked it when I saw the photos online, so I came to Shanghai to take a look. If you like it too, come and visit.

I really like this building. Its strange shape satisfies the desire of a Gothic architecture lover!

I'm from Shanghai. Wukang Road is my absolute favorite street in Shanghai, absolutely the perfect spot for brunch and afternoon tea. Walking around Wukang Road on a pleasant day makes me feel like I'm in Europe, or stepping back in time. As a 24k-a-week loser, I often look at the Wukang Building and wonder how wonderful it would be to live there for a day.

Yesterday, a friend happened to be hosting a get-together for his trip back home. We skipped all the coffee shops and ended up at the Wukang Building! They said they booked it on Airbnb.

I was lucky enough to walk into it for the first time. The mosaic floor tiles, the old-fashioned elevator (the first floor is G, and all other floors are actually +1), the atrium, and the interior all made me feel like I was traveling back in time.

It's nothing short of classic. I don't know much about architecture, but I was blown away by its grandeur. The surrounding Huaihai Road and Wukang Road seem like a mere backdrop. Whether viewed from afar or up close, it's a classic.

I've been to Shanghai many times, and I went there after hearing about this place from a friend. It's pretty good.

A striking and distinctive building, well worth a visit!

It's a very distinctive building, beautiful for taking photos.

On the entire Wukang Road, only the Wukang Building catches my eye.

My second visit, I headed straight for the Wukang Building. Autumn was deep, but the lush greenery still lined Wukang Road. I didn't quite find the golden blanket I'd expected heading north. Still, I was thrilled to have this unexpected half-day off. I loved strolling along this quiet street amidst the bustling city. I loved the long road arched by the leafy plane trees lining it from afar. I loved the red bricks, white walls, and wooden doors!

Like a ship, it sped into the sea. The people who lived here at that time were really famous and very tasteful.

Walking out of Soong Ching Ling's former residence, I found a very special building. I discovered it while walking and taking photos! It turned out to be this building, triangular in shape. I often see it in Shanghai promotional videos, but I just can't remember its name. When people saw us taking photos, they took out their phones and followed us to take photos. However, it seems that the best effect can be achieved in the middle of the street.

When the typhoon was approaching, the beautiful clouds formed the best background for the Wukang Building.

The intersection of Huaihai Middle Road and Wukang Road sounds like a familiar place in Changning District. Perhaps it's the border between Changning and Xuhui? It's home to the famous landmark building designed by Hudec!

I've been to Shanghai several times, and my favorite thing is the streets, especially when the sun is shining and the trees are swaying. This time, I chose to stay near Taikang Road to experience the tranquility and ease of old Shanghai. The Wukang Building is undoubtedly a tourist attraction here, and almost every passerby takes a photo. I heard that a hotel has been newly built in the old factory building. If I have the chance, I'd love to stay there. I believe it will be a nostalgic and unique experience.

It looks like a ship about to dock, with a very artistic atmosphere. It is located at the intersection of Wukang Road.

I went there once last year when the leaves were falling, and I went there again on New Year's Day this year when I went to visit classmates at Jiaotong University. I always take a picture when I pass by.

I didn't go in, the exterior looked okay, I don't know what it's like inside

The simple and plain architectural style is one of the must-take photos of buildings for literary youths. It seems that there are people living inside.

I can’t take enough photos of the old Shanghai flavor. I love seeing people using tripods to take photos of this.

Very beautiful building ~ I passed by it when I went to Soong Ching Ling's former residence ~

The Wukang Building, formerly known as the Normandy Apartments, is located at the intersection of Wukang Road and Huaihai Middle Road. It's distinctive, resembling an electric iron. Its retro red brick walls transport you back in time to 1930s Shanghai.

If you go to Shanghai, you should really visit these old buildings. They are very interesting. And this is a triangular building that changes from narrow to wide, which is very special. The charm is in it.