Luwan was a part of the old
French Concession area, one of the most prestigious sections of the city. It was famous for its boulevards. The
plane trees lining the main streets were imported from
France over 100 years ago. The district included the historical residences of
Sun Yat-sen,
Mao Zedong,
Zhou Enlai,
Agnes Smedley and
Mei Lanfang, among others. It was announced on June 8, 2011, that the proposed plan of merging Luwan and
Huangpu districts had been approved by the
State Council. Since the new district would still maintain the name Huangpu, Luwan as a district ceased to exist. The present-day
Shanghai Guangming High School in South Xizang Road was founded in 1886 as the "Sino-French Municipal School". ==Name origin==