Today's Huangpu District is the result of the merger of three long-standing districts of Shanghai: Nanshi, Huangpu and Luwan. Each of these have a distinct history and character.
Nanshi , in the former Nanshi District The former
Nanshi District, literally "southern city", was the historical core of Shanghai. It included the
old, walled city as well as the nearby docklands on both sides of the
Huangpu River. Shanghai County was established at the beginning of the
Ming Dynasty. A city wall was built to repel the
Wokou, and this Ming Dynasty wall defined the extent of urban Shanghai for the next few centuries. In 1842, the area north of the old city was established as the British concession in Shanghai, which later became the
Shanghai International Settlement. At the time, the concession was referred to by locals as the "northern city" while the walled Chinese city was the "southern city". From this reference was later derived the name
Nanshi (). Upon the defeat of Japan at the end of
World War II, a unified municipal administration was established over urban Shanghai for the first time since the mid 19th century. In 1945, after the
Republic of China government took control, the old city was divided into the Third District (Yimiao District) and the Fourth District (Penglai District). In 1959 these were merged to form
Nanshi District (with a small part of former Yimiao District merging into Luwan District).
Huangpu pedestrian mall, perhaps the busiest retail street in the city, in the pre-merger Huangpu district The pre-merger
Huangpu District was largely located in the former
Shanghai International Settlement. In the later part of the 19th century and the early 20th century, this area quickly became the commercial centre of Shanghai. The International Settlement was handed back to the Chinese government in 1943. In 1945, after the
Republic of China government took control, the south eastern part of the former International Settlement was divided into the First District (Huangpu District) and the Second District (Laozha District). Of these, the First District lay on the bank of the
Huangpu River, and so was named after the river. In 1956, the two districts were merged to form a new and expanded
Huangpu District. Since 1943, the Shanghai Municipal Government has always been located in Huangpu District – first at the old Shanghai Municipal Council building, then in the
old HSBC Building, and presently in a purpose-built building on
People's Square.
Luwan The former
Luwan District occupied most of the eastern part of the former
Shanghai French Concession and some nearby areas. This area was long regarded as the premier residential and high end commercial area of Shanghai. It is known for its leafy streets lined with
London planes, cafes and restaurants, high end retail and historical houses. In 1945, after the
Republic of China government took control, the eastern-central part of the former French Concession was divided into the Fifth District (Taishan) and the Sixth District (Lujiawan), separated by South Chongqing Road and Luban Road. Of these, the Sixth District was named after
Lokawei (), "Lu's Bay", an area named after a bend on the
Zhaojiabang creek. The main police depot and prison of the French concession was located here. In 1947, Taishan District was renamed "Songshan District". In 1950, Lujiawan District was renamed "Luwan District". In 1956, Songshan District was merged into Luwan District. In 1959, part of former Yimiao District was also merged into Luwan District.
Merger in the 1990s and 2000s The district boundaries remained largely unchanged between 1959 and 1993. In 1993, the part of Nanshi east of the Huangpu River was merged into the
Pudong New District. In 2000, the Shanghai Municipal Government abolished Nanshi District entirely, merging it into Huangpu District. In 2011, the merger of Luwan District with Huangpu District was announced. On June 8, 2011, it was announced that the proposed plan of merging Luwan and Huangpu Districts had been approved by the
State Council. == Features ==