Shanghai Duolun Lu, culture street

Take a seat. Join the conversation.

Once the epicentre of intellectual buzz and meeting place for radicals like the League of Leftist Writers, Duolun Lu lost its mojo until it was turned into a pedestrian street cum cultural centre. Many buildings were restored and statues installed to pay homage to the luminaries of their time. There’s a rebirth of sorts, with visitors rediscovering their heritage as they stroll down the street, stopping to admire the historic buildings of varied architectural influences, or take snapshots posing with statues of literary celebrities. Other attractions include the old church, writers’ museums and the Duolun MOMA. Then round off with coffee at the Old Film Cafe to catch a screening of rare Chinese movies from the 1920s.

Quintessential old style shophouses.

Hongde Tang, church blending eastern and western architecture.

Come sit with me.

The Duolun Museum of Modern Art where the entrance is itself a work of art.

The Old Film Cafe with its Chaplin statue in the forecourt.