Businesses shut up shop on Dongping Rd
DONGPING Road has had an almost tranquil atmosphere since many of its shops and restaurants were closed at the end of last year.
As to the shutdown of the stores, the government of Xuhui District said, “The future commercial ecosystem is still being carefully planned and discussed.”
The district’s head, Fang Shizhong, said Xuhui will encourage shops that provide good-quality facilities for the community. It will also take strong action against illegal operations.
The district’s commerce commission said whether businesses on Dongping Road leave or stay depends on regulations. The district will not interfere with arrangements between leaseholders and property owners.
Dongping Road is located in the core area of the Hengfu (Hengshan Road and Fuxing Road) historical protection zone in Xuhui District. Built in 1913, its previous name was Route Francis Garnier.
Despite being only 400 meters long, the Chiang, Soong, Kung and Chen families all had private residences on it.
A Shanghai Daily reporter visited Dongping Road this week.
Like other streets in the area, plane trees, now bare, are planted on both sides. A few pedestrians splashed through the rain without a sideward glance into the well-kept French gardens. The southern side, where once-exotic restaurants flourished, is shuttered.
Notifications tagged on doors stated leases had ended. There is no indication as to whether they will reopen.
At the junction of Hengshan and Dongping roads, the signboard of Sasha’s remains, but the building which was the former residence of businessman and politician Soong Tzu-wen is shuttered. The pub closed at the end of last year after 21 years.
The only shop still open is a cafe called Green and Safe on the northern side of the street.
“The property rights of the buildings that housed the restaurants and shops belong to the Shanghai Conservatory of Music,” explained Sam Lu, manager of Green and Safe.
“The school decided to retrieve the rights last year so the shops couldn’t continue.”
A spokeswoman from the school told Shanghai Daily that the buildings at 9 Dongping Rd are now used as the affiliated primary school and middle school of the conservatory. She refused to comment on the closure of the shops.
Previously, there was a Spanish restaurant and a store selling small furnishings and decorations at 9 Dongping Rd.
The buildings on the northern side are privately owned, Lu said.
However, the southern side’s closure has affected overall trade.
“About 30 percent of our weekend customers were tourists attracted by Dongping Road’s fame,” said Lu. “Not anymore. Some smaller restaurants have closed as a result.”
Taya Meshcher, a frequent customer at the cafe, said she felt the vibe of Dongping Road remained.
“The street is now certainly quieter because fewer visitors come,” said Meshcher. “But the buildings are still here, and the atmosphere of relaxation.”
Celine Wang had just come back to Shanghai from Australia. Her friend told her Dongping Road would be a good place to spend the afternoon.
“I don’t have a feeling of strangeness seeing the street looking like this now but I would prefer if there are more shops,” said Wang. “I know some people expressed pity though.”
Rules issued by both Shanghai and the central governments define use of state-owned assets of schools. Assets of institutions of higher learning should be used for education.
In 2010, Shanghai Education Commission issued a notice urging schools to retrieve properties which were not used for educational purposes.
In 2015, Xuhui District launched a three-year plan to restore Hengfu historical protection zone. The zone covers about 9 square kilometers. One of the measures carried out in 2016 on Fuxing and Shaanxi roads around the campus of University of Shanghai for Science and Technology was the closure of shops and restoration of original walls. The properties belong to the university.
The closures of the shops on Dongping Road also drew heated discussion at the Lianghui, or Two Sessions of Shanghai’s legislature and political advisory body, in January.
Many legislators raised questions about how to retain the city’s warmth and tolerance while keeping street business in good order.
Fang told the Lianghui that the renovation of historical zones of Shanghai should not all follow the same pattern.
“The future of shops and streets needs efforts from all parties,” said Fang.
“The city needs to embrace various types of culture and business, but first there is order and regulation.”