Xuhui District
Encyclopedia
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
. It has a land area of 54.76 km² and a population of 982,200 as of 2008 .
The Xuhui District is centred on Xujiahui
Xujiahui
Xujiahui , also spelt Zikawei or Siccawei is an historical and cultural area in Xuhui District of Shanghai, China. The area is a well known precinct for shopping and entertainment in Shanghai....
, after which it is named. Xujiahui was historically land owned by Ming dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
bureaucrat and scientist Xu Guangqi
Xu Guangqi
Xu Guangqi , was a Chinese scholar-bureaucrat, agricultural scientist, astronomer, and mathematician in the Ming Dynasty. Xu was a colleague and collaborator of the Italian Jesuits Matteo Ricci and Sabatino de Ursis and they translated several classic Western texts into Chinese, including part of...
, and later donated to the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. Being the core of Catholic Shanghai, the Xuhui District formed, together with neighbouring Luwan District
Luwan District
Luwan District was a district located in central Shanghai, China until its merger with Huangpu District, Shanghai in June 2011. It had an area of 8.05 km² and population of 350,000 as of 2001.- Location :...
, the former French Concession of Shanghai. Vestiges of the French influence can still be seen in the St. Ignatius Cathedral of Shanghai
St. Ignatius Cathedral of Shanghai
The St. Ignatius Cathedral of Shanghai , also referred to as Xujiahui Cathedral , is a Gothic Roman Catholic cathedral, located on Puxi Road, in Xujiahui, Xuhui District of Shanghai, China...
, Xuhui College, the Xujiahui Observatory, and some remaining boulevards and French-style districts.
Parts of today's Xuhui District were once the premier residential districts of Shanghai. After the revolution, however, the large estates near Xujiahui were turned into factories. In the 1990s, the Shanghai municipal government developed the district as a commercial zone. A once-prominent commercial area in the district was the Xiangyang Crafts and Gifts Market, a haven for souvenirs and intellectual property
Intellectual property
Intellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
-infringing products; it was closed on June 30, 2006 by municipal authorities.
Xujiahui itself has been redeveloped as a commercial centre, with a proliferation of large-scale shopping centres and department stores. Now it is a major shopping destination in the city, with shopping malls such as Grand Gateway Shanghai
Grand Gateway Shanghai
Grand Gateway Shanghai is an office complex consisting of two identical skyscrapers in the Xujiahui area of Shanghai, China designed by Callison Architecture. The buildings were completed in 2005 and are currently the 4th tallest twin towers in the world...
and Pacific Department Store.
The educational tradition begun by Jesuits in Xuhui continues with Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Shanghai Jiao Tong University or SJTU), sometimes referred to as Shanghai Jiaotong University , is a top public research university located in Shanghai, China. Shanghai Jiao Tong University is known as one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in China...
, the premier university in China. The district also has some of the best secondary schools in the municipality, such as South West Weiyu Middle School
South West Weiyu Middle School
South West Weiyu Middle School is a private school situated on Yishan Road in Xuhui District, Shanghai, PRC.Jianzhong Zhang is Principal of the South West Weiyu Middle School. Famous alumni Alan Tai was President of P.E Dept in the Student Union....
, Shanghai High School
Shanghai High School
Shanghai High School is a top public high school in Shanghai municipality, People's Republic of China. It also has an international division, the Shanghai High School International Division.-Location and Campuses:...
and Nanyang Model High School
Nanyang Model High School
Nanyang Paradigm High School Nanyang Paradigm High School Nanyang Paradigm High School (南洋模范中学, 南模） is located in Shanghai. It was one of the oldest public elementary schools in China.-History:Nanyang Paradigm High School was found in 1901 as an elementary school affiliated to Nanyang Public...
.
A number of former residences of prominent personalities remain, including Song Qingling and Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen was a Chinese doctor, revolutionary and political leader. As the foremost pioneer of Nationalist China, Sun is frequently referred to as the "Father of the Nation" , a view agreed upon by both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China...
's former residence. Yao Ming
Yao Ming
Yao Ming is a retired Chinese professional basketball player who last played for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association...
of Houston Rockets was a resident of the district.
Xuhui District has 10 sub-districts and two townships.
Economy
Toei Animation ShanghaiToei Animation
Toei Animation Co., Ltd. is a Japanese animation studio owned by Toei Co., Ltd. The studio was founded in 1948 as Japan Animated Films . In 1956, Toei purchased the studio and it was reincorporated under its current name...
has its head office in Unit 807 of Feidao International Plaza in the district.