Twenty-three international students from Shanghai International Studies University recently took part in the "Walking into Duolun Road" city walk activity to explore the cultural charm of Shanghai's Honkou district.
Duolun Road in Hongkou is a pedestrian cultural street lined with teahouses, art galleries and antiques shops. Known as Shanghai's cultural and literary melting pot, the road used to be where many literary celebrities lived in the first half of the 20th century.
During the walk, the students visited the century-old Cultural Celebrities Street, the Sinar Mas Plaza, the tallest building in Puxi, and JIC Books, which is known as the most beautiful bookstore in Pujiang.
Under the guidance of teachers, the students learned about the history of the street as well as the stories related to its cultural heritage. They also got to appreciate the architectural features of shikumen buildings on Duolun Road and learned about the lives of famous Chinese writers such as Lu Xun, Mao Dun and Ye Shengtao, and the efforts of the young people of the League of the Left-Wing Writers in advocating revolutionary literature and spreading Marxist literary and art theory.
"This activity has helped me to understand Shanghai's old economy and history, and how they are related to the development of modern Shanghai. I see Shanghai as a huge metropolis, the economic center of China, and the link between China and the world," said a student from Russia.
An Indian student also praised the activity as "very rewarding". "I usually come to Duolun Road to stroll and take photos, but today I have learned a lot about the cultural heritage and historical stories here. I just learned today that the tallest building in Puxi, Sinar Mas Plaza, was built by an Indonesian conglomerate, and I also had the opportunity to climb to the top to enjoy the view".
