It is Chinas earliest and premier shopping street. It is famously named one of the Worlds Seven Great Roads in the 1930s and now making a rapid comeback after decades of Maoist austerity. The 3.4-mile-long Nanjing Road stretches from The Bund east towards Hongqiao, with Shanghais centerpoint Peoples Square in the middle, and ends in the west at the junction of the Jingan Temple and Yanan West Street. Extending from the Huangpu River all the way to the Tranquility and Peace Temple (Jingansi) and measuring five kilometers from west to east, this street passes through the citys center and is its busiest market.

Today over 600 businesses on Nanjing road offer countless famous brands, superior quality, and new fashions. KFC, McDonalds, Pizza Hut, and other world-famous food vendors line both sides of the street. Upscale stores include Tiffany, Mont Blanc, and Dunhill. In addition, approximately a hundred traditional stores and specialty shops still provide choice silk goods, jade, embroidery, wool, and clocks.

Open-air bars, abstract sculptures, and lingering sounds from street musicians enhance evening strolls. A trackless sightseeing train provides a comfortable tour of the night-transformed pedestrian street. Flashing neon signs illuminate the magnificent buildings and spangle the night skyline of this lively city.