The French Concession district of Shanghai was a beautiful and quite surreal change of scenery from the usual Chinese city atmosphere. Established in the mid-nineteenth century, it wasn't originally very French despite its name. Previous to 1949, the district was low rent, mainly inhabited by Chinese and Russians. The former Russian Orthodox Mission Church featuring a blue dome roof can still be seen. Many French characteristics have lingured in the area, including various fashion boutiques, bakeries and expensive department stores. What interested me most however, was the Art Deco architecture and trees lining the streets, really making you feel as if you're in a quaint town in France, or one of the main shopping streets of Paris. It was difficult to believe we were still in China in some areas, as it resembled European architecture so much!
The French Art Deco architecture of the above building caught my eye instantly. I thought it looked like a former, typical 1930's cinema, before realising it still is today.
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