Coming Down Alert – Classic 1920s Yoochow Road Under Threat

The top northern portion of the former International Settlement is not much paid attention to these days. North of the former Jewish Ghetto across Zhoujiazui Road (formerly Point Road) is mostly neglected. Outside of the nominal preservation zone of the former ghetto (the most nominal of nominals as we regularly see as bits get lopped of) the old Point Road is one of the least charming Shanghai has to offer; a combination of its straightness and the long spacing between traffic lights makes it more exciting than any F1 track if you are unfortunate enough to be in the back of a taxi trying desperately to make green lights all the way along. Just east of the junction with Dalian Road (Dalny Road) Point Road exited the Settlement into Chinese administered territory. Anyway, along Point Road, a block north and between Lingping Road (Ling Ping Road) and Zhoushan Road (Chusan Road) is Yuezhou Road (formerly Yoochow Road). Along here you can still see some nice 1920s era housing, but hurry up the bulldozers are slated to move in soon.

Yoochow Road was largely residential blocks with retail and commercial units at street level facing. Some blocks around the Chusan Road junction have already gone but there is a nice, and eminently refurbishable block at the junction with Ling Ping Road; blocks that run through to Point Road. Not far from here is the former Medhurst College campus. Anyway, some pics below.

Mid-1920s structures along Yoochow Road with arched entryways and retail premises street facing – as you can see the stone entrances, window frames and roof are all in good condition as is most of the lane housing behind.

As the entryway shows – constructed 1926 AD (I love the little AD flourish!)

However, one block further along Yoochow Road at the junction with Chusan Road things are coming down…