Coming Down Alert – Kunming Road

To be honest there’s very little left now on Kunming Road (formerly Kwenming Road) east of Dalian Road (Dalny Road). Most has gone to the never ending expansion of the Shanghai Tobacco Company factory and the rest to various jerry-built Baoland high rise developments. Indeed this small property is not a stunning example of anything in particular – not a grand villa, a bankers house or a unique shikumen, but it was once, until fairly recently, a nice house. The fascia work is still in pretty solid condition and the adornments quite modernist actually despite the ground level being gutted and then  left open (classic ‘slum by intent’ strategy) allowing in rainwater, weather and rubbish. The window frames are actually pretty good too though in pure ‘slum by intent’ fashion the glass has been broken to hasten in the rain and deterioration. In other words it had got a bit tatty but was savable (aren’t we all!)

Located across Dalny Road and partially in the old Jewish Ghetto, Kwenming Road ran parallel to the better-known Ward Road (now Changyang Road). Many Jewish refugees lived along the road, (the Jewish newspaper the Shanghai Echo was published at 284) in cramped one or two room apartments. There were also a number of Jewish businesses such as the Harpuder’s block ice business. This building has hung on in this dilapidated state for a year or so now – it seems unlikely it will last out to the end of 2011.