Stretching 2.6 kilometers from East Zhongshan Road Number One in Huangpu district to North Chengdu Road in Jing'an district, East Yan'an Road dates back to the mid-19th century. It was built over the former Yangjingbang Creek, a tributary of the Huangpu River that was filled in 1915. Two earlier roads flanking the creek, Songjiang Road and Kongzi Road, were merged into a single thoroughfare, which was officially named East Yan'an Road in 1950.

The evolution of East Yan'an Road reflects more than a century of urban development in Shanghai, serving as a living link between the city's past and present. Today, the street preserves several historically significant buildings, including the Shanghai Telecom Museum, the former Chinese Cotton Goods Exchange Building, and the former Chung Wai Bank Building.

Shanghai Telecom Museum

Address: No 34 East Yan'an Road, Huangpu district

Once the former Great Northern Telegraph Company building, which was completed in 1922, the Shanghai Telecom Museum safeguards the legacy of one of China's early pioneers in telecommunications. The company, founded in 1870 as a joint venture of Danish, Russian, and British telegraph firms, played a central role in establishing China's telegraph network. After the telegraph era, the building assumed various institutional functions, amassing layers of administrative and communications history over time.

Designed in the Neoclassical style, the structure features a color scheme of white, gold, yellow, and dark red. Its facade is marked by colossal-order columns, while the window surrounds display finely detailed classical motifs. Inside, Danish-inspired touches, such as carved fireplaces and crystal chandeliers, create an ambience that is both elegant and historically evocative.

Today, the museum presents an extensive collection of historical images and original equipment, using multimedia displays that trace the development of Shanghai's telecommunications industry.

Former Chinese Cotton Goods Exchange Building

Address: No 260 East Yan'an Road, Huangpu district

Completed in 1923, this building originally housed the Chinese Cotton Goods Exchange, established in 1921 to help domestic merchants gain pricing influence and set industry standards in the textile sector.

The architecture reflects the eclectic style, with a tripartite vertical composition and fair-faced crushed stone finish. A dome-crowned tower at the southwest corner acts as a visual landmark, while the entrance is framed by Ionic-style pilasters and simplified square piers, offering a modern reinterpretation of classical balance and proportion.

After the exchange dissolved in 1956, the building was repurposed as the Shanghai Natural History Museum. For nearly half a century, it served as a popular science education hub, leaving a deep impression on generations of Shanghai residents. Now recognized as an outstanding historical building, it serves as a monument to the city's cotton industry and commercial legacy.

Former Chung Wai Bank Building

Address: No 143 East Yan'an Road, Huangpu district

Inaugurated in August 1934 as the headquarters of Chung Wai Bank, this building stands as a distinguished example of Art Deco architecture in Shanghai. Characteristic features include streamlined vertical lines, symmetrical geometric layouts, and a striking contrast between red brick and white detailing.

Rising eight stories and covering approximately 2,166 square meters, the building's clean, ascending facade, accentuated by red brick cladding, presents a balanced and visually striking composition.

After Chung Wai Bank merged into The Imperial Bank of China in 1952, the structure took on a new cultural role. From 1959 to 1993, it served as an exhibition venue for the Shanghai Museum, before the museum relocated to People's Square. This transition, from a pre-1949 financial landmark to a public museum in the new era, illustrates both the building's adaptive reuse and its enduring witness to Shanghai's ongoing transformation.

Source: Shanghai Historical Building Protection Administration Cente