festivities today in front of Parkson

Shanghai - Hongqiao: Not yet there

The Hongqiao district in West Shanghai (click for a map here) gave its name to the first international airport in the city and was in the first half of the 1990s in the vanguard of the city's development. From the East China Normal University (ECNU) where I studied we went there to do shopping, to bars, visit decent restaurants, go to banks. We were sure Hongqiao would make it in the future. In Gubei Hongqiao got its first high-end neighborhood attracting many foreigners living in Shanghai. For a while the Shanghai municipality tried to lure foreign consulates into moving to Hongqiao.
But Hongqiao lost it, or could at least not keep up with the fast developments of the other districts. Hongqiao was not connected to the subway system until recently, and going there by car was equally troublesome, because of the eternal traffic jams. If you did not have to be in Hongqiao, you would not go there. The last time I had been there was actually in 2005 during the anti-Japanese riots.
But a few months ago Hongqiao got access to the extension of subway line 2 and that was - together with the nice weather today - reason enough for a short trip. The first stop after Zhongshan Park was at Loushanguan Road, going through the consulate area that never really took off. I decided to go one stop further: Weining Road. I got out and knew that something drastic was happening to Hongqiao. I did not recognize anything and decided to walk back on the road that had emerged when the subway was being built. Obvious big things were happening, including gigantic residential areas, partly developed by Capitaland, the famous Singaporean developer. (Picture) This part of the district was still lacking much infrastructure, almost no restaurants.
When I came close to the Loushangguan station equaly gigantic stores were under construction, adding to the already impressive overcapacity in retail in Shanghai. (Picture) Some familiar shops then emerged like Watsons and Pizzahut. But I could still not see any familiar landmarks. I walked into Zunyi Road and decided to take it in northern direction. Then I saw after a while the huge Parkson store and further on the Sheraton, previously the Westin.
I expected Hongqiao to build an extension of line 2 to facilitate the huge hotels, the commercial center, the restaurant area, the huge expo's and the consulates. But the planners decided otherwise and have put them a mile south down the road in what probably is going to be another commercial center. But that is not yet there.
But also in the first generation new Hongqiao, huge building
Anyway, Hongqiao has a nice branch of Wagas....
I walked back to see if the access of subway lines 3 and 4 was anyway closer, but that was also a bit out. Nearest station is Yanan Xilu.