Often referred to as the Shanghai French Concession, the Old French Concession was in operation beginning 1849 until it was subsequently put to an end in 1943. Somerset Grand Fortune Garden with its serviced apartments Beijing has to offer would be a good option to stay at before heading over to the area which once housed Shanghai’s retail and residential districts. Reside at such a luxury apartment in Beijing and visit the city of Shanghai for a true taste of its history.
The concession was initially unveiled by the then French Consul to Shanghai, Charles de Montigny upon a proclamation obtained from the Governor of the city. This provided that a certain area would be demarcated as part of a French settlement. Avenue Joffre functioned as one of the main commercial streets of the concession. The garde municipale was in charge of the concession’s security initiatives while the corps voluntaires was brought about in 1850 to safeguard the concession during the times of the Taiping Revolution. The areas of Lokawei, Zikawei and Avenue Petain constituted the Old French Concession which now resembles traces of its glorious past in its buildings and streets when one visits Shanghai.
