Chinese cinema began in Shanghai, and for the first half of the twentieth century the city was its commercial and creative capital, with studios, distributors and a large audience packed into the concessions and the Chinese-run districts around them. The industry largely relocated after 1949, but the buildings stayed, and several of the cinemas that showed those films are still operating on their original sites, in a part of the city that has changed remarkably little in its street pattern.
The old cinemas
The former French Concession still holds a dozen cinemas, several of them rebuilt from 1920s and 1930s houses. They are usually single-screen or small multi-screen venues with a grand entrance, a lobby with old photographs, and a main auditorium with a balcony. The Cathay and the Hengshan are the best-known survivals; the big chains have also kept the names and the facades while modernising the interiors. Screenings are dominated by Chinese releases and Hollywood blockbusters, usually in the original language with Chinese subtitles, so a visitor can watch a film in English without difficulty.
The streets around them
What makes an evening here worth planning is the setting. The concession's streets are lined with plane trees planted in the early twentieth century, and behind them sit garden villas, lane-house shikumen districts and the small neighbourhoods that give the area its character. Wukang Road, Anfu Road and the roads around Fuxing Park are within walking distance of several of the cinemas, and there are cafes, wine bars and small restaurants along the way. A film followed by dinner is the local version of a normal night out rather than something arranged for visitors.
Practical notes
Tickets are cheap by international standards and are bought through mobile apps tied to your phone number, or at the counter if you arrive early; weekend evenings sell out for new releases. Films start on time and there are no trailers in the Western sense, so arrive ten minutes before the advertised hour. Most cinemas are a few minutes from subway stations in the district, and the area is pleasant to walk after dark. If you want a more general view of the city's film history, the Shanghai Film Museum in Xuhui covers the studios and stars of the period in detail.
