Old flavors, new buzz on Huaihai Road

By 7 am, two lines are already snaking outside Guang Ming Cun Restaurant on Huaihai Middle Road. One forms at the deli counter, where elderly locals chat with reusable bags in hand, drawn by the salty aroma of soy-braised duck. The other winds toward the fresh meat mooncake stall, where flaky pastry encases juicy pork filling — a warm, savory opening act to the boulevard's day.

By afternoon, another line forms a few hundred meters away at HAI550 mall. Young people hold up phones, waiting for matcha lattes topped with six hand-drawn little black sheep made of milk foam and black sesame paste.

Lining up for decades-old flavors and month-old viral hits happens side by side every single day on the same street.

It is this very coexistence that makes Huaihai Road special. Stretching east from Wukang Road, its century-old buildings are no dusty museum pieces. The Cathay Theatre still screens new releases, the Lyceum Theatre stages fresh plays, and historical hotels continue to welcome guests.

Time-honored eateries, sticking to recipes honed over generations, have turned a bowl of noodles and a basket of soup dumplings into must-visit landmarks for overseas travelers. Meanwhile, restored shikumen houses and heritage shopfronts now host homegrown designer brands, planting the latest consumer trends into century-old architectural fabric.

Old facades, new vibes — this iconic boulevard is Shanghai at its most walkable.