The local government and the Bailian Group are working on reviving the fame and beauty of Nanjing Road, a 150-year-old commercial street in Shanghai.

According to Lu Xiaochun, director of Huangpu District where Nanjing Road is located, the government as well as business groups will try to restore the facades and attributes of the four stores on the street between the 1910s and 1930s.

"The over 150-year history of Nanjing Road is an irreplaceable valuable asset. So in the renovation process, we pledge to restore all the classics in accordance with the planning put forward by the world-renowned consulting firm Mckinsey & Company," Lu said.

Three of the four famous department stores - Wing On (the current Hualian Department Store), Sincere (the current Shanghai Fashion Company), The Sun (the current Shanghai No 1 Department Store) are under the management of Bailian Group, one of the largest retailers in China.

Tang Jianhua, general manager of merchandizing of the Bailian Group, said he believes that Nanjing Road not only has a glorious past, but also plays an important role today.

"Though Shanghai's great commercial street is an integral part of the city, its reputation extends to the entire country, and indeed, to the rest of the world," he added.

Industrial analysts hold that Bailian has great impact on the development of Nanjing Road, as the famous department stores like the Shanghai No 1 Department Store, Hualian Department Store, the East Branch of the Shanghai No 1 Department Store, Shanghai Fashion Company and Zhonglian Tower, all fall under its umbrella.

These five stores have played important roles in Nanjing Road's history and continue to influence its current development.

Among the five, Hualian Department Store is the highlight.

Hualian's building is undergoing renovation to recapture the European ambiance of the former Wing On Department Store.

The store will have additional service areas, including food outlets on the fourth and fifth floors, a rooftop garden and VIP meeting rooms.

As the officials of the Municipal Cultural Relics Administration Bureau pointed out, the rooftop garden was an attraction when the former Wing On was first built in 1918.

Source: China Daily