Born from the collision of East and West culture in the nineteenth century, its unique local culture is a true fusion of both. Xuhui is notable for its association with a number of famous people. It was the hometown of Huang Daopo (1245-1330), considered as the mother of Chinese textile technology. It was the site of the translation of Euclid’s mathematical treatise Elements into Chinese by Matteo Ricci and Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) prime minister Xu Guangqi over 400 years ago. It was also the home of Soong Qing-ling, Sun Yat-sen’s wife and one of China’s most illustrious women in the 20th century. The bells of Longhua Temple have rung out over the Huangpu River in Xuhui for a thousand years – in those far off times it would mark the start of the work day for the many wood block printers plying their trade in the district’s streets and lanes. Even today you can still experience those ancient practices at the Duoyunxuan Arts Center. Xuhui’s rich cultural heritage branches out into performance arts, with Shanghai-style Peking Opera blending seamlessly with modern ballet and film at Shanghai’s Peking Opera Theater – mimicking the very foundation on which the district was born. On the western bank of the Huangpu, some of the world’s leading art galleries exhibit culture, creativity and refinement. Xujiahui Cathedral, completed in 1910, enjoys the reputation of being "the grandest church in the Far East". The Bibliotheca Zi-Ka-Wei stands as homage to the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, and is home to 80,000 books in foreign languages, among which tomes include rarities published more than 200 years ago. There is no one way to enjoy the cultural fusion of Xuhui. But strolling down one of its leafy streets under the shade of parasol trees, sipping a coffee could be a good start.
