bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

SCMP Reporter

SHANGHAI, China's biggest city, has regained its old lustre and prominence on the western shore of the Pacific Ocean.

    With the rapid development of Shanghai and the expansion of Huangpu financial centre, Hongkou district - a 10-minute drive from the Bund - has attracted foreign investors from all over the world.

  According to a blueprint for Shanghai, the Bund - which claimed more than 100 bank buildings before 1949 and was transformed into the city's administrative centre afterwards - would be developed into China's Wall Street.

   The city's effort to redevelop into one of the world's major financial hubs, is being viewed with great enthusiasm by the Hongkou district.

  As it enjoys an exclusive proximity to the Bund, the existing offices will relocate to Hongkou whilst overseas financial institutions start to regain a foothold in the Bund.

 Hongkou district is strategically located in Shanghai, with a total land area of 23 square kilometres and a population of 850,000. To its north lies China's biggest internal trade centre, the 160,000-square-metre Dabaishu. To the west is the Shanghai Railway Station.

   The bustle of Huangpu River, immediately to the south of Hongkou district, has fascinated the world for more than a century. Here cruise ships, cargo freighters, terminals and container docks share the activity of one of the busiest ports in the world.

 The rising economic strength in Hongkou has prompted the district government to make improvements in the transportation network including the construction and extension of Siping Road, the main north-south commercial corridor traversing Hongkou, thus directly linking Huangpu and Yangpu districts.

   The Zhong Shan Inner Ring Road connection to the north of Siping Road affords reliable and speedy access to the international airport in about 30 minutes.

 A few minutes' walk from Siping Road to Sichuan Road puts you in the centre of the shopping paradise. Sichuan Road is the third largest commercial avenue in Shanghai with more than 400 shops and restaurants.

 Recognising its unique location, Hongkou district has been designated by the Shanghai Municipal Government to be part of the Central Business District expansion plan.

  The government also plans to invest 200 million yuan (HK$180 million) in the Hongkou port facilities and construct the Kaoyang Road Tunnel and tram line to reach Pudong directly.

  On Siping Road, at the hub of the Central Business District in Hongkou, various development projects fuel the district's progress and now share the limelight with such strong-growth industries as high technology and other commercial ventures.

  Among them the Shanghai Trade Square and International Apartments - a premiere development by Kerry Group and Shanghai Hongkou District Real Estate Development - take pride of place.

  These new towers - with a gross floor area of about 480,000 square feet - initially cost about US$40 million.

  The 20-storey Shanghai Trade Square is graced by a full height curved glazing which commands breathtaking and unobstructed views over Shanghai City. A sweeping landscaped driveway leads to a grand lobby.

  A concierge and camera monitors provide residents and their visitors with added security. Three high-speed elevators serve the tower.

 Versatile office layout ranges from 840 sq ft to a whole floor of 9,700 sq ft with central air-conditioning and heating systems, advanced telecommunication networks and satellite television. There is an array of amenities including shops, a supermarket and restaurants.

 The adjacent International Apartments consist of two towers of 21-storey exclusive residential buildings. The residential levels comprise 228 units in three distinctive layouts, from well-designed 847 sq ft two-bedrooms to the three-bedrooms that offer 1,220 sq ft of spacious living space with two complete bathrooms. Every detail is deluxe: bathrooms fitted with marble or granite vanity tops, a closet in each bedroom and hardwood floorings throughout. And of course, air-conditioning units.

  At the Shanghai Trade Square, you can relax at the end of a busy work day knowing everything the adjoining International Apartments have to offer is only a minute away. A wealth of recreational facilities, including the private health club, provide a welcome retreat just a short stroll away.

  According to the spokesman of Shanghai Kerry Real Estate Development, a number of units in International Apartments will be chosen for sale by private placement and followed by public launch around mid-July. The price starts from about HK$1,150 per sq ft.

   Kerry Group is an established, multi-national corporation with diversified business interests. The group ranks among the top property developers in Asia with impressive track records. The group is responsible for the success of the China World Trade Centre development in Beijing and the extensive Shangri-La hotel chain throughout China and Southeast Asia.

      At present, in addition to other major projects such as Shanghai Everbright City and Pudong Hotel Development, the group also has projects under development in Beijing, Shenzhen, Fuzhou, Suzhou, Shenyang, Dalian, Tianjin, Changchun, Guangzhou, Nanning, Behai and Qingdao.



Hongkou comes alive