Wudong Lu: A Snapshot of China

Over the course of the semester I have grown to love my street, Wudong Lu, and as I ride my bike to and from class, I have both observed and participated in the dynamics of this street.  I have become accustomed to the culture of this street, and in the last few weeks, I’ve realized just how much this single street captures and symbolizes so much of today’s China.  The street has it all: small, family owned Chinese restaurants; knock-off DVD stores; restaurants with cuisines from around the world; and of course, foreign money from foreign students.

 

Here are some of my favorite spots on Wudong Lu (in order of distance from my apartment):

Kathl Roll
This small Indian restaurant opened two weeks ago, and has been filled with foreign students every day.  The owners are two friendly men from India who know little Chinese.  The prices are higher than most restaurants on the street, but still less than six dollars for a very satisfying dinner.
This building has about twelve different store fronts, and they are continually turning over.  As more foreign students come to Fudan, the restaurants are getting nicer and more international; just last month a well-designed Japanese restaurant opened a few doors down from the new Indian restaurant.

SPR Coffee
I wrote a blog entry on SPR coffee, one of the largest Chinese chains; however, on December 1st, my SPR closed.  The store occupied one of the larger store fronts in this section of Wudong Lu, and after a few years, it was showing its age.  My suspicion is the landlord increased its rent, and I am guessing another new, international restaurant will open up soon.

The DVD store
The DVD store has thousands of Western and Chinese movies, as well as most American TV shows.  The selection of DVDs is limited to releases of the last three years, but they also have a handful of older, classic films.  I have bought about 15 DVDs that are about $1-1.50, and all, except two, have worked.  Since I only get Chinese television channels, it’s nice to be able to buy familiar movies for such a cheap price.

 

Lawson

 

 

Fruit Stand
I usually purchase fruit here every day.  Since my diet is based on rice, fatty meats and, oil-laden vegetables, fresh fruit is a nutritious necessity.  I usually get two bananas and two clementine/oranges for 4RMB, or less than one dollar.  One day I got three clementines, which was grounds for striking up a conversation with the shop keeper (in Chinese, of course).

 

Chuanr: Chinese Street Food
When the sun goes down, a handful of long metal barbeques come out to cook delicious street food.  Next to the barbeque is a table with a selection of different thin kebabs of vegetables or meats.  You make your selection, and then have them grill the kebabs, telling the “chef” how la (spicy) you want it.  I was hesitant to try food from the street at first, but over the last month, I realized just how good (and cheap) this snack is.

 

Red and White Stripes

 

No one knows the real name of this restaurant, but it quickly became one of our favorites.  In the first weeks, we didn’t know how to identify this specific Sichuan style restaurant, so we started calling it by the color of the waitresses’ blouses: red and white stripe.  This restaurant is home to some of my favorite dishes in China,  and I am always left more than full for under $3.

 

Banana
Banana (all three “A”s pronounced as “ah”) is a local Chinese night club on the corner of Wudong Lu.  It’s definitely not my favorite, but stopping by Banana late at night is always an interesting experience with the same soundtrack of techno songs playing, tons of lights and lasers, and mostly Chinese crowd.  Between the loud music and smoky atmosphere, I can only stay at Banana for a short time. It is definitely a must see for anyone visiting Wudong Lu.