Van Shing & Co., on Avenue Joffre
Van Shing & Co. store, at 955 Avenue Joffre, which opened in 1930. This is the southwest corner of today’s Middle Huaihai and South Shaanxi Roads.
The grocery store Van Shing & Co. 万兴食品号 opened in 1920 on the northwest corner of Avenue Joffre and Avenue du Roi Albert. Ten years later, the store moved to a large new building across the road, where it thrived for more than a decade. The new building contained the shop, godown (warehouse), refrigerating room and the butchery. For years, it was the largest food store in Shanghai. After the move, the store’s manager Charles Hu, expanded the inventory beyond provisions and wines, and started to sell kitchen utensils, chemical supplies and other sundries.
Charles Hu in 1934. The China Press.
We don’t know much about Charles Hu, except that his Chinese name transcribed as Ou Yu-mai, which leaves us wondering about the exact characters. This photo of substandard quality is all we have on him. But here is what a 1934 article said about Van Shing & Co.: “Sixteen hours of courteous and efficient service is what Van Shing & Company gives to its many Chinese and foreign patrons at their modern store on Avenue Joffre. This is the largest and most up-to-date provision store in Frenchtown. Growing from a small shop 14 years ago, Van Shing’s today has a spacious C-shaped store with big show windows. The showcases are systematically arranged in the center with imposing shelves around the walls, giving the buyers a real bird’s-eye view of every brand of goods and provisions and helping them to save time and energy during shopping hours. The building is well built, making it cool and comfortable inside.”
Van Shing had a delivery service, operating a fleet of bicycles with special red baskets. Couriers could be summoned by the telephone or by sending a servant (boy) to the store. It was a point of pride for Van Shing & Co that the government officials vacationing in Kuling and other nearby summer resorts ordered their provisions via mail at Van Shing.
The Van Shing building continued operating as a grocery store in the Communist era, renamed No. 2 Provision Store 上海第二食品商店, until its demolition in the 2000s. That block is now occupied by the iapm mall.
Old location of Van Shing, 192-194 Avenue du Roi Albert, corresponding to today’s northwest corner of South Shaanxi Road and Middle Huaihai Road, where the Xuhui District Hospital now stands.
Advertising for Van Shing, which allows to glimpse the interior. University of Victoria.
From a 1934 newspaper.
This was a vibrant, busy corner in the heart of the French Concession, as Malcolm Rosholt’s 1937 photo testifies. Historical Photographs of China.
1937. Harrison Forman.
1942. Shanghai Sunday Times.
1980s. 衡复微空间.
The store in the 1980s.