Xu Guangqi
The Xuhui District is named after its namesake, the historic area of Xujiahui. Xujiahui was historically land owned by Ming dynasty bureaucrat and scientist Xu Guangqi, and later donated to the Roman Catholic Church. It and Luwan District jointly formed the core of Catholic Shanghai, centered in the former French Concession of Shanghai. Vestiges of the French influence can still be seen in the St. Ignatius Cathedral of Shanghai, Xuhui College, the Xujiahui Observatory, and some remaining boulevards and French-style districts.