People’s Park in Shanghai

Why is People’s Park in Shanghai so Special?

People’s Park is a public park in Huangpu District of central Shanghai.  Originally the northern part of the Shanghai Race Club’s race course, the park was created in 1952. With several major museums and Shanghai’s main shopping street nearby, it is one of the top tourist destinations in the city. 

Where is People’s Park in Shanghai?

The People’s Park is located south of Nanjing Road, Huangpu District of central Shanghai, a major shopping street, and north of People’s Square.

How to Get There?

  • Take Metro Line 1 or Metro Line 8, get off at People’s Square Station, leave from Exit 16, and get into the park through Gate 1
  • Take Metro Line 2, get off at People’s Square Station, leave from Exit 12, and go to the park through Gate 4.
  • Take Bus No. 20, 37, or 330, get off at the Jiujianglu Huanghelu Station, and get into the park through Gate 4.
  • Take Bus No. 451 or 454, get off at the Nanjing Xilu Xizang Zhonglu Station, and get into the park through Gate 5.
  • Take Bus No. 20, 37, 330, or 805, get off at the Nanjing Xilu Huanghelu Station, and get into the park through Gate 5.
  • Take Bus No. 108, 167, 312, 318, 454, 537, 930, or 980, get off at the Renmin Square (Guangdong Road) Station, and get into the park through the south gate.
  • Take Bus No. 18, 49, 167, 312, 318, 451, 537, or 930, get off at the Renmin Square (Fuzhou Road) Station, and get into the park through the south gate.
  • Take City Sightseeing Bus and get off at the park.

Highlights of People’s Park in Shanghai

The park can be divided into three areas: the East, the middle and the West. The main scenic spot in the East is the May 30th Movement Memorial Hall. Antarctica stone, Shanghai Museum of Contemporary Art, tea house, outdoor theater and dance hall are all located in the middle area. In addition, visitors can rest, play chess or have a picnic on stone tables and benches in the middle area. Compared with the eastern and central regions, the western region has many landscape buildings, including pavilions, corridors, artificial hills, pools and pavilions.

Features and facilities

The park is the location of two museums (China Art Museum in Shanghai, and Museum of Contemporary Art Shanghai), a large pond with a cafe-bar (“Barbarossa”), and several other attractions such as a funfair. Overlooking the park are a number of highrise buildings including Park Hotel Shanghai and Tomorrow Square.

English Corner

The “English corner” at People’s Park is located opposite the Park Hotel, and has existed since 1978, brought into being by the increased popularity of English as a foreign language following market orientated reforms in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It was the nation’s first “English Corner”, and spawned many imitations. A piece about “English Corner” is part of Shanghai’s junior secondary school English textbook. In its heyday, many participants, including elderly English speakers, younger English language teachers and students, flock to “English corner” every Sunday to practise their English with each other and with any foreign visitors who may have wandered by or visited on purpose. With changes in the method of English education in Shanghai, the popularity of English corner has declined. Generally, participants only gather for a few hours in the afternoon on Sundays, rather than the full day in the past. The number of attendees has also dwindled, and it is today far eclipsed by the nearby “blind date corner” or “marriage market”.

Marriage Market

The marriage market or “blind date corner” in People’s Park has existed since 2004, in which marriage advertisement listings are publicly posted each weekend. Marriage market is the highlight of Shanghai People’s Park. It attracts a lot of people on weekends. Some parents even come here to choose their children’s future wives and husbands. The notes contain personal information about those who want to find a partner, including their gender, age, occupation, income, photos, phone numbers and educational background. In addition, their requirements for partners can be found in the comments. For example, a man wants to find a beautiful and slim lady to be his future wife.

Useful Travel Tips

  • Entrance Fee: Free
  • Opening Hours: 6:00-18:00

Nearby Attraction in Shanghai

Edited by Olive Zhang/张银芳