How to Visit People's Square Shanghai (Tips, Photo & Map)

Plan your Shanghai tour? Basically you should include People's Square on your Shanghai's first-time visit list. People's Square is the soul of Shanghai, both physically and spiritually.

Originally the largest in Asia before 1949, now it has become the largest, chic and modern square in Shanghai after over 60 years' development.

Some Useful Tips

1. Location and How to Get to People's Square Shanghai

People's Square is located in the center of Shanghai. The best way to get to Shanghai People's Square is using the fast and safe metro system. Actually People's Square is the busiest and largest metro station in Shanghai with 3 major subway lines passing through, namely metro line 1, 2 and 8.

So getting to People's Square is a breeze. But keep in mind that there are 20 exits, in and out of People's Square Subway Station. Make sure you do some research as to where to come in and go out. For visiting People's Square, just get off either at Exit 1 or 2 at the People's Square Station of Line 1, Line 2 and Line 8.

2. The Layout of People's Square

People's Square is sandwiched by the busy streets of Nanjing Road and Yanan Road. People's Avenue bisects the square into two parts, roughly the northern part and southern part.

The southern part is home to Shanghai Museum, one of the largest museums in China, and the largest underground shopping mall in China. The northern part include some famous buildings and People's Park. These well-known buildings are Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center, the Shanghai Municipal Government Building and Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center.

3. Major Sights in People's Square

There are numerous sites in the square and you'll find yourself hard-pressed to see everything People's Square has to offer. If your heavily schedule doesn't allow you to visit any attractions in the square, it still doesn't deter you from a troll on the square allowing you to feel the modern chic and refined elegance of Shanghai.

By the way, if time permits, you may choose any of the following things to do:

The Southern Square

1. Shanghai Museum Occupying a construction site of over 28,000 square meters, the museum has four exhibition halls holding bronze ware, calligraphy, paintings, pottery, porcelain, jadeware, stone carvings, Jiaguwen imperial seals and more. Many exhibitions from the Shanghai Museum have been put on show to Hong Kong, Japan and America and other countries.

2) Shanghai Underground Shopping Mall It is the largest underground shopping mall in China. You may enter the subterranean mall from its entrance in the southeast of the square.

3) Hong Kong Shopping Center It is also an underground shopping center, which is specialised in products from Hong Kong. Its entrance is located in the northeast of the southern part of the square.

The Northern Square

1. Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center Covering an area of 3,600 square meters, it is the largest integrative urban planning exhibition center in China. The top is made up of four large connected crust, just like the blooming White Yulan, the city flower of Shanghai. You can take good photos of the square from the Shanghai Urban Exhibition Center Building.

2) The Shanghai Municipal Government Building It is one of the landmark buildings in Shanghai, home to the offices with the capacity of 2500 people at work for Shanghai Municipal Government.

3) Shanghai Grand Theater Completed in 1998, the Shanghai Grand Theatre is listed as one of the largest and best-equipped automatic stages in the world. The theatre stages the performances of operas, symphonies, chamber music concerts, , musicals, ballets, spoken dramas and various Chinese operas.

4. Attractions in the vicinity of People's Square There are some important attractions worth your exploration, which are not far from People's Square. Walking in the northeast direction, you will get to the pedestrian only shopping street - Nanjing Road. Champs-élysées to Paris and Oxford street in London are what Nanjing Road to Shanghai. Nanjing Road, billed as “China’s First Commercial Street”, is the most well known shopping and leisure street in Shanghai.

The leisure stroll along the 1-km pedestrian only street, ending at the Bund is an interesting experience, people watching, shopping, drinking and eating. Strolling along theBund is a must in if you visit Shanghai for the first time. It is the most awesome urban city walk in the world though you may have your own favorites such as Piccadilly in London, Champs-Elysees in Paris, Fifth Avenue in New York and Victoria in Hong Kong.

Head to the south across Yan'an Road and Huaihai Road, you will reach the Xin Tian Di(or spelled "Xintiandi"), a kind of Lan Kwai Fong in Hong Kong and Clarke Quay in Singapore. It is situated at Lane No.181 of Taicang Road Shanghai, the old Shikumen residential area near "Zhonggong yidahuizhi" ( site of the 1st National Congress of the Communist Party).

5. Shanghai Urban Life There are many chairs and benches in the green lawn dotted square. The locals love to gather here for a family bonding time or to meet up their friends for walk.

Come here early in the morning, you will see people playing Tai Chi, jogging, dancing, etc. People watching, mixing with the locals, relaxing and enjoying the beautiful surrounding city skyline.