Things to do in Shanghai with Kids
Shanghai, the Magic City is a city that you must visit for a family trip in China. There are a lot of things to do in Shanghai with kids and Family.
It’s not just because there is Disneyland in Shanghai but also because Shanghai is the first of the ten largest cities in China. Children can experience a truly international metropolis in Shanghai.
In addition, Shanghai is also China’s financial center and technological innovation center. Taking your children to Shanghai can help you experience the modern and fashionable city style.
At the same time, Shanghai is a city where Chinese and Western cultures blend together. Here, children can not only appreciate China’s profound historical and cultural heritage, but also be exposed to diverse foreign art styles.
If parents from other places bring their children to Shanghai for a visit, it is recommended that they include this place in their plans. The children will be benefitted greatly from it. In summer, Shanghai is visited by tourists from all over the world every day, many of whom are parents traveling with their children. However, Shanghai is often hot and sunny during this season, which greatly dampens the interest of tourists. Therefore, museums are a good place to travel in summer.
Everyone knows that Shanghai is the fashion capital and the most economically developed place in China, but in fact Shanghai also has many historical sites. It is the birthplace of the Red Revolution and the birthplace of the Party.
The Memorial Hall of the First Congress of the Communist Party of China is located on Huangpi South Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai. It can be reached by many subway and bus lines. The station is named “First Congress Site”, and transportation is very convenient.
The memorial hall is very large and has a lot of content on display. Instead of boring preaching as one might imagine, it uses exhibits and pictures to bring history to life, showing the birth and development of the Party over the past century. Even people who are not interested in its history will gain a new understanding of current life after being there.
I asked the children of relatives and friends and after visiting the site of the First Congress they all felt that the memorial hall was a very interesting place. They liked the site of the First Congress even more than the Shanghai Museum, which has more collections.
Next to the First Congress Site is the Shikumen Scenic Area. There are many foreign tourists here. For them, Shikumen is a very distinctive building complex, so this is a must-see place for foreigners when they come to Shanghai.
Shikumen architecture has the characteristics of a combination of Chinese and Western styles. The formation of this style is also a product of historical development. In those days, due to the Taiping Rebellion, wealthy families in Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas flocked to the Shanghai Concession to seek refuge in order to escape the war.
As a result, many high-walled and deep-courtyard buildings with small footprints and little construction materials were built in the concession at that time. Because they were quiet in the midst of a bustling city, they were very popular among the Chinese in the concession.
Because these buildings have stone door frames and black-painted solid thick wood door panels, they are named “Shikumen”.
When you come to Shanghai, how can you not visit the famous Shikumen?
The Shikumen scenic area is not big, so you can just take a quick look at it, and then take the subway to visit Soong Ching Ling’s former residence.
If you are interested in old buildings, you can also visit Wukang Road, which is full of century-old garden houses and historical apartments. Almost all the houses on the roadside are cultural relics protection units, and countless historical celebrities have lived here.
The former residence of Song Qingling is not very large and is a paid scenic spot with a ticket price of 20 yuan. In order to protect the former residence, the scenic spot will limit the number of visitors to 2,000 per day.
During the peak tourist season, everyone must remember to buy tickets in advance on the official account to avoid being unable to enter the door and making a wasted trip. In addition, most museums are closed on Mondays, and the former residence of Soong Ching Ling is also closed, so you should avoid visiting on Mondays.
Why does the architectural appearance of Soong Ching Ling’s former residence look like a ship?
The original owner was a Greek ship owner, who built this villa in the 1920s. After several changes of ownership, Ms. Soong Ching Ling began to live here after 1948, and after her death in 1981, the building was built into a memorial hall.
Although the former residence is not large, it was once the place where great men lived and hosted many foreign heads of state. It can be said that great achievements were made in such a small space.
When children come to Shanghai, they may want to go to Disneyland, but there are actually many places to visit in Shanghai. Some places do not require expensive tickets like Disneyland, but can also make children happy and let them see a bigger world. It will be a memorable part of Shanghai kids itinerary.
Shanghai Oil Painting and Sculpture Institute
Shanghai Oil Painting and Sculpture Institute was founded in 1965 (then named Shanghai Oil Painting and Sculpture Studio). It is the first public professional creation and research institution in New China with oil painting and sculpture as its main body. It is a fully funded public welfare first-class institution directly under the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, with an administrative level of director level. There are 6 departments in the institute, namely the office, human resources development department, institute art gallery, theory research room, oil painting studio, and sculpture studio. The approved number of staff is 37, and the actual number of staff is 33.
Since its establishment, the Shanghai Oil Painting and Sculpture Institute has become an academic highland where Shanghai’s art talents gather and excellent works of art are produced. Oil painting and sculpture creation and research have always been the focus of the Shanghai Oil Painting and Sculpture Institute has developed its own academic tradition and distinctive professional style over the years.
From early pioneers with significant influence in modern Chinese art—such as Wu Dayu, Zhang Chongren, Zhou Bichu, and Yu Yunjie—to the artists nurtured in New China, including Chen Yifei, Wei Jingshan, Xia Baoyuan, and Qiu Ruimin, and later the innovative leaders like Yu Xiaofu and Zhou Changjiang who rose to prominence after the reform and opening-up, as well as today’s emerging talents, generations of artists have shown remarkable courage and creativity. Their work has not only brought prestige to Shanghai but also enriched the legacy of modern Chinese art.
The Oil Painting and Sculpture Institute’s got some serious history. We’re talking about legends here—folks like Wu Dayu, Zhang Chongren, Zhou Bichu, Yu Yunjie. These guys basically laid the groundwork for modern Chinese art; their names ring out. Fast forward to the era after New China kicked off, and you’ve got a new wave: Chen Yifei, Wei Jingshan, Xia Baoyuan, Qiu Ruimin—real heavy hitters. And it doesn’t stop there. People like Yu Xiaofu and Zhou Changjiang?
They’ve been shaking things up all over the country since the reform days, pushing boundaries, coming up with fresh ideas. Now, there’s a whole crop of younger artists stepping into the spotlight, hungry and bold. Honestly, when you look at it, generation after generation’s been adding their own sparkle to Shanghai’s art scene, stacking up wins and making the story of modern Chinese art way richer. It’s a wild, creative ride, and the Institute’s right at the heart of it.
Many far-reaching classic masterpieces have emerged in the history of the Oil Painting and Sculpture Institute, such as the oil paintings “Occupation of the Presidential Palace”, “Red Flag”, “Yellow River”, “Pioneer”, “I Knock Gently on the Door”, etc., and the sculptures “Relief of the Monument to the People’s Heroes on the Bund: A Century of Shanghai Revolutionary History”, “Dance for the Loyal Souls” (Longhua Martyrs Cemetery), “Monument to Marx and Engels” (Fuxing Park), “May 30th Monument” (public green space outside People’s Park), “Get Up – Statue of Nie Er” (Huaihai Middle Road Fuxing Road Street Garden) and “Girl Making a Phone Call” (Huaihai Road), etc.
It has participated in many national and Shanghai-based oil painting and sculpture creation projects, such as the Nanjing Yuhuatai Monument Sculpture, the Wuhan Yangtze River Bridgehead Sculpture, the Chongqing Jiefangbei Sculpture, the Beijing Museum of the Chinese Revolution and Zhongnanhai Oil Painting Creation, as well as art projects such as the Shanghai First National Congress Memorial Hall, Oriental Oasis, and Shanghai Cohesion Museum, leaving vivid and precious visual memories and spiritual wealth for the times.
Under the purpose of serving the national cultural strategy in the new era, the Shanghai Oil Painting and Sculpture Institute continues to uphold the attitude of upholding the truth and innovating, deepening its research, focusing on the basic purpose of “adhering to the people-centered approach”, upholding the working spirit of inheriting excellent artistic traditions and pursuing innovative practices, with the goal of carrying out new-era art creation and research, creating high-quality exhibitions in art museums, and improving the quality of urban public cultural services. It actively organizes and promotes various creation, research, exhibition, aesthetic education and other work.
There are many places worth visiting for a family trip in Shanghai. Here are some recommended must-see attractions:
Shanghai Disneyland: A world-renowned theme park with seven theme areas, each with a wealth of rides and performances. Children can interact with their favorite cartoon characters and enjoy a fairy-tale-like happy time.
Shanghai Zoo: It integrates animal exhibitions, popular science education and leisure tours. Children can watch various cute animals up close and cultivate love and environmental awareness.
Shanghai Ocean Aquarium: One of the largest ocean aquariums in China, located in Lujiazui, children can see a variety of marine life, increase their knowledge and broaden their horizons.
Oriental Green Boat: Oh man, this place is massive. Imagine a park where you can actually learn stuff, run wild, and get your hands dirty—all at once. Perfect if you’ve got kids who need to burn off some energy or just want to escape the concrete jungle for a bit. Science, nature, sports… it’s the works.
Shanghai Natural History Museum: If your kid’s obsessed with dinosaurs or just loves weird bugs, this museum’s a goldmine. Seriously, it’s stuffed with fossils, animal bones, and all sorts of mind-blowing exhibits. Even adults end up gawking. You’ll all probably leave knowing way more about the planet than you bargained for.
High-tech stuff, robots, Rainbow Park, and the like—look, these places are straight-up playgrounds for the curious. Kids go nuts over the gadgets and gizmos, and honestly, so do half the parents. It’s like stepping into the future, minus the flying cars (unfortunately).
Automobile Museum: Vintage cars, shiny engines, and that old-school smell—if your child dreams about wheels, this is their Disneyland. You don’t just stare at cars from afar; you get to see how they’ve evolved up close. It’s kind of like time traveling, but with more horsepower
Tianzifang: An old neighborhood full of history and culture, where children can experience the unique charm of Shanghai.
Dishui Lake Children’s Park: There are slides, climbing frames, swings, zip lines and other non-powered facilities of various shapes. The lakeside scenery is beautiful and suitable for camping and kite flying.