People’s Square is located in the heart of Shanghai close to Nanjing Road. The square is home to many visitor attractions, including the Municipal Government Mansion, Shanghai Museum and Shanghai Grand Theatre.
Many visitors head to People’s Square for the wide open spaces, landscaped gardens and plethora of iconic surrounding buildings. The Shanghai Museum, designed in the style of a Chinese cooking pot lies to the south side of the square. It is considered a world-class museum of China. Founded in 1952, on the site of the former racecourse club house, the museum contains a collection of over 120,000 pieces. These include ceramics, jade, sculptures and ancient artworks. The Urban Planning Exhibition Hall is to the east of People’s Square. It was constructed to show the achievement of city planning with exhibitions, research projects, entertainment and recreation. There are fascinating scale city models to explore with old streets and buildings, combined with the futuristic, technologically advanced buildings of the Financial District. It’s the perfect place to discover how the Shanghai skyline will look in years to come. Shanghai Grand Theatre is hard to miss with its distinctive architectural style. Concerts performed at the theatre include classical music dramas, symphony orchestras, opera and ballet. Along the south side of the square, there are several underground structures including Dimei Shopping Centre and Hong Kong Street. Head to The Bund for exceptional riverside views and admire the Neo-Classical and Renaissance Revival buildings which line the waterfront.
People’s Square is one of Shanghai’s main transport hubs with many subway lines and sightseeing buses stopping here. Local buses pass by, and there are many areas accessible on foot. The riverside area of The Bund and picturesque Yu Gardens are less than 30 minutes’ walk.
People’s Square was once a racecourse; it was known as the number one course in China. Following the rise of the Communist government, horse racing and gambling of any kind were banned and the racecourse was demolished. During years that followed, buildings began to spring up around the area such as the Grand Cinema, Shanghai Grand Theatre, Shanghai Art Museum and Tomorrow Square. Today, the open expanse of People’s Square attracts visitors keen to explore the many structure and facilities, while also having an oasis in which to relax away from the buzz of the Financial District and Nanjing Road.