Shanghai Disneyland, Century Park & das Neue Östliche Shanghai
Shanghai Disney Resort (上海迪士尼乐园 — opened June 16, 2016, in the Pudong New Area, approximately 30 km east of the city centre — the first Disney theme park in mainland China and the sixth Disney resort in the world): the Enchanted Storybook Castle (奇幻童话城堡 — the centrepiece castle of Shanghai Disneyland, the largest and tallest Disney castle ever built (73 metres), and the only Disney castle to feature all Disney Princesses simultaneously rather than a single princess) is the largest single Disney attraction structure ever built.
- 1
Shanghai Disney Resort — The Largest Disney Park Outside Florida
Shanghai Disney Resort (上海迪士尼度假区, Chuansha New Town, Pudong, opened June 2016, Metro Line 11, ¥399–799 daily ticket depending on season and day of week, daily 8am–10pm) is the largest Disney theme park built since Epcot (1982) — the Enchanted Storybook Castle (the park's centrepiece, the tallest and most complex Disney castle ever built) and the TRON Lightcycle Power Run (the fastest roller coaster at any Disney park globally, 120km/h) are the distinctive experiences; the resort (2 hotels, 1 theme park, 1 Toy Story Hotel, Disneytown shopping district) covers 3.9 sq km.
- 2
Century Park — Pudong's 140-Hectare Urban Lung
Century Park (世纪公园, Jinxiu Road, Pudong, the largest park in central Pudong, 140 hectares, ¥10 entry, daily 7am–6pm) was designed for the 2010 World Expo master plan as the primary green space for the new Pudong financial district — the park (English landscape garden design with a central lake, cycling paths, a golf course, and large-scale sculpture installations) is surrounded by the towers of the Lujiazui financial district visible on the horizon; the Saturday morning mass tai chi gatherings (500+ practitioners in the main meadow) and the kite flying (the park's most persistent recreational activity, any wind day year-round) are the defining social scenes.
- 3
Qibao Ancient Town — The 1,000-Year-Old Watertown in the City
Qibao (七宝古镇, Minhang District, 20 minutes from People's Square by Metro Line 9) is the closest of Shanghai's ancient water towns to the city centre — the Song Dynasty settlement (established 1,000 years ago, the name from the 7 treasures of the town's original monastery) retains a 600m canal main street with original Qing and Republican-era wooden buildings; the street food (Qibao lamb rice cake, glutinous rice wine pressed from the canal-side distillery, river shrimp) and the small shops (traditional embroidery, cricket-keeping supplies — cricket fighting is a Qibao specialty) give a pre-modern Shanghai experience.
- 4
Zhujiajiao Water Town — Venice of the East, 45 Minutes Away
Zhujiajiao (朱家角, 48km west of Shanghai, 45 minutes by Bus 1728 from Pu'an Road, free entry to the town, individual attractions ¥5–15) is the best-preserved Ming and Qing Dynasty water town accessible from Shanghai — the 36 stone bridges (the Fangsheng Bridge, 1571, 70m long, 5 arches, the largest in the Yangtze Delta), the 1km traditional street (Beixidajie), and the 3 surviving memorial archways are the main structures; the gondola-style boat rides (¥80/boat, 30 minutes, through the canal network) and the shop selling Shanghai Old Street Rice Wine (direct from the distillery within town) are the tourist experiences.
- 5
F1 Shanghai International Circuit — The Spring Race Weekend
Shanghai International Circuit (上海国际赛车场, 2000 Yining Road, Jiading, 40km north of central Shanghai, Metro Line 11 then bus, the purpose-built F1 circuit opened 2004) hosts the Chinese Grand Prix (April, typically the 4th race of the F1 calendar) — the circuit (designed by Hermann Tilke, 5.451km lap length, the Shanghai 'S' corner — a decreasing radius right-left combination — is the most technically challenging element) and the spectator capacity (200,000 over the race weekend) make the Chinese GP weekend the largest annual sporting event in Shanghai; tickets ¥80–3,000 depending on grandstand and session.
- 6
Zhujiajiao Water Town — Ming Dynasty Canals 50 Minutes from the City
Zhujiajiao (朱家角, Qingpu District, 48km west of central Shanghai, 50 minutes by Metro Line 17 from Hongqiao) preserves 36 stone arch bridges spanning 9 crisscrossing canals — the Fangsheng Bridge (1571, 70m long, 5 arches, the largest stone arch bridge in the Yangtze River Delta), the 1km traditional high-street (Beixidajie), and the tradition of releasing live fish and turtles from the bridge (the fangsheng ritual for merit-making) give the town a living cultural dimension absent from Shanghai's urban attractions; boat rides (¥80 per boat, 30 minutes through the canal network) depart from the North Gate entrance.