There was something a little daunting about visiting a city that has a population equal to that of my own country. With its futuristic skyline and chaotic traffic I wasn’t sure whether Shanghai was a great destination for our family with small children. I needn’t have worried. Shanghai has an underground train system that is clean, safe and easy to navigate even for non-Mandarin speakers. My two blond boys also drew curious smiles and friendly interactions as we explored the city with priority being given to us for seating in trains and when negotiating the airport. We spent a total of four days in Shanghai and discovered there was plenty to do with young children.
People’s Square
The cherry blossoms were just emerging as we enjoyed this central city park. A great place for people watching it is adjacent to the MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art) and the Natural History Museum – both on our list for our next visit to Shanghai.
Ladies dancing at the entrance to People’s Square Shanghai
Chang Feng Park
We took a 25 minute taxi ride from our Hongqiao based hotel to visit Shanghai Chang Feng Ocean World In Chang Feng park. This park is obviously a favourite for local families with small children, and many parents brought their children to meet ours. The park was a scenic setting to take in older ladies dancing, men playing cards and fishermen on the lake. The park also contains Shanghai Chang Feng Oceanworld, a Beluga whale show, a small amusement park and swan boats for hire. Chang Feng Park is located at 525 Zaoyang Lu, near Guangfu Lu, Putuo district.
Chang Feng Garden Shanghai
Shanghai Chang Feng Ocean World
Located in Chang Feng Park, Shanghai Chang Feng Oceanworld is a medium sized aquarium of the type that our family loves. The aquarium houses the old favourites that my boys look forward to seeing , clownfish, stingrays and sharks for example, but there were a few surprises. Most impressive were the South American Arapaima fish, one of the largest freshwater fish in the world. These were some seriously huge, air-breathing fish that this family of “Monster Fish” watchers were thrilled to meet. Entry to Shanghai Chang Feng Ocean World is via Gate 4 of Chang Feng Park.
Arapaima feeding at Shanghai Chang Feng Ocean World
The Bund
During my trip planning the Bund was most commonly mentioned as a must see for families visiting Shanghai. This river waterfront area boasts an impressive array of historical buildings however I wouldn’t say it tops our own list for things to do in Shanghai. We took a Huangpu river cruise which gave us a great perspective of the skyline but was a little expensive at over 100RMB.
The Bund Shanghai
Old Town.
Take the time to explore the alley-ways of Old Town with their hanging laundry and street vendors. This area was eye opening for our children (and my mother who was traveling with us) particularly the communal manner in which families were cooking their dinner on the street. A number of stalls sell toys and I liked the idea of buying from these stalls rather than from an upmarket children’s shop for example on Nanjing Road.
Yuyuan Garden and Bazaar
The traditional buildings and statues found in this Old Town attraction fascinated our family. The bazaar was fairly crowded as we visited on a weekend so stick to weekdays if that is an option. Yuyuan Garden is located at 137 An Ren Street in the Huangpu District.Malls
Bub 1 at Yuyuan Garden and Bazaar
Malls
As non-Mandarin speakers we found dining in China a challenge especially because we have a picky eater in the family. The shopping malls have numerous sit down dining options, most with photos of the menu that assisted us in the ordering process. We visited Hong Qiao Friendship Center and were not disappointed. It is located at No.6, Zunyi Road, Shanghai.
Stay
We stayed at New Harbour Service Apartments where, for the price of a hotel room we stayed in a three bedroom apartment. This four star property also has a lovely indoor swimming pool and is a ten minute walk from the Bund.
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Check out other family vacation shots at R We There Yet Mom’s Friday Daydreamin’
Thank you to Shanghai Chang Feng Oceanworld for hosting us during our visit to the aquarium.
Love the photos! The cherry blossoms are spectacular – I associate them with Japan and it had never occurred to me that they would be so beautiful in Shanghai. My younger daughter has been asking to go to China since she was 3 years old and I’m still trying to figure out the best timing and how to do it. The food is actually my biggest concern as well. Glad to see that your family enjoyed your visit!
I hadn’t associated cherry blossoms with China either Lisa, but they were very pretty and not yet in their prime. The food was a challenge as we have a picky eater – the biggest problem being we can’t read (or speak) Mandarin so ordering off a menu is impossible. We dealt with it by eating at our hotels that had some Western options on the menu for our son and English language menus. Shanghai had plenty of gorgeous bread shops everywhere. We also stayed at Club Med that had Chinese and Western foods on the menu. That way my husband and I were able to discover new CHinese dishes while my son stuck to his familiar items.
I love hearing about international travel with small children – we never tried it – but it’s great to see how much there is to do! Thanks for always linking up to our Friday Daydreamin’ – I appreciate it!
Thanks for hosting Friday Daydreamin’ Becca – it gives me plenty of motivation to keep traveling internationally when I see what everyone else is up too!