People's Square

This spectacular space in the heart of the city is a hub of activity.

TravelCurious Tip

Check out Godly Vegetarian Restaurant, which was opened by a Buddhist monk at the start of the 20th century and imitates popular meat dishes with vegan ingredients really quite well

Before 1949 and the birth of the People’s Republic of China, the land where People’s Square now stands was a horse racing course. But when the new Communist government came to power it quickly banned gambling and horse racing and began enforcing party enthusiasm, so a new arena was a must.


With Nanjing Road just to the North, People’s Square is both literally and figuratively the very centre of Shanghai. Since its renovation, key buildings have sprouted up alongside it. The Municipal Government Mansion can be found there, for example, as can the monumental Shanghai Museum. To the northwest sits the Shanghai Grand Theatre, an audacious and stunning building made almost entirely from glass.


In the centre of the square there is a circular musical fountain, the red, yellow and blue lights of which give out a sort of stained glass aura below the sometimes heavy, grey sky of Shanghai. Come early in the morning and you can watch people practicing Tai Chi around it. Or if you come on a Saturday you can witness the weekly ‘marriage market,’ a rather unique event where parents make and flaunt large posters advertising their son or daughter’s qualities in the hope of finding a partner for them.

Nearby Attractions

See all attractions in Shanghai
The Bund
As the city's stand out landmark, this remarkable waterfront is perfect for strolling and people-watching.
Heavenly Light Lane
Learn more about Shanghai's history here on the first street to have public electronic light in the city.
Egg Pancake
Experience the joy of tasting Jianbing (egg pancake), one of China's best-kept culinary secrets.
Scallion Pancake
A cong you bing, also known as a scallion pancake, is a Chinese, savoury, unleavened flatbread folded with oil and minced scallions.
Shanghai Museum
The museum has over 120,000 pieces of ancient chinese art and is arranged in line with Feng Shui principles,
Grey Gardens
Also known as 'The Secluded Library', these enchanting gardens were built for the Lu family in 1763.

Related Tours

Highlights of Shanghai: Private full day tour including Tickets & Transport
Experience all the major highlights of Shanghai on this all-inclusive, full-day private tour. On your private full-day tour, you will:

  • Enjoy the personalised attention of your private guide.
  • Commence your tour at the iconic Jade Buddha Temple, with entrance tickets included
  • Take in the tranquil surroundings by People's Square
  • Venture through the atmospheric Shanghai Old Town.
  • Visit the beautiful Yuyuan Garden (tickets included).
  • Enter the revered Old City of God Temple (tickets included).
  • Learn about Shanghai in the 21st century, at Tianzifang.
  • Walk along the picturesque Bund.
  • Enjoy a ferry ride across the Huangpu River to the futuristic Pudong on the east.
  • End at the iconic Television Tower.
Known as the ‘Paris of the Orient, Shanghai is steeped in culture, history, and glamour in equal measure. Throughout the day, you’ll see the architectural marvels of the city, and learn all about its cultural heritage, its history, its religion, and its contemporary daily life. 

Your day begins at the famous Jade Buddha Temple, home to a priceless collection of jade statues. The temple is designed in the breathtaking architectural style of the Song Dynasty and is the headquarters of the Shanghai Buddhist Institute. Your guide will then continue on to People’s Square. This beautiful green space is a hub of activity and is surrounded by monuments and museums. 

Next, your private guide will take you to Shanghai Old Town and the enchanting Yuyuan Garden. You will see the old-style buildings of the Ming and Qing Dynasty and have the chance to stop and try delicious local delicacies recommended by your guide. You will also visit the revered Old City of God Temple and learn about its statues in Taoism.

Move on from the traditional and learn more about Shanghai’s present as you head down to the exciting Tianzifang - the ‘Soho of Shanghai’. Walk along with the most famous landmark, the Bund. From this beautiful waterfront, enjoy a perfect end to your day as you take a ferry ride across the Huangpu River to the futuristic Pudong on the east shore. There your guide will orient you around the area and take you to the distinctive Oriental Pearl Radio & Television Tower, where the tour ends, allowing you to enjoy free time in the Pudong area, with the glorious views over the river towards the Bund. 
Highlights of Shanghai: Half-Day Private Tour with Tickets
As China's largest and most affluent city Shanghai is rarely static, a city of mind-blowing proportions and an ever-changing urban footprint. Sky-bound superstructures, gleaming designer malls and sweeping, futuristic bridges characterise this modern megalopolis yet Shanghai - meaning City of The Sea - has a history that spans over a thousand years. On your private guided tour of Shanghai, you will: 

  • Enjoy the old, the new, and everything spanning in between with the personalised attention of your private guide
  • Take advantage of skip-the-line tickets (included) to the peaceful Jade Buddha Temple, idyllic Yuyuan Garden and the important Old City of God Temple. Your guide will also have public transport tickets for you
  • Experience the contrasting quietude of the iconic Jade Buddha Temple built in 1882, and the vibrant buzz of the city in leafy People's Square.
  • Admire Ming and Qing Dynasty architecture and the hallowed Old City of God Temple. 
  • Stroll historic Shanghai Old Town to Yuyuan Garden and the bustling Bazaar
  • Soak up views across the Huangpu River at the Bund, a stunning 1.5km waterfront promenade.
Beginning life as a tiny fishing village, the city now showcases China’s 21st Century dynamism in art and design. Upscale apartments, glitzy bars and restaurants overshadow Shanghai’s humble origins. Yet the city owes much to the Yangzi River delta where China's main waterway completes its 5,500-km journey to the Pacific - the trade route on which Shanghai blended East-meets-West culture was born. 

Parts of Shanghai were once independently ruled by British, French, and American colonists, which has left its telltale mark on the architectural and societal character of the city. This contrasting mix of cultures has paved the way for openness to Western influences found in modern Shanghai. See the ancient and the modern, beginning with the Jade Buddha Temple, a beautiful Song Dynasty-era building flanked by statues. Denoting the geographical heart of the city, leafy People’s Square forms a lively daily hub in the thick of it. In Old Shanghai, see the enchanting Yuyuan Garden and the city’s historic Bazaar amidst a storied building of the Ming and Qing Dynasty. In the 15th century, the Old City of God Temple is a grand place of Taoist worship while the Bund, a mesmerizing 1.5 km esplanade along the Huangpu River—is lined with cafés, restaurants and chi-chi boutiques— boasts prized views of the Lujiazui skyline. Enjoy all of this and more on this fabulous all-inclusive half-day private tour. 
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