Taking the Goat by the Horns: Chinese New Year in Shanghai

Taking the Goat by the Horns: Chinese New Year in Shanghai
By Sam Elliot , eChinacities.com

The rush around Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is legendary and is said to be the largest annual migration on earth. For those who are too poor, too disorganized or too agoraphobic to leave Shanghai and enter the fray, we’ve compiled a list of some great activities for this CNY that won’t require you to leave the city.

1) Guyi Garden Fair

Guyi is renowned as one of the most beautiful classical gardens in all of Shanghai. It's located in Nanxiang, home of the xiaolongbao.  Since the tragic stampede on The Bund on New Year's Eve, governments all over China have been putting restrictions on public gatherings and so Guyi Garden won't be holding their annual lantern festival this year. However, there will be a temple fair which will be a great chance to immerse yourself in traditional Chinese culture and take part in riddle contests, lion and dragon dances and, more importantly, pig out on delicious Chinese snacks. This would also be a great chance to check out Guyi Yuan Lu, a street dedicated to our favourite soup dumplings, the xiaolongbao.

Add: 218 Huyi Gong Lu, near Guyi Yuan Lu, Jiading district, Shanghai
地址:上海市嘉定区沪宜公路218号,近古猗园路 View In Map
When: Now until March 8, 2015
Price: 12RMB

Taking the Goat by the Horns: Chinese New Year in Shanghai
Photo: Maxime Guilbot

2) Daguan Garden Temple Fair

Daguan Garden's festival is based on Cao Xueqin's classical novel, Dream of the Red Chamber, and includes different activities on each of the six days. The Hongloumeng Festival has similar celebrations to the Guyi garden. The garden itself also has the largest collection of plum blossom trees in Shanghai and is a lovely place to visit. 

Add:: 900 Jinshang Gong Lu, Qingpu District, Shanghai
地址:上海市青浦区晋商公路900号 View In Map
When: February 19-24
Price: 60RMB (adults); Free (children and seniors)

3) Confucius Temple

As with the Guyi Garden Fair, Shanghai’s Tourism Administration has decided to cancel the popular Lunar New Year lantern festival at Yuyuan Gardens this year after the Near Year’s tragedy on the Bund.

However, the Confucian Temple is very nearby and is a beautiful and often overlooked example of China’s Confucian past. Dating back to 1294, the temple includes a number of small scenic spots, including Kuixing Pavilion, which is named after the deity of literature, and Dacheng Hall, which is characterized by twin eaves and a statue of Confucius himself. The temple also hosts a hectic secondhand book market every Sunday from 07:30-16:30. Although mainly Chinese, there is a great selection of reading material available.

Add:  215 Wenmiao Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai
地址:上海市黄浦区文庙路215号 View In Map
Opening hours: Daily, 09:30-17:00 (last entry at 16:30)
Tel: 021 6377 1815
Price: 10RMB

4) Tianzifang
A rabbit's warren of lilong alleyways, Tianzifang is a hub of creative stores, stocking everything from trendy jewelry to vintage fashion and kitschy houseware. As well as its shopping options, Tianzifang is home to the Deke Erh Art Centre, which displays a robust range of books on Shanghai. Another art gallery worth checking out is the Beaugeste which has an outstanding collection of modern photographic art. However, above all, the Liuli China Museum is a must. Founded by Taiwanese artists Loretta Yang and Chang Yi, this museum is dedicated to glasswork and lost-wax casting. Some of the exhibits are over 2,000 years old and are fantastic examples of ancient Chinese craftsmanship.    

Deke Erh Art Centre
Add: 2, Lane 210 Taikang Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai
地址:上海市黄浦区泰康路210弄2号 View In Map
Opening hours: 10:30-18:30
Tel: 6415 0675

Liuli China Museum
Add: 25 Taikang Lu, Huangpu District, Shanghai
地址:上海市黄浦区泰康路25号View In Map
Opening hours: 10:00-17:00
Tel: 6467 2268

Beaugeste Photo Gallery
Add: 5, Lane 210 Taikang Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai
地址: 上海市黄浦区泰康路210弄5号 View In Map
Opening hours: 10:00-18:00 (weekends); Weekday visits must be booked in advance
Tel: 6466 9012
 
5Visit Sheshan Forest Park
Very accessible via line 9 on the Shanghai metro, Sheshan is a well worth day trip to its beautiful cathedral, surrounded by peaceful hills. There are bicycles for hire at the bottom of West Hill and are very handy for exploring the area but most of the sights are within the Sheshan National Forest Park. The park is divided into the West Hill area and the East Hill Area. Several historic landmarks can be found in the West, including the Sheshan Basilica Cathedral which was originally built in the 1860's. Unfortunately, its stained glass windows were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution but are being restored. Outside of the cathedral, take in the lovely views with the Shanghai suburbs in the distance.  The East Hill Area is more orientated around nature, with a forest park, butterfly garden and an aviary.

Add: 9258 Qingsong Highway, Sheshan, Songjiang District, Shanghai
地址: 上海市松江区佘山青松公路9258号 View In Map
Opening hours: 08:00-16:30 (normal business days); 08:30-16:30 (national holidays)
Tel: 021 5765 3423
Price: 30 RMB (West Hill area); 45 RMB (East Hill area)

Warning:The use of any news and articles published on eChinacities.com without written permission from eChinacities.com constitutes copyright infringement, and legal action can be taken.

Keywords: Spring Festival events Shanghai Chinese New Year Activities Shanghai

4 Comments

All comments are subject to moderation by eChinacities.com staff. Because we wish to encourage healthy and productive dialogue we ask that all comments remain polite, free of profanity or name calling, and relevant to the original post and subsequent discussion. Comments will not be deleted because of the viewpoints they express, only if the mode of expression itself is inappropriate.

joina2

Nice sight seeing

Mar 08, 2023 15:36 Report Abuse

oxana212

cool

May 11, 2022 05:04 Report Abuse

Guest2781358

Nice sightseeing

Feb 20, 2015 16:34 Report Abuse

Irfan100

wwwooooowwwww

Feb 13, 2015 16:56 Report Abuse