Spend a Day Immersing in Creative Culture: Discover the Unique Touch of Handmade with Your Kids

Decades ago, looking down on Shanghai, the mouth of the Yangtze River was dotted with factories—shipbuilding, instrument power generation, steel smelting—that formed the economic backbone of the city's development. Now, unfolding the map of Shanghai again, you'll find those old factory buildings and warehouses have quietly transformed into cultural landmarks of urban creativity. From the former 'Far East No.1 Slaughterhouse' turned popular film location 1933 Old Millfun, to the century-old power plant reborn as Yangpu Riverside Park, Shanghai boasts many urban landscapes of new-era transformation.

As a mother of a four-year-old boy, constantly seeking fun and interesting places for parent-child outings is my joy. As my son Yuanbao grows, my focus has shifted from pure fun to experiences that also offer some learning. Recently, I discovered a hidden gem perfect for deep kid-friendly experiences—Maikejiang Cultural Creative Park. It combines the playful charm of a children's playground with the joy of hands-on crafting, filled with boundless imagination. I spent a whole day there with Yuanbao, immersed in a world where creativity and heartfelt sentiment converge, enjoying a uniquely joyful and fulfilling weekend.

01 The Transformation of an Old Factory: Where Creativity Meets Nostalgia

Yes, Maikejiang Cultural Creative Park was originally a textile factory making homewear. The story dates back to 1977, when the homewear brand 'Maikejiang'—named after founders Michael and John—was born. In 1992, the factory headquarters moved to Qibao, Minhang District, Shanghai. In 2007, as production shifted to other provinces, the old factory covering over 20,000 square meters was left empty.

So, in 2012, the management of Maikejiang ventured into the cultural creative industry. After several years of meticulous crafting, the transformed Maikejiang Cultural Creative Park reappeared in 2017.

Walking through the park today, you'll still encounter many remnants of the old textile factory—from sewing machines placed among the grass to large circular knitting machines on display. In a way, they preserve Maikejiang's history, and with creative touches become distinctive new-era decorations, full of vibrant life.

Across the entire Maikejiang Cultural Creative Park, retro and artsy spots abound.

Whether it's the old residences with redesigned facades, the whimsical door signs, or a market brimming with ethnic charms.

Exquisite or quirky decorations everywhere showcase the artisans' ingenious craftsmanship, creating a diverse and creative sensory space that leaves you in awe.

Many young people see Maikejiang Cultural Creative Park as a new must-visit spot: leaning against a clean industrial white wall, strolling among the Bobdog outdoor toy figurines, wandering through white steel frameworks, or quietly waiting for a plane to pass overhead between the buildings and greenery...

02 A Dreamy Magic Space: Trading Time for Joy

Maikejiang Cultural Creative Park is China's first cultural creative park themed on hands-on experiences combined with industrial design. It hosts over 30 artisan brands, such as Carton King—a local creative icon from Taiwan, the century-old woodworking brand Qimutang, and the original wood gift studio Qimu Workshop. The offerings span paper art, glassblowing, pottery and colored clay crafting, woodworking, and more...

It's like a cultural creative expo, dazzling and overwhelming. Each exquisite handcrafted piece embodies the ideals and persistence of its maker, who is willing to spend decades deeply focused on their craft, enduring solitude—an especially precious quality in today's fast-paced world.

These fine handmade works aren't just for looking at from afar; you can experience them firsthand. We deliberately chose a few crafts suitable for Yuanbao's age to get up close and personal.

The first stop was a pottery workshop. Kids can try wheel throwing themselves, guided one-on-one by a professional instructor to create a basic piece.

During the May Day holiday, we took Yuanbao back to our hometown Jingdezhen, the millennia-old porcelain capital, to experience pottery making. Unfortunately, despite its fame, the local pottery workshops were disappointing—rough environment and no real instruction. By contrast, the Taobeibei Creation Workshop was incredibly welcoming for beginners like Yuanbao with zero foundation.

The young instructor was extremely patient, putting a special apron on Yuanbao, washing hands before starting the one-on-one wheel throwing lesson. His language was simple and vivid, easy to understand. Under his guidance, Yuanbao even managed to make a round basic form. After the experience, he carefully helped Yuanbao wash his hands. Overall, the whole process felt pleasant and reassuring for both Yuanbao and us parents.

The second stop was a woodworking studio. Originally a furniture maker, it later established Qimu Workshop for gifts. The building it occupies is one of Maikejiang's old factory buildings. The display shelves for creative products are made from the frames of original large circular knitting machines, with small parts removed—these have become the park's most story-filled 'exhibit stands'.

The bicycle next to it isn't a prop bought for retro decor; it's the genuine 'delivery vehicle' the boss used for deliveries since 1992.

Most of Qimu Workshop's creative gifts are made from furniture offcuts, maximizing a piece of wood with both eco-friendliness and creativity. Whether toys, bookmarks, or accessories, they all feature wood elements.

You can try making a wooden rose on-site, with an instructor guiding hands-on. Yuanbao and a little girl he met in the park became two young students. Of course, given their young age, their fine motor skills couldn't quite manage the intricate petal-making, but the kids got to truly perceive another possibility of wood.

The third stop was a small market shop called Ayouyi. The owner, Teacher Cai, has been creating and teaching clay sculpture for over 20 years, radiating a unique passion.

His clay figurines are humorous and playful, always catching current trends. Whether it's the Terracotta Warriors or Nezha, the hugely popular demon child from last year, they are all remarkably lifelike.

Talking with him, you can easily see Teacher Cai's love for clay sculpture. He speaks with deep, enduring words, and we felt as if we'd had a vivid clay sculpture lesson.

The fourth stop was a glass workshop. Founder Teacher Gao has led his team in continuous research and development for over a decade. Their flower-themed glass craft pens have won numerous awards, beautifully designed and practical.

The workshop's production area is open, allowing visitors to watch the entire glass-blowing process. Since temperatures can instantly exceed 1,000 degrees Celsius during glassmaking, extreme care is required.

So we only let Yuanbao watch. He was amazed by the blazing fire, and gazing at the calm Teacher Gao was like watching a magical forge master.

03 Paper Beyond Your Imagination: A World of Boundless Creativity

If you ask where kids love most in Maikejiang Cultural Creative Park? Carton King definitely tops the list. Originally named Jintang Paper Products, Carton King didn't languish as technology reduced paper use; instead, it seized the chance to transform and unleash paper's creativity. Every visitor to Carton King must be convinced by their slogan: 'With paper, there's only what you can't imagine; nothing we can't achieve!'

Paper hats, paper rocking horses, paper beds, a paper post office... Everything here is made of paper, including Shanghai's only paper train—a popular Instagram-worthy mini train that actually runs.

The train ride lasts about 7 minutes, making full use of every corner of the outdoor garden, perfectly connecting Carton King's outdoor and indoor scenery.

The first stop passes "Money Comes at Once", second stop "Swiss Cabin", third "Rose Tunnel", fourth "Paper Hot Pot Restaurant", fifth "Forest Adventure", and the final stop "Paper Starry Sky".

Yuanbao absolutely loved the paper train, riding it about three times and still reluctant to leave.

Besides the popular paper train, Carton King's big slide is also a hit with kids. Basically, the place is filled with non-stop laughter all day, mingling with the rumbling of the little train.

Carton King also features a unique paper restaurant, with tables and chairs all made of paper. The chairs can bear up to 300 jin (about 150 kg), and there's even a paper private room named "Peace Hotel".

The paper hot pot is a standout, with a world patent. It defies the traditional notion that paper and fire can't mix—it can burn over an open flame at 250 degrees without being damaged, and is made of recyclable, eco-friendly material. Many kids eat while staring at the paper hot pot in amazement.

Of course, in just one day, we couldn't experience everything Maikejiang Cultural Creative Park has to offer. There are many more interesting shops and craft studios worth revisiting. Yuanbao made good friends here and got to personally feel the fun and charm of hands-on crafting. Though the things we made weren't perfect, compared to mass-produced items, they carry a unique warmth of memory.

For us adults, it wasn't just about valuable parent-child time; it also opened our eyes to new knowledge. Seeing the artisans' dedication up close, the passion shining in their eyes must have touched and influenced those around us. I think that's exactly the purpose of many teachers bringing students to Maikejiang for educational trips that day: the belief in focusing and doing one thing well is valuable. In our lives, we need persistence and dedication to something we love.