This Summer, Take It Easy: On the Huangpu Riverside, Explore Shanghai’s Past and Present at Expo Songcheng

📍 Shanghai · 👁 16 reads · ❤️ 125 likes

The ‘Eternal Love’ show is hailed as ‘a once-in-a-lifetime performance’ and is one of China’s top three shows. I saw it in Hangzhou before, and they say it was a decade in the making—truly a carefully crafted production.

Every ‘Eternal Love’ performance is adapted from the local city’s culture and history, weaving together representative moments from different eras—its history, myths, and love stories—through multiple acts. That’s why many Songcheng Eternal Love fans make it a point to visit and check in at each city they travel to.

So on this trip to Shanghai, my friend told me that the new Shanghai Songcheng performing arts theme park on the Huangpu River is quite different from other Songcheng parks around the country. Naturally, we were very curious about the Songcheng story set against the backdrop of the former ‘ten-mile foreign field,’ and some even call this place the ‘Oriental Broadway.’

Shanghai Songcheng is located in the Expo Park area along the Huangpu River. After exiting the metro station and walking about 200 meters, you’ll see a square building with ‘SONGCHENG’ and ‘ROMANCE PARK’ written large across it.

While waiting at the entrance for my friend, a security guard chatted with us and told us that this used to be the rolling mill workshop of Shanghai No.3 Steel Plant. During the Shanghai World Expo, it was used as the main Expo performance venue, and before that, it also hosted Strawberry Music Festival and Jazz Music Festival. After renovation and expansion, this ‘Expo Grand Stage’ has become today’s Shanghai Songcheng, with seven floors (including the rooftop).

It boasts a prime riverfront view along the Huangpu River and a 3-kilometer-long promenade. As night falls and the lights come on, both the Huangpu River and Songcheng look particularly beautiful.

Right next door is a famous Shanghai landmark—Lupu Bridge, the river crossing linking Huangpu District with Pudong New Area. You can even catch a glimpse of Pudong’s iconic ‘Three-piece Suit’ of skyscrapers on the opposite bank.

The entire Shanghai Songcheng offers seven floors of experiences to explore. Step inside, and every corner reveals a different surprise.

When watching outdoor performances, you’ll feel like you’re in a park; in the theatre, it’s a world of live shows; walking through the sky bazaar, it becomes a time tunnel… Each floor of Songcheng is like opening a ‘mystery box’—without a map, you’ll definitely get lost inside.

Shanghai Songcheng is still mainly about performance shows. Besides the headliner ‘Shanghai Eternal Love,’ there’s also the family-friendly children’s show ‘WA! Dinosaurs’ and the glittering after-dark dinner show ‘Passionate Samba.’

The park opens at 2 p.m., and the main show ‘Shanghai Eternal Love’ presents Shanghai’s past and present across five parts: ‘Tracing the Roots of Shen and Hu,’ ‘1921,’ ‘Modern Era,’ ‘Shanghai Families,’ and ‘Wind from the Sea.’

The story starts from the Warring States period, when Lord Chunshen dredged the Huangpu River. Back then, Shanghai’s Pudong was under the sea, and later it turned into land through siltation, bringing fishermen…

Then, from the first-person perspective of a heroine named Qiaoqiao, we follow her to relive the glorious journey of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

The ups and downs of the ‘ten-mile foreign field,’ the dedication and resilience of Shanghai people during the construction of New China.

Using delicate storytelling and stunning stage effects, the show vividly portrays Shanghai’s red culture, its unique Shanghai-style culture, and Jiangnan culture.

Inside the park, there are also immersive experiences like ‘Flames of War,’ ‘Ghost Ship,’ ‘Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio Horror,’ ‘Eye of the Storm,’ and more. Photo spots include Retro Street, Magic Street, Sky Bazaar, and Eternal Love Street, as well as outdoor areas like Music Square, Colorful Forest, and Elf Valley.

Many women and children love the costume dress-up and photography on the fourth floor. There are lots of styles to choose from, including Hanfu and qipao, with services that include hair styling and makeup. The costume and makeup artists offer very thoughtful service.

Alternatively, you can pick a vintage-style qipao on the first floor when you enter, stroll leisurely along Retro Street, linger in the Sky Bazaar, and have a friend capture some beautiful photos.

Music Square, Colorful Forest, Elf Valley, Sky City—everywhere you turn is a perfect photo spot.

The Elf Valley on the rooftop is especially recommended: Hobbit-style cottages are hidden among the sea of flowers. If you’re lucky to have blue skies and white clouds, it’s like stepping straight into a Hayao Miyazaki anime world.

After taking photos outside, don’t forget to go inside to see the hobbits’ home—cute and a perfect place to rest in the shade.

The book bar on the second floor is quiet and cosy, ideal for a break when you feel tired. Also on the second floor is Songcheng Downtown, an open art district with a cluster of 10 small theatres and 2,000 square metres of adaptable space.

At night, Songcheng is brilliantly lit…

Address: No. 1750, Shibo Avenue, Pudong New Area

Transport: Take Metro Line 13 to Shibo Avenue Station, Exit 1, and walk about 5–6 minutes.

Travel directory:

1. Oriental Broadway

2. Seven-floor Songcheng

3. Shanghai Eternal Love

4. A rich variety of shows

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