Best Places to Visit in Shanghai with Kids

Shanghai is one of the top three destinations for foreign tourists visiting China. With the introduction of up to 6-day transit visa exemptions, traveling to Shanghai with your family is easy. For travellers traveling to Shanghai with kids, the city has several fun children-friendly attractions (scroll down for our recommendations for places to visit in Shanghai with kids). This is also a good opportunity for kids who are learning Chinese to practice their language skills.

It will be a good idea to learn simple Chinese phrases to help you get by during your trip. When you board a taxi, you would want to be able to tell the driver your destination in Chinese. An important phrase to learn is “我要去 wǒ yào qù“ (I’d like to go to …). For example:

• 我要去上海迪士尼乐园。
  wǒ yào qù shànghǎi díshìní lèyuán
  I want to go to Shanghai Disneyland.

When you arrive at the attraction venue and need to buy some tickets to get in, you can say:

• 我要买三张票。
  wǒ yào mǎi sān zhāng piào
  I want to buy three tickets.
  *Just replace “sān” with the actual number of tickets you want to buy.

If you get thirsty and want to buy a drink, you can say:

• 请给我一瓶水。
  qǐng gěi wǒ yì píng shuǐ
  Please give me a bottle of water.

You can also use “我要 wǒ yào” and say:

• 我要一瓶可乐，谢谢。
  wǒ yào yì píng kělè, xièxie
  I want a bottle of coke, thank you.

Another useful Chinese phrase to learn is to ask where the restroom is located.

• 请问，洗手间在哪儿？
  qǐngwèn, xǐshǒujiān zài nǎr
  Excuse me, where is the restroom please?

If you want your kids to learn some Chinese before the trip, take a look at our Chinese lessons.

Here is a list of eight places in Shanghai you would want to visit with your kids:

Shanghai Disneyland
上海迪士尼乐园
shànghǎi díshìní lèyuán

There are plenty of attractions for children and adults at Shanghai Disneyland. In Fantasyland, you can walk through Alice in Wonderland’s maze. In Adventure Isle, you can experience a simulated flight that takes you on a round the world journey overlooking the world’s famous landmarks, such as the Great Wall of China. In Treasure Cove, board Captain Jack Sparrow’s ship and sail with the Pirates of the Caribbean to the Graveyard of Lost Ships, the mermaid territory, and to the battle. In Gardens of Imagination, you can virtually try on an Iron Man suit or watch Marvel super heroes live show. In Tomorrowland, you can enjoy a thrilling ride with TRON Lightcycle Power Run.

Shanghai Natural History Museum
上海自然博物馆
shànghǎi zìrán bówùguǎn

The dual language English and Chinese museum houses a large collection of animal specimens, plant specimens, and minerals. There is also an exhibit of a dinosaur skeleton, mummies, and mammoth. A must-visit for keen little scientists.

Shanghai Wild Animal Park
上海野生动物园
shànghǎi yěshēng dòngwùyuán

Get up close and personal with various animals from different countries. The park is home to more than 200 species, including exotic animals. Visitors can feed the zebras and elephants in the pedestrian areas; or visit the Golden Monkeys (the same type of monkey as Master Monkey in the Kungfu Panda animated films). Not to be missed is the giant pandas at the Panda Pavillion. There is also a bus ride experience to take you through the natural habitats of wild animals, such as bears and tigers.

Shanghai Science and Technology Museum
上海科技馆
shànghǎi kējìguǎn

Science lovers will want to visit this place. Among the centre’s many permanent exhibitions is the World of Robots where visitors can learn more about the application of robotics. See a robot painter, dancer, or chess player. Fancy being an astronaut? Visit Space Navigation to see a real size model of a spaceship and replicas of rockets. Want to understand more about 3D printing or make your own MTV? Go to Cradle of Designers. There are many more themes in the centre to explore. The Museum also screens IMAX 3D films – currently showing is “A Beautiful Planet” which is co-produced by IMAX and NASA.

Happy Valley Shanghai
欢乐谷
huānlè gǔ

There are many different types of thrilling rides in this theme park. There are also live performances, such as the Seal Show and the Magic Show.

Shanghai Circus World
上海马戏城
shànghǎi mǎxìchéng

The venue hosts two main shows: the acrobatics and the live animal shows. Happy Circus combines theatrics by trained animals, human performers, and multimedia technology.

Legoland Discovery Centre
上海乐高探索中心
shànghǎi lègāo tànsuǒ zhōngxīn

The Centre includes 11 family attractions, such as Merlin’s Apprentice Ride, Kingdom Quest, and a 4D cinema experience featuring characters from The Lego Movie. Children can also attend interactive workshops to build animals or flowers with bricks.

Shanghai Ocean Aquarium
上海海洋水族馆
shànghǎi hǎiyáng shuǐzúguǎn

The Aquarium has several exhibition zones, such as the Polar Zone where you can meet the penguins, the Deep Ocean Zone, as well as ocean dwellers from different parts of the world (China, South America, Africa, Australia, South East Asia).

Source: Sina

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