PLACE GUIDE

People's Park 人民公园

Renmin Gongyuan

People’s Park occupies the northern part of Shanghai’s former racecourse, between Nanjing Road and People’s Square.

Lawn and trees in People's Park, Shanghai · 上海人民公园草坪与林荫
Lawn and trees in People's Park, Shanghai · 上海人民公园草坪与林荫 Photograph date recorded by the source: 3 March 2026. · Lien Rodam TianHie · Lien Rodam TianHie — People's_park,_SH.jpg — CC BY-SA 4.0 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo adjustments

Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.

Explore the region

Shanghai · 上海市 →Huangpu District · 黄浦区 →

About People's Park

A large pond and planted paths form a green space within the central shopping and museum district.

The former Race Club building now used by Shanghai History Museum and MOCA Shanghai give the park two different cultural connections. Begin with the landscape, then choose one museum according to its current programme. The park’s social gatherings are everyday activities, so observe respectfully without treating participants as exhibits.

The park occupies the site of the former Shanghai Race Club, established by the British in 1862 as a leading horse-racing track in East Asia and a popular venue for gambling among both Chinese and foreign residents. The club's building, erected in 1933, became a landmark in downtown Shanghai. After the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949, the new government banned horse racing and gambling, and in 1952 the racecourse was divided to create People's Park on its northern half and People's Square on its southern half.

During the 1990s the Shanghai municipal government moved to a site just south of the park, and the area gained the Shanghai Museum, the Shanghai Grand Theatre and the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall. The park itself contains a pond with a cafe-bar and a funfair among its attractions, and it is overlooked by high-rise buildings including the Park Hotel Shanghai and Tomorrow Square.

An 'English corner' has met in the park since 1978, becoming the country's first such gathering and prompting many imitations elsewhere; it later featured in a Shanghai junior secondary school English textbook. Participants, including older English speakers alongside younger teachers and students, gathered on Sundays to practise English with each other and with visitors, though its popularity has since declined.

What to look for

  • The large pond provides a landscaped retreat within central Shanghai.
  • The former Race Club building connects the park with Shanghai History Museum and the site’s earlier use.

Background & history

People's Park (Chinese: 人民公园; pinyin: Rénmín Gōngyuán) is a public park in Huangpu District of central Shanghai. It is located south of Nanjing Road, a major shopping street, and north of People's Square. Originally the northern part of the Shanghai Race Club's race course, the park was created in 1952. With several major museums and Shanghai's main shopping street nearby, it is one of the top tourist destinations in the city.

Excerpt from Wikipedia: People's Park (Shanghai) · Wikipedia contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected introductory sentences; formatting simplified. Background information, not current visitor-service advice.

Location & getting there

Getting to People's Park

Use People’s Square station and approach the park north of People’s Square, between Renmin Avenue and West Nanjing Road.

General visit reminders

Allow room for the terrain and weather when choosing your route. Check the operator’s current trail, shuttle and cableway notices where applicable, and confirm the return connection before setting out. A broad landscape pin does not identify every trailhead or access point.

Combine your visit

A suggested sequence linking the specific features of this visit.

  1. Park pond and planted paths

    Begin with the landscape occupying the former racecourse grounds.

  2. Shanghai History Museum上海市历史博物馆

    Add the historic Race Club building and city-history collections.

  3. MOCA Shanghai上海当代艺术馆

    Choose a contemporary-art programme as a separate museum visit within the park.

This order is editorial. Confirm access and any transfers between stops; it does not establish a walking route, same-day connection or common admission ticket.

City districts & landmarks · 城市街区／地标 →

Find People's Park

人民公园 · 黄浦区

Amap · 高德地图Approximate pin · 近似位置Apple Maps · 苹果地图

The pin marks the area, not the entrance.

More places nearby

Approximate straight-line distances between map pins, not travel distances.

Moca Shanghai 上海当代艺术馆

Less than 1 km away

MOCA Shanghai is an independent contemporary-art museum inside People’s Park. Its programme includes contemporary art and design, making it distinct from the larger museums elsewhere in the city.

View guide →

Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center 上海城市规划展示馆

Less than 1 km away

Shanghai’s Urban Planning Exhibition Center stands beside People’s Square. Its subject is the city itself: models, drawings and displays explain how the built-up area developed and how planners represent its future.

View guide →

Shanghai History Museum 上海市历史博物馆

Less than 1 km away

Shanghai History Museum occupies the former Race Club building on West Nanjing Road. The neoclassical clubhouse and its tall tower are part of the city history the museum interprets.

View guide →

Sources & visit information

The sources below support the place-specific description and arrival information. Suggested combinations are editorial planning ideas; confirm current opening, entry arrangements and transport services for your date.

Visitor information adapted and edited from Wikipedia contributors, “People's Park (Shanghai)” · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 1362618698.

Visitor information adapted and edited from Wikivoyage contributors, listing “People's Park” · CC BY-SA 4.0.

Background paragraphs condensed from Wikipedia contributors, "People's Park (Shanghai)", English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 1362618698.

China Revealed · Editorially updated 2026-10-07