When you think of Shanghai, you probably think of The Bund or the famous Pearl Tower. But lying in the shadows of these popular tourist destinations are some interesting, educational and enriching activities that tourists can indulge in. With that said, here are some unconventional activities to do when you visit Shanghai.
Propaganda Poster Art Centre
Every successful company such as Google, Tesla or Apple has an outstanding group of creatives supporting the organisation. These creatives push the company in the right direction for advertising and public relations. As a result, it only makes sense that having good public relations and advertising is a part of the formula to success. But do you know that public relations actually stems from propaganda?
It’s no surprise by now that there was tons of propaganda involved during Mao Zedong’s rule. His controversial leadership in China led to a huge population boom, industrialised the country but also caused millions of deaths. Whether or not you think he is a good leader, you can never deny that he is an important figure in our modern history.
Like a time capsule, Shanghai’s Propaganda Poster Art Center proudly showcases many of the original posters during Mao Zedong’s rule. Started out as a hobby, Yang Pei Ming, the founder of the museum started collecting posters during the 1980s. He was entranced by the beautiful propaganda posters of China. Thanks to him, visitors can now peek into the early days of China from the 1910s to the 1990s. The posters were designed to influence the spirit of China through a great understanding of the mechanisms and motives of the masses. Meticulous artists spent days wrecking their brains to perfectly capture the spirit of China, the power of industrial transformation and the optimism of the country.
Just like any other museum, there is a gift shop at the end of the gallery. You can expect to find original and copied propaganda posters, antiquities and various Mao-era trinkets! In addition, visitors who don’t speak the native language need not worry as there are built-in information panels in English beside every art piece! Located in an old-fashioned office building, the Propaganda Poster Art Center can be difficult to locate. But since the museum holds an abundance of China’s history, it’ll be a waste to not visit!
Location: 7/F, East Bldg, 726 Yan'an Xi Lu, near Jiangsu Lu
Telephone: 139 0184 1246
Opening Hours: 10am - 5pm, Closed on Mondays
Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum
During World War II, terror struck the Jewish community in Germany as the Nazis stepped up to power. Only the phrase, “a living nightmare” can perfectly describe how the Jews feel during Adolf Hitler’s Reign. As there are history textbooks about the war, the world is educated on the horrors of the Holocaust. But what our history textbooks don’t tell us about is how China played a huge part in saving thousands of Jewish refugees!
It was before the start of World War II that Jewish Immigrants entered Shanghai for a place of refuge. Countries all over the world refused to take in Jewish Immigrants even though the groundwork for the Holocaust was already prominent. They were, as described by a Jewish survivor, “Abandoned by the world”.
Amidst all the heartache, Shanghai opened its port for the Jewish Immigrants. There were no demands for passports, permissions and questions. Many families started piling in and Shanghai eventually received more than 20,000 Jewish Refugees. These individuals lived peaceful lives with the Chinese and considered Shanghai as their second home. They even called themselves “Shanghai Jews”! After the end of World War II, the Jewish refugees started migrating to different parts of the world but never forgot their gratitude.
Even though most parts of the Jewish Ghetto are gone due to modernization and industrial development, the Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum stands. The three-story building holds a prayer hall, exhibits of Jewish faith and a collection of items that were used by the Jewish Immigrants. In order to know more about the lives lived by the immigrants, visitors have to visit the exhibition halls behind the main building where old videos, pictures and newspapers were displayed.
To delve into the history of Shanghai Jews, it’s best to take a guided tour around the Hongkou District. The well-informed guides will explain the history of what was considered to be the Jewish Ghetto and stories behind the immigration.
Address: 62 Changyang Rd, Hongkou, Shanghai, China
Telephone: +86 21 6512 6669
Opening Hours: 9am - 5pm daily
People’s Square Marriage Market
With the advancement of technology, online dating has been made possible. Dating applications such as Tinder has even become a household name in the dating industry. But have you heard about Shanghai’s Marriage Market?
As society is getting more progressive, it’s harder to date or even meet new people. This creates a sense of urgency among the parents or grandparents of the unattached or unmarried. In such scenarios, the People’s Square Marriage Market is where these anxious parents or grandparents head to for solace.
Every weekend, the marriage market will be littered with peculiar colourful umbrellas. And on the umbrellas are actually the resumes of singles that desperate guardians are trying to advertise. The resumes usually include the age, zodiac, job, education background, family background and accomplishments of the individual. Only very rarely will a picture and the personality traits of the individual will be displayed. Reason being, the parents focus on stability instead of compatibility.
Despite the low success rate, guardians of the singles still try their luck in hopes of finding the perfect mate for their child. Some even waited for 4-5 years with no results. Well, trying is better than nothing right?
Address: 231 Nanjing W Rd, People's Square, Huangpu, Shanghai, China
Telephone: +86 21 6358 6128
Chongming Island
If you like visiting unique islands, Chongming Island is a great destination for you. Considered to be the third-largest island of China, Chongming island is filled with wildlife, nature and historical attractions.
Even though Chongming Island is a part of Shanghai, they are polar opposites. Instead of high rise buildings, Chongming Island is home to beautiful wetlands and nature reserves. They even have their own traditions such as the annual Hairy Crab Festival, Forest Travel Festival, Cup Fishing Competition and many more!
Whilst on the island, you can’t miss their local specialities such as the Hairy Crab, Chongming Alcohol, Chongming Cake, Saury and White Goat Meat!
Museum of Public Security
Like something out of Criminal Minds, Shanghai’s Museum of Public Security is full of gruesome murder weapons and criminal gadgets from the 1854 to the present. Some of the exhibits and displays can get pretty disturbing and are not for the squeamish.
The museum occupies three floors which showcases the evolution of Shanghai’s police departments from its establishments. Visitors can expect to see old police cars, antique guns, traditional uniforms, confiscated drugs and even a gold pistol that was owned by Sun Yat-sen! But the most intriguing and darkest of all exhibits would be in the ‘Criminal Investigation’ section where photographs of brutal murders are showcased. For instance, a corpse of a female who’s been strangled to death. Seriously though, if you have a weak stomach, you might want to reconsider visiting the criminal investigation section.
As the description boards of the exhibits are only in Chinese, it’s recommended to download a translation app before visiting the museum! Since the Museum of Public Security can be considered small-scaled, the last entry for the museum is at 4pm. So be sure to get there early!
Address: 518 Ruijin S Rd, Xuhui, Shanghai, China
Telephone: +86 21 6472 0256
Opening Hours: 9am - 4.30pm, Closed on Sundays
