8 Fun Things to Do in Shanghai with Family

Referring to Shanghai fun things to do, Huangpu River cruise should always be on the list. Huangpu River, Shanghai’s Mother River, divides Shanghai into Puxi and Pudong areas. You can take a cruise and appreciate Exotic Building Clusters on the Bund of Puxi, and Shanghai International Convention Center, Oriental Pearl Tower, Jinmao Tower and other skyscrapers in Lujiazui of Pudong. The night scene of Huangpu River is especially impressive with bright lights on both sides. The classic and modern architecture complement each other, showing the beauty of this prosperous city.

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For tourists, tasting local snacks must be one of the interesting things to do in Shanghai and the City God Temple is a great place to go. There, you can not only find the authentic local snacks like Nanxiang Steamed Stuffed Buns, Crab-Yellow Pastry, Fried Stuffed Bun, Chop Rice Cake, Won Ton, Date Paste Pastry at reasonable prices, but also fully enjoy Shanghai’s history, culture, and customs. Lü Bo Lang, Nanxiang Mantou and Shanghai Classical Hotel are recommended restaurants for the best snacks. When night falls, the entire Old City God Temple area will become more splendid and glorious. Photography enthusiasts must not miss. 

 See more: Top 10 Shanghai Street Food

Spending one or two days in Disneyland Park is definitely one of the fun things to do in Shanghai with family. It is well known that Shanghai Disneyland Park is a paradise for children and full of childhood memory for adults. In such a theme park full of fantasy, there are amusement facilities suitable for all ages, allowing tourists to have fun to the most. For example, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, “Once Upon a Time” Adventure, Voyage to the Crystal Grotto and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Besides, tourists can watch kinds of interesting and exciting performances with family members, such as Mickey's Storybook Express, Eye of the Storm - Captian Jack's Stunt Spectacular, Tarzan Call of the Jungle, A Nighttime Spectacular of Magic and Light.

 Recommended Tour:  Shanghai Disneyland Tour from $45

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Shanghai World Financial Center has 100 floors in total, of which 94-100 floors are observation decks for tourists to have a bird’s eye view of the city, which is considered as one of Shanghai fun things to do by many. Among them, 97F at the height of 439 meters (1,440) has a sightseeing bridge and 100F at the height of 474 meters (1,555) has a sightseeing Sky Walkway, making it the highest observatory in the world for adventurers. In addition, there is a sightseeing hall with an area of 700 square meters (840 square yards) on 94F in order to meet the requirements of regular sightseers. 

Another top fun activities in Shanghai is to watch the acrobatic performance ‘ERA Intersection of Time’ at Shanghai Circus World. With the help of advanced sound and lighting equipment and integrating acrobatics, music, live bands, dance and martial arts, it shows long history and splendid civilization of Chinese nation in an impressive way. The most unforgettable scenes include Mirror Mirage, Magic Water Screen, Ancient Compass, Bowl Balancing, Wheel of Life and Space Motorcycle. 

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If you are interested in culturally fun things to do in Shanghai China, go to Zhujiajiao Water Town. You can see small bridges over flowing water here. On the banks, are stone paved paths and traditional style folk residences. You can take a small boat to tour around or stroll around at your own pace. You can also have a seat at one of the tea houses or restaurants, tasting some local snacks while appreciating the picturesque scene outside the window. For a family trip with little kids, Zhujiajiao is also a nice place to go, because parents won’t feel too tired and kids can have fun tasting local snacks and appreciating featured handicrafts at those antique stores, hence Zhujiajiao is one of the top Shanghai attractions for families. 

Visiting Shanghai Ocean Aquarium is also one of the fun activities in Shanghai to do together with little kids. Nowadays, it has over 300 types and 15,000 water creatures like Electric eel, Sawfish, Weedy Seadragon, jellyfishes, moonfish and emperor penguins on 3 floors. It is a great place to explore the ocean world. After entering the aquarium, you are advised to take the elevator to the third floor and then visit from top to bottom. It is divided into 9 exhibition areas in total: China, South America (Amazon), Australia, Africa, Southeast Asia, Cold Water, Polar Region, Coast and Seep Sea. Also, don’t miss the 155-meter (170-yard) long submarine viewing tunnel.

Shanghai Natural History Museum displays tens of thousands of specimen collections, so listed as one of interesting things to do in Shanghai, especially for those interested in natural history. It is one of the largest natural museums in China, with 10 permanent exhibitions divided into 3 parts: Natural Evolution, Living Environment and Human Civilization. The most eye-catching exhibition is the skeleton of the 26-meter (28-yard) long Chinese-Canadian Mamenchisaurus. As the dinosaur with the longest neck, it was also the largest dinosaur in Asia. The Discovery Center inside the museum is the favorite place of many children because they can dig fossils with their own hands.