# Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center

> The Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center is a free museum on People's Square about how the city was built and where it's heading. Entry needs a free WeChat booking and your passport. It's open 9:00–17:00, last entry 16:00, closed Wednesdays. Allow an hour to an hour and a half.

Web page: https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/shanghai-urban-planning-center

- City: [Shanghai](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai), China
- YesGo score: 36/100 (Yes, if nearby)
- Time on site: 1 h 15 min
- Entry: Free, booking required
- With kids: Fine with kids
- Admission: Free, advance booking required
- Hours: 9:00–17:00, last entry 16:00
- Closed: Wednesdays, except Chinese public holidays
- Booking: The centre's official WeChat account, with your passport, up to 7 days ahead
- Address: 100 People's Avenue (Renmin Avenue), Huangpu District
- Metro: People's Square, Lines 1, 2 and 8 — Exit 2 (some sources say Exit 3)
- Audio guide: CNY 20 plus a CNY 100 deposit — unofficial
- Time needed: 60–90 minutes; 45 minutes for the highlights
- Coordinates: 31.23337, 121.47048
- Facts checked: 04.11.2026

## Key facts

- **Free** — no ticket price, but you need to book a time slot (source: Meet-in-Shanghai (Shanghai government); Travel China Guide; East China Trip)
- **Wednesday** — weekly closing day; open if a public holiday falls on it (source: Shanghai government; Chinese Wikipedia; Travel China Guide)
- **Shanghai 2035** — the city's master plan to 2035 is the core of the exhibition (source: SmartShanghai; Jiemian; Shanghai government)
- **2000** — opened on 25 February 2000 (source: English and Chinese Wikipedia; Wikidata)
- **2019–2022** — closed for renovation from December 2019, reopened on 9 August 2022 (source: Chinese Wikipedia; Meet-in-Shanghai)
- **1:500** — scale of the old giant model of central Shanghai inside the Inner Ring Road (source: Chinese Wikipedia; Travel China Guide)
- **Three themes** — City of Humanity, City of Innovation and Eco City (source: Jiemian; East China Trip)
- **Screens and VR** — the renovation swapped glass cases for digital, interactive displays (source: SmartShanghai; Jiemian)
- **Next to City Hall** — on People's Square, beside the municipal government building (source: English Wikipedia; Shanghai government)
- **16:00** — last entry, an hour before closing (source: Shanghai government; Chinese Wikipedia)

> **Is the giant city model still there?** Probably not as you've seen it in old photos. Before the renovation, the star exhibit was a 1:500 model of central Shanghai filling a whole floor. SmartShanghai reported after reopening that the walk-through model was gone, with only pieces kept. Recent guides describe smaller models on the second floor and a two-storey digital city model on the third.

## Tickets: is it free and how do you book?

Yes, it's free — but you need a reservation. Slots are booked through the centre's official WeChat account: pick a date and time and enter your passport number. You can book up to seven days ahead, including the same day. At the door, show the booking and your physical passport.

No WeChat? Unofficial guides say you can scan a QR code or use a booking machine at the entrance, but same-day slots aren't guaranteed. At weekends and during Chinese holidays, book a day or two ahead, when morning slots are the first to go.

The CNY 30 fee in older guides dates from before the renovation; none of the post-reopening sources we checked mention a charge. You'll only pay for an audio guide or a coffee. Foreign Visa and Mastercard cards work once linked to Alipay or WeChat Pay, and it's worth carrying some cash yuan too.

## Opening hours and closing day

The centre opens Thursday to Tuesday, 9:00 to 17:00, with last entry at 16:00. It's closed on **Wednesdays** — unless a Chinese public holiday falls on one, in which case it opens. That's what the Shanghai government lists, and Chinese Wikipedia agrees.

Some older listings say Mondays; that's out of date. Handy detail: on Mondays, when the [Shanghai Museum](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/shanghai-museum) building on the square is shut, the planning centre is open, and on Wednesdays it's the other way round. Weekday mornings are quietest, with the touchscreens all to yourself.

## What is the Urban Planning Exhibition Center?

It's a government-run museum about Shanghai as a city — how its neighbourhoods grew, where new metro lines and districts are going, and how the waterfronts and parks will change. It opened in 2000 on [People's Square](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/shanghai-peoples-square), right next to City Hall, as the public face of the city's master plan.

After a renovation lasting from late 2019 to the summer of 2022, the displays now revolve around the "Shanghai 2035" master plan and three themes: City of Humanity, City of Innovation and Eco City. Expect screens, VR headsets, interactive maps and district models rather than glass cases.

You'll spot the building by the white, flower-like canopy on its roof. There are no antiques here. What you get instead is a clear sense of how the vast city you see from [the Bund](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/the-bund) and the towers of Pudong actually fits together.

## What to see, floor by floor

- **B1** — temporary exhibitions and public planning notices, plus left luggage. Floor layout per East China Trip (unofficial).
- **1F** — the entrance hall, "Shanghai: a global city in pursuit of excellence", with artistic city models and a short history of planning.
- **2F, City of Humanity** — heritage protection and urban renewal, shikumen lane-house models, the Huangpu and Suzhou rivers, and a small model of the centre with the Oriental Pearl Tower and the Bund.
- **3F, City of Innovation** — Zhangjiang Science City, the Lingang area, the "five new towns" and the two-storey digital city model. Start here if you're short on time.
- **4F, Eco City** — green corridors, low-carbon neighbourhoods and Chongming eco-island.
- **5F** — a café with drinks and cakes; a good pause before the other museums on the square.

## How to get to the Urban Planning Exhibition Center

1. From the Bund, walk west along Nanjing Road for about 10 minutes to **East Nanjing Road** metro station (Lines 2 and 10).
2. Take **Line 2** westbound one stop to **People's Square** — 2–3 minutes. Contactless foreign Visa and Mastercard cards work at the gates.
3. Use **Exit 2** (some sources say Exit 3), the closest to the centre. Unofficial reports say Exit 12, towards Nanjing Road and People's Park, may be temporarily closed — follow the signs.
4. The centre is on the east side of the square at 100 People's Avenue, beside City Hall — a 3–5 minute walk from the exit.
5. On foot from the Bund: follow pedestrian [Nanjing Road](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/nanjing-road) west to People's Park, then cut south across the square — 25–30 minutes.

## Is it worth visiting?

Yes, if you like cities, architecture, maps or transport. It's free, central and takes about an hour, so it slots easily into a People's Square day. Kids of school age tend to enjoy the touchscreens, VR and models more than a traditional museum.

Skip a special trip if you're coming for the old floor-sized model — the renovated centre is mostly digital. With only a day or two in Shanghai and views as your priority, the [Shanghai Tower](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/shanghai-tower) and a walk along the Bund give you more of the skyline itself.

## Planning centre vs Shanghai Museum vs History Museum

|  | What's inside | Admission | Closed |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Urban Planning Exhibition Center | Shanghai today and tomorrow: screens, models, VR | Free, booking required | Wednesday |
| Shanghai Museum East (Pudong) | Permanent collection of ancient Chinese art | Free with passport | Tuesday |
| Shanghai Museum, People's Square | Paid temporary exhibition on the ancient Americas | CNY 148 | Monday |
| Shanghai History Museum | City history in the old racecourse clubhouse | Free | Monday |

Shanghai Museum details are official, from YesGo's Shanghai Museum page. The History Museum's terms and free entry to the planning centre are unofficial — check before you go.

## Before you go

- [ ] Booked a free slot via WeChat
- [ ] Not going on a Wednesday
- [ ] Physical passport with me
- [ ] Arriving before 16:00
- [ ] Not expecting the old giant model
- [ ] Alipay, WeChat Pay or cash for the audio guide and café

## Historic places in Shanghai: compare and choose

Every historic place in Shanghai that YesGo has rated.

- [The Bund](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/the-bund) — YesGo score 59/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Free
- [Oriental Pearl Tower](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/oriental-pearl-tower) — YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · ¥199 — two spheres
- [Shanghai Maglev](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/shanghai-maglev) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · ¥50, ¥40 with a same-day flight
- [Nanjing Road](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/nanjing-road) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free
- [Yu Garden](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/yu-garden) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · ¥30–40 by season
- [Shanghai Museum](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/shanghai-museum) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ¥148 show; Museum East free
- [People's Square](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/shanghai-peoples-square) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free
- [People's Park](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/shanghai-peoples-park) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · Free
- [Shanghai Old City](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/shanghai-old-city) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free
- [Xintiandi](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/xintiandi) — YesGo score 41/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free
- [Tianzifang](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/tianzifang) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free
- [City God Temple](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/shanghai-city-god-temple) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · ≈ ¥10 (one guide says free)
- [Former French Concession](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/shanghai-french-concession) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Free
- [Wukang Road](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/wukang-road) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free
- [Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/shanghai-urban-planning-center) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · Free, booking required
- [Suzhou](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/suzhou) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · Train ≈ ¥30–45, garden ¥70–80
- [Jing'an Temple](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/jingan-temple) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · ≈ ¥50
- [Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/shanghai-jewish-refugees-museum) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · CNY 20; students 10, 60+ 15
- [Jade Buddha Temple](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/jade-buddha-temple) — YesGo score 33/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free; Jade Buddha hall ≈ ¥10
- [Longhua Temple](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/longhua-temple) — YesGo score 29/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · ≈ ¥10 (one guide says free)
- [Zhujiajiao](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/zhujiajiao) — YesGo score 24/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Free entry; three sights ¥60
- [Xitang](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/xitang) — YesGo score 16/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · ≈ ¥95 by day, free in the evening

## People's Square and Nanjing Road to the Bund

The square, the planning centre, People's Park, then a walk down Nanjing Road to the waterfront. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers.

1. [People's Square](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/shanghai-peoples-square) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free
2. [Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/shanghai-urban-planning-center) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · Free, booking required
3. [People's Park](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/shanghai-peoples-park) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · Free
4. [Nanjing Road](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/nanjing-road) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free
5. [The Bund](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/the-bund) — YesGo score 59/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Free

## Don't confuse it with

The planning centre and the Shanghai Museum are different museums on the same square: the museum is the round "ding" building on the south side, the planning centre sits on the east side by City Hall. The Shanghai History Museum is in the old racecourse clubhouse by People's Park. Many Chinese cities have urban planning halls — this page covers Shanghai's.

## Tips

- Book a morning slot — the halls are calmer and you won't wait for the interactive screens.
- Leave bags at the B1 left-luggage desk; the floors are easier to explore hands-free.
- Short on time? Go straight to 3F for the digital city model, then work down.
- Pair it with People's Square and People's Park — they're all within five minutes' walk, half a day in total.
- Only free on a Wednesday? The Shanghai Museum is open that day — go there instead.

## Questions

### Is the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center free?

Yes. Every source we checked after its reopening lists free admission, but you need to book a time slot via the centre's official WeChat account and bring your passport.

### How do I book a visit?

Find the centre's official account in WeChat, choose a date and time, and enter your passport details. Booking opens seven days ahead. Without WeChat, you can try the QR code or booking machine at the door, but same-day slots may be gone.

### What are the opening hours?

Thursday to Tuesday, 9:00–17:00, last entry 16:00. It's closed on Wednesdays, except when a Chinese public holiday falls on one.

### Can you still see the giant model of Shanghai?

Not in its old form. SmartShanghai reported that the floor-sized 1:500 model was removed in the renovation; recent guides describe smaller models and a two-storey digital city model on 3F.

### How do I get there by metro?

Lines 1, 2 or 8 to People's Square, Exit 2 or 3, then a 3–5 minute walk to the east side of the square. From the Bund it's one stop on Line 2 from East Nanjing Road.

### How long should I spend there?

An hour to an hour and a half covers every floor. If you only want the digital model and the entrance hall, 45 minutes is enough.

### Is it worth visiting?

For anyone curious about how a megacity is planned, yes — it's free and central. If you only want the skyline, a tower observation deck and the Bund are a better use of limited time.

### Is it good for kids?

School-age children usually enjoy the touchscreens, VR and models. Toddlers will probably get bored quickly.

### Where exactly is it?

100 People's Avenue in Huangpu District, on the east side of People's Square next to City Hall, about 1.5 km west of the Bund.

## How we checked

The English core comes from search results and related questions: is it free, how to book, opening hours, whether the model is still there, how to get there, how long and is it worth it. Hours, last entry, closing day and address are official, from the Shanghai government's page. The centre's own website wouldn't load, so free entry and WeChat booking are marked unofficial, although the government portal Meet-in-Shanghai and three independent guides agree. The CNY 30 fee and Monday closing appear only in older listings from before the renovation. Sources disagree on the model: SmartShanghai, after visiting in 2022, says the big model was removed; Travel China Guide still mentions a 1:500 model; East China Trip describes smaller models and a digital one — so we warn rather than promise it. The floor plan comes from a single unofficial guide. Metro journey times are our estimate.

## Sources

- Shanghai government (english.shanghai.gov.cn) — planning centre page: address, hours, last entry, closing day
- Meet-in-Shanghai (Shanghai government portal) — reopening after renovation, free entry, booking
- English and Chinese Wikipedia: Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center, 上海城市规划展示馆; Wikidata Q713922
- SmartShanghai — the centre after renovation, master plan, model, WeChat booking
- Jiemian — end of the renovation, three exhibition themes
- Travel China Guide — admission, hours, audio guide, 1:500 model, metro exits
- East China Trip — booking, floors, café, left luggage, metro exit
- YesGo's Shanghai Museum and People's Square pages — neighbouring museums

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