Shanghai’s New Year Fun Explosion: Over 20 Attractions and Activities to Enjoy for Nine Days
The footsteps of the Spring Festival are getting closer, and Shanghai’s major scenic spots are ready with full surprises! Trendy markets, flower-viewing gardens, light and shadow feasts, and parent-child interactions are all available. This Year of the Horse Spring Festival, no need to travel far—unlock countless New Year experiences right in Shanghai and fill your entire holiday with joy!
⛄ 【Ice and Snow Fun | Family Play】
☑️ North Bund Guoke Center Scenic Area “Ice and Snow Festival”: Shanghai’s only water ice rink, skating experience, ice and snow market, themed performances, check in for a romantic New Year snowy scene! From now until February 28
☑️ Shanghai Yaoxue Ice and Snow World: “Eight Horses” light and ice sculpture exhibition, polar penguin parade, immersive aerial performances, experience the perfect blend of ice and snow with Chinese trends. From now until March 3
🎡 【City Landmarks | Immersive Themes】
☑️ Oriental Pearl Tower “My Little Pony Friendship Magic New Year Garden”: Children and parents travel through a fairy tale garden together, with magical interactive checkpoints, main character installations, and a parent-child market. February 6–27
☑️ Pacific New World Observation Deck: New Year’s ascent, the first 10 visitors daily receive limited edition coffee, overlooking the bustling Shanghai. February 15–23
🦁【Animal Kingdom | Nature Exploration】
☑️ Shanghai Wild Animal Park: Year of the Horse zodiac interactions, fun horse-themed check-ins, panda twins debut, celebrate the New Year with star animals. From now until March 31
☑️ Shanghai Zoo: “Galloping Horses Paint the New Year,” deep dive into zodiac culture, educational interactions, family animal knowledge appreciation. February 10–March 3
☑️ Shanghai Changfeng Ocean World: Newborn penguin debut, environmental education, continuous family fun. February 1–28
☑️ Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park: “Ocean Fairy Festival,” intangible cultural heritage parade, three themed lantern markets, Ultraman meet-and-greet, sea and land fireworks show, enjoy the ocean by day and performances by night. From now until March 1
🌸 【Fireworks and Flower Viewing | Garden Elegance】
☑️ Century Park Plum Blossom Garden Party: Hanfu Chinese style festival, New Year folk market, plum blossom art activities. February 1–March 15
☑️ Blooming Sea Ecological Park “New Year Flavor Hunt · Strolling Through Flowers”: Plum blossom festival intangible heritage check-in, spring flower feast. February 14–March 15
☑️ Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden: Peony and azalea New Year flower exhibition, Lantern Festival garden interactions. February 16–March 3
☑️ Xisha Pearl Lake Scenic Area: Dragon and lion dance blessing ceremony, God of Wealth intangible heritage experience, treasure hunt for lucky wontons. February 17–21
☑️ Shanghai Bay National Forest Park: “Galloping Horses Bring Blessings” standby garden tour, Year of the Horse visitors enjoy half price. February 17–March 31
☑️ Shanghai Fangta Garden: “Auspicious Mansion” folk performances, dragon and lion dances, New Year blessing opera shows. February 17–21
☑️ Shanghai Grand View Garden: NPC parade interaction, immersive “Dream of the Red Chamber New Year” stamp collection and lucky bag exchange. February 17–22
☑️ Zhujiajiao Ancient Town: “Our Festival · Spring Festival” event, “Six Industries Weaving Prosperity,” one-stop experience for shopping, playing, viewing, tasting, and reminiscing. February 12–21
🎭【Chinese Trend Intangible Heritage | Cultural Experience】
☑️ CPC First National Congress Memorial: “Chinese Trend Year” calligraphy exhibition, intangible heritage workshops, Chinese trend fashion show, folk music performances, shadow puppetry, creative stamp collection activities. February 17
☑️ Shanghai Film Park: Lantern sea, lion dance, Nian beast battle, snack festival, wish tree interaction, snow experience February 17–March 3, retro Nanjing Road winter stroll February 15–23
☑️ Shanghai Happy Valley: “Happy Chinese New Year” Spring Festival market, intangible heritage fire show, drone show with thousands of drones and fireworks blessing. February 17–March 3
☑️ Shanghai Madame Tussauds Wax Museum: Return of Cai Xukun’s wax figure, “Star” interactive co-creation, limited commemorative merchandise. February 1–28
✨【Holiday Time Division Suggestions】
February 1–6: Feel the holiday preheat at Century Park and Changfeng Ocean World, family flower viewing and cute pet interactions.
February 6–12: Oriental Pearl Tower Magic Garden opens, Zhujiajiao Ancient Town starts stamp collection garden tour.
February 12–15: Zhujiajiao Ancient Town’s prosperous New Year activities peak, Chenshan Botanical Garden spring flower exhibition approaches.
February 15–23: Major venues like Film Park, Pacific Observation Deck, Fangta Garden market, Expo folk performances, and Ice and Snow Festival present highlights one after another; Grand View Garden Red Chamber garden and Plum Blossom Festival open simultaneously.
February 17–March 3: Happy Valley, Film Park New Year parades, Zoo, Chenshan Botanical Garden, and plum blossom viewing continue to heat up.
Early March–March 31: Wild Animal Park, Forest Park, and flower viewing series continue the early spring romantic experience.
Shanghai’s Spring Festival activities include trendy markets, animal adventures, Chinese trend intangible heritage, New Year flower exhibitions, ice and snow feasts, immersive interactions... Over 20 must-visit scenic spots span the entire holiday, letting you enjoy the Year of the Horse with something new every day! No need to leave Shanghai for the Spring Festival—Shanghai is your playground!
Even though we visited two days before the Spring Festival to avoid peak hours, there were still many tourists. We added a boat tour to the waterways for a close-up look at various rare animals. We highly recommend not missing the shows at the Sea Lion Theater, Sun Plaza, and Beast Mountain. The entire tour is well worth it and you'll want to see more.
A weekend visit to the Shanghai Wild Animal Park was a truly immersive and joyful experience, filled with natural beauty and a sense of wonder. As a national-level wildlife park, it boasts a rich variety of animals and expansive exhibits, recreating their natural habitats for a far superior experience compared to ordinary zoos. The must-try drive-through predator enclosure was particularly memorable. Riding a sightseeing vehicle deep into the park, you'll see lions, tigers, black bears, wolves, and other predators leisurely strolling across the grasslands, experiencing the majesty of the kings of beasts up close – a thrilling and awe-inspiring experience. The subsequent water exploration, a boat trip offering a 360° panoramic view of waterfowl and adorable animals, feels like stepping into a secret rainforest – relaxing and delightful. The walking area is a haven for cute creatures. Ring-tailed lemurs leap freely, red pandas are adorable, and you can even hand-feed giraffes, alpacas, and kangaroos – a gentle and therapeutic interaction. The pandas in the panda enclosure are endearingly clumsy as they nibble on bamboo shoots; the tigers' pouncing display is powerful and visually striking. The sea lion and Wildlife Mountain theater shows are spectacular and entertaining; the animals are intelligent and agile, drawing constant applause. The park is clearly marked, the staff are friendly, and there are ample dining and rest areas, making for a comfortable pace of play. Here, you can get up close to wild animals and experience the wonders of nature—a fun-filled experience for both adults and children. This is a healing and educational journey, highly recommended to experience this unique blend of wildness and beauty!
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great Family Day – Shanghai Wild Animal ParkFeb 14, 2026Booked 2 adult tickets on Trip.com for ¥278 – saved vs counter price (¥165 each). Smooth entry with QR code.Getting there:Metro Line 1 → People's Square → Line 2 → Longyang Rd → Line 16 to Wild Animal Park Station (Exit 2), then bus Pudong 96路 (2 stops) to gate. Easy with kids.Arrived 8:45 AM. Paid feeding bus (¥40 each) was highlight – bears came right up to cage! Kids loved it. Free bus also available.Also did:🦒 Giraffe feeding🦘 Kangaroo walk🐼 Panda cubs🐇 Small Animal ParadiseClean park, helpful staff. Left 1:30 PM, same route back to Shanghai Railway Station. Perfect half-day trip.Book online, arrive early, take feeding bus. Highly recommend!📸 Photos attached.
Ueno is so big! It is divided into: driving area, walking area, and water exploration area. It is enough to visit for a whole day. It is recommended to go straight to the beast area bus after entering the park to see the flamingos (otherwise the line will be very long after watching the sea lion show) For the first time, it is recommended to take the free bus 🚌 (the feeding bus is charged separately). After the tour bus, you can go to see the performances of several major theaters. The sea lion show is free (⚠️Circus Theater and Baishoushan Theater are charged) Clockwise tour route: enter the park through the main gate ➡️Flamingos ➡️Take the bus to visit the beast area (feeding bus 50/time, route and Like the bus,)➡️Various birds➡️Sea Lion Theater (free🆓,🕙starting at 10 o'clock, 20 minutes of performance)➡️Swan Lake (rowing,💰50/person, half an hour)➡️Water Secret Exploration Area (💰40/person, 20 minutes)➡️Sun Plaza (free🕛starting at 12 o'clock, 25 minutes of performance)➡️Kangaroo🦘, giraffe, penguin🐧, giant panda, zebra, etc.➡️Hundred Beasts Mountain Theater➡️African elephants, monkeys and bears, etc.➡️White Pigeon Square➡️Flamingo➡️Exit the park 1⃣️Open at 9 am, be sure to go early! The animals are most energetic in the morning, and many of them are resting in the afternoon. 2⃣️You can go boating in Swan Lake and watch white swans playing in the water and living there. 3⃣️You must take a tour bus/feeding bus. The tour bus 🚌 is viewed through the glass, and the feeding bus experience will be better (50/person, the route is the same as the tour bus). The view is unobstructed, it is recommended to sit on the right side. There are more small animals along the road. 4⃣️There are cute little tigers, monkeys, and lions in the nursery garden for several months. There are also big tigers 🐯 and big lions 🦁 next to them. 5⃣️The animals are scattered, and photography enthusiasts should try to bring a telephoto lens. 🎫Adults 165r, students and seniors half price, children under 1.3 meters free
Shanghai Wild Animal Park is really fun to visit. There are two ways to visit the car park: free bus and VIP feeding car, 100 yuan per person! Follow the tour map to walk around the walking area. The animals are super cute. There are animal performances in the Sea Lion Theater, Sun Plaza, and the Beast Mountain Theater. Don't miss them! The key is that the interactive experience here is very good. You can get close to the animals you like, such as the cute Capybara, the lively little kangaroos, and many animal behavior displays: tigers pouncing on food, birds feeding, etc. It is definitely a paradise for children to popularize science!
It is worth a visit. I highly recommend taking your kids to Shanghai Wild Animal Park. There are so many cute animals there. And because the place is so big, there are so many animals of each species! The animals also have a large range of activities! Especially their animal science, I think it is very good. It is a good experience for children to understand animals. If you are lucky, you can see some interesting behaviors of animals! It is really fun! If you are stressed at work, go see the animals and feed them, it is really healing!
Every area of Shanghai Wild Animal Park is fun. You can follow the zoo's car to see wild animals. There are also feeding cars. There are many tigers, lions, leopards, bears, etc. in the wild animal area, as well as various herbivores and many birds. Peacocks are all spreading their feathers in spring, competing for beauty. In spring, wild animals are very lively and active. There are many newly born animals in the small animal park. There are also many animal performances, such as sea lions and tigers. The most interesting one is the performance at the racecourse.
Although Shanghai Wild Animal Park is not very big, it is enough for you to have fun all day. It is recommended to go there early in the morning, take a car to the beast area to feed the animals, then take a boat to visit the water route, and finally walk around the entire park. There are also wonderful performances at noon and in the afternoon, most of which are free, so you can arrange your own time.