Located close to the heart of busy Shanghai, the Century Park is not just a simple green space for a quite stroll. It is a topographical marvel and has much to offer visitors for a meager entrance fee of RMB10. From a sprawling lake that magnificently reflects the heavens, splendid gardens with varied landscaping to an amazing array of flora and fauna with many varieties of birds and many murals of exotic animals; the park has much to offer all guests.
For a nominal fee, the park can be enjoyed from 07:00 to 17:00 in winters and till 18:00 rest of the year. The elderly (70+) and kids under 120cm enter free. However, pets are not allowed. Weekends and public holidays get more traffic but tourists may get rewarded by unusual sights such as the Umbrella Sunday where old grannies and mothers set up marriage markets for bachelors!
Infusing elements of English and Oriental horticulture, the park presents a harmony of three cultures; Chinese, Japanese and British. The architects designed 7 concepts areas and each is abundant with its own highlights.
Within the Lakeside Scenic Area, there is the 30-acre wide and 15 feet deep ‘Mirror Sky Lake’. Another beauty of this area is the satellite-controlled ‘Century Flower Clock’, a most popular flower-decked icon of the park. Representing murals of 29 animal species native to Asia-Pacific is the ‘Green World Relief Sculpture’.
To immerse in calm nature, a stroll under the decades old Ginkgo trees that line the avenue leading to the Folk Village Area will put a balm to any visitors’ frazzled nerves.
There’s even a 9-hole Mini Golf Course for enthusiasts to practice their game. All related facilities like lockers, equipment for rent, lounge and a café for relaxing afterwards are provided for within the area.
With a stream winding through and gardens attributed to all four seasons, the Amenity Grass Area is abounded by Western style architecture with red tile roofing.
As a gift from the Mexican Government, the ‘Olmec Colossal Head’ stone replica is the center of attention in the Exotic Zone with its fine carving and ardent display of Mexican culture and friendship.
Hailed as the largest in the country, the man-made ‘Open-Air Music Square’ is in the west of Century Park within the Forest Landscape Area. It has a seating capacity of 2,500 people (4,000 when fully opened for concerts).
The Nature Reserve Area has two main attractions. The first one is located in the middle of the park and is called the ‘Birds’ Island’. It not only a haven for bird watchers with many specimens (specially magpies) but offers a variety of trees like plum blossoms, camphor and peach trees. There’s a Bamboo Forest also located on Birds’ Island which has about 20,000 types of bamboo planted within. The other attraction is the ‘Montreal Garden’, a Canadian Government sponsored idea that has exhibition halls and media halls in addition to parks and scenery as a show of good faith between the two nations.