Autumn Getaway with My Little One in the Magic City

Duration: 3 days, Time: November, Average Cost per Person: 3000 yuan, Companions: Family, Travel Style: Self-driving, Freestyle. The author visited […]

Duration: 3 days, Time: November, Average Cost per Person: 3000 yuan, Companions: Family, Travel Style: Self-driving, Freestyle.
The author visited these places: Jing’an Sculpture Park, Shikumen, Wu Kang Road, The Bund, and Lujiazui.
Published on 2020-11-27 15:11.
They say, ‘You’re already thirty.’ I say, ‘Thirty is just the beginning.’ Hi, I’m the restless little meatball, a woman who doesn’t want to be defined by age. I am a native of Shanghai. At 27, I married Lao Xue for love. We both have stable incomes and, without the pressure of a mortgage, we lived a carefree life, strolling, watching movies, enjoying afternoon tea, and sticking to our world of two. Until one day, a little boy suddenly appeared in our lives, breaking our world of two and turning me into a mother overnight, and Lao Xue into a father. Thus, our lives changed drastically, and our second life began. Our sleep time shortened, and the concept of sleeping in was gone. Our free time decreased, as we revolved around this little one 24/7. Our need for a car increased, as weekly outings became a necessity. Our living space shrank, as the study was transformed into his little nest. As you can see, with the change in our roles, our lifestyle needs also changed continuously. In fact, when it was just Lao Xue and me, we didn’t have a strong need for a car. In a big city like Shanghai, whether by subway or ride-hailing services, all travel issues can be easily solved, avoiding the trouble of parking. The house didn’t need to be big, just enough to live in. But after having a baby, the car became a necessity, and the house was better if it was bigger… So we bought a car, renovated the house, hoping to provide a better environment for the little one. Our travel radius expanded on the road of taking the child out. Since then, Lao Xue and I’s romantic weekend trips turned into warm family trips. Speaking of family travel, there are many places to go in Shanghai, from museums to amusement parks, from the city to the suburbs, filling every weekend. The places I like to take the baby to must be suitable for both adults and children, otherwise, how can it be called family travel? Only when both find their interests can we make the most of the weekend. So, taking advantage of the crisp autumn in November, I found some classic and interesting routes, and with my little divine beast, we embarked on a two-day, one-night family trip. The most favored museum by children in the Magic City, Shanghai, a city with various types of museums, from nature to humanities, from science and technology to life, each museum has its own characteristics. But if you ask me to recommend one suitable for taking children, it must be the Shanghai Natural History Museum! This is the most favored museum by the children of the Magic City, as it not only has various realistic animal specimens but also many interactive experiences. Lao Xue and I both like to visit museums, so we had already quietly checked it out before having children. With a child, we hope to be with him, imagining freely, passing through the Jurassic era, exploring the mysteries of origin, in this world full of wonders, and entering the colorful world of life.
We drove through the streets and alleys and arrived at the Shanghai Natural History Museum located in the city center. There is no parking space at the museum, so it is recommended to park in the opposite shopping mall. After parking the car and entering the Shanghai Natural History Museum, purchase tickets online in advance. You can enter the park with your ID card. The Shanghai Natural History Museum is the natural branch of the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum and one of the largest natural history museums in China. The original old museum has a history of 50 years and has been closed since 2014. The current Shanghai Natural History Museum is located in Jing’an Sculpture Park. Here, there are more than 290,000 collections. It is the most detailed, with the most complete species and the most varieties among the natural history museums I have visited so far. And this museum, praised by many people, only costs 30 yuan for a ticket. It is really the king of cost performance. Don’t go on Monday because it is closed on Monday. As the beginning of the entire natural history museum, the Mystery of Origins briefly and cleverly traces back the process of human exploration of the universe and the origin of life through the display and formation principle of astronomical telescopes. Along the ramp, we come to the Exhibition Area of the Long River of Life. This is one of the favorite exhibition areas for children. Here are those once prominent passers-by andNature is like an arena. After hundreds of millions of years of evolution, every living thing has developed a unique secret skill. Their different feeding strategies and reproduction strategies have become two powerful weapons for the continuation of the population. Babies may not understand the truth in this yet, but just looking at so many novel creatures is already fascinating enough.

When arriving at the Africa Pavilion, don’t miss the film screening here. Various wild animals from Africa and breadfruit stand vividly on the African savannah. When the film starts, it seems as if you are on the grassland, with zebras, giraffes, lions, and hyenas, feeling the momentum of running on the grassland against the wind.

There are many venues in the entire natural history museum. If you look slowly, you can spend a whole day. My baby is still young, so I can only have a superficial understanding and cannot explore deeply. Therefore, a morning is enough.

Coming out of the museum is Jing’an Sculpture Park. It is the only specialized sculpture park in the center of Shanghai and an open urban park. Every cherry blossom season, the cherry blossom corridor here always attracts many people.

Crossing the sculpture park, there is a restaurant specializing in crab roe noodles on the opposite side of the road. In autumn in Shanghai, it is the season when crabs are fat and full of roe. Shanghai people love to eat noodles. At this time, having a bowl of seasonal crab roe noodles and putting ‘crab’ and ‘noodles’ two treasures into the bowl at the same time is really a good thing that has the best of both worlds. The noodle restaurant is not big. It costs 88 yuan per bowl. It is golden and fragrant. Pour the crab roe into the noodles all at once. Pick up a mouthful of noodles and roll them in the crab roe. Each noodle is evenly coated with crab roe, rich and tender.

The most amusement park with old Shanghai style. After having enough to eat and drink, take the baby to the second stop, Shanghai Great World! Get in the car, adjust the seat, and get ready to set off! Directly navigate by voice to ‘Shanghai Great World’ and you can arrive.

Shanghai’s Great World is a renowned entertainment center and a landmark of old Shanghai. After being closed for 14 years, it has been renovated and officially reopened. It is filled with childhood memories for many Shanghai locals. Dress up and join in reenacting old Shanghai stories! To help children understand old Shanghai, the Great World is an excellent place to visit.

The Great World consists of four floors, all accessible by elevators, so there’s no need to worry about pushing strollers. Upon entering the first floor, one of the first things you’ll see is the vintage laughing mirrors! Although they have been updated, they still evoke nostalgia and remain a favorite among today’s children.

On the second floor, the corridor is adorned with lanterns featuring intangible cultural heritage elements, making it perfect for photography. At the other end of the passage is a glass wall composed of cartoon dolls, along with various handicrafts such as tie-dyeing and sand painting, where children can try their hand at making them.

The third floor’s rest area is made up of tables and chairs shaped like flower drums, which serve both as a place to rest and as a source of entertainment for children who can playfully tap them. There are four intangible cultural heritage-themed areas filled with Chinese style, making them ideal for taking photos.

The fourth floor is my favorite, with a wealth of content, and I highly recommend starting your visit from here and working your way down. The 1978 Old Shanghai Style Street reproduces the old Shanghai of that era, with long dragon buses, public telephone booths, and Shikumen alleys, all filled with memories. Sharing stories from our era with children is also a fun activity. This place is perfect for taking vintage photos with a sense of the times, so choosing clothing like cheongsams or retro-style outfits would be fitting. The fantastic kaleidoscope is like an enlarged version, and walking inside feels like entering a magical space. In addition to watching shadow play performances, you can also purchase shadow play dolls here. Blowing sugar figures, dough modeling, and sugar painting are many intangible cultural heritage interactive activities that are reminiscent of our childhood, and they showcase the exquisite craftsmanship of the artisans.

Shanghai’s most beautiful streets in autumn: October in Shanghai is the most comfortable season of the year, with a hint of autumn in the air, warm sunlight, and fresh air. We wanted to take advantage of the sunset and take our baby to stroll along the most beautiful streets of autumn, stepping on the autumn leaves. So we drove towards Wukang Road. When taking children out, there’s always continuous photography, and the phone’s battery drains quickly. Fortunately, the car has a wireless charging deviceDriving on the city roads of Shanghai, the car plays a soft lullaby for the baby, isolating the outside noise and allowing the baby to take a nap. If Shanghai has handed over its splendor to the Bund and Lujiazui, it has hidden its gentleness and delicacy in the deep courtyards and alleys. Wukang Road is like an everlasting Shanghai dream that never fades, and only by walking here can you see the charming and diverse Shanghai. It is quiet, elegant, and carries a bit of the vicissitudes of time. In November, the French plane trees on Wukang Road gradually turn yellow, passing by the European-style buildings along the street and falling gently with the breeze.

Wukang Road is lined with exquisite boutique shops and cafes, nestled among the old houses. The WIFI’s popular ice cream is a favorite among children, with its signature Sea Salt Caramel flavor being rich and enticing. Every visit is marked by a constant stream of people coming to take photos, holding their ice cream in front of the old houses and under the shade of trees, basking in the popularity of this trend on social media. Next to it, LOKAL is also a renowned Western restaurant on Wukang Road, known for its brunch and afternoon tea, which are their main specialties. Even though we arrived late, it didn’t prevent us from savoring delicious food, sitting outdoors, and enjoying the last rays of the sun, concluding our day’s journey.

The most suitable outdoor park for family outings is the Jigao Rabbit Nest Park, a large outdoor parent-child park. Having traveled to various amusement parks in Shanghai with my child, this one has always been in my collection of treasures, waiting for a crisp autumn day to fully enjoy it. The Rabbit Nest is a large-scale outdoor parent-child park newly opened in Shanghai this year. Although Shanghai has many amusement parks, those focusing on parent-child outdoor activities and of such a large scale are rare. It is located close to Shanghai Disney and奕欧来, and from Luoshan Road via the outer ring highway, with a full throttle, it takes about an hour’s drive to reach. Along the way, the child is never bored, occasionally chatting with Xiao WEY, Little V, open the panoramic sunroof, Little V, turn off the air conditioning, Little V… Little V can do many things, chat, and even watch cartoons on the in-car iQIYI, always afraid that he won’t want to get out of the car. For those who love the outdoors, it is highly recommended to bring a tent, a stroller, wear comfortable clothing, prepare spare clothes for the child, and prepare some delicious food for an outdoor parent-child outing. Every time we want to go outdoors, we have to bring many things. In the past, it all depended on Lao Xue to do the heavy lifting, but now with the car, it saves a lot of effort, always filling the trunk to the brim. With the sensor-activated electric tailgate, we can easily carry our bags and enter the park to play! It takes about 5 minutes to walk from the parking lot to the entrance of the scenic area. We bought tickets online in advance. For those who like sunshine, enjoy picnicking, or live nearby, it is highly recommended to buy their annual card, which is worth the price after just two visits.

Upon entering the park, the scenery is immediately bright. The entire park creates various dreams for children with bright colors, fresh and lovely cartoon animal shapes, as if we have entered a miniature world. Climbing the colorful castle, riding on the neck of a giraffe, jumping from one cute rabbit to another, it is dreamy and interesting. The Rabbit Nest Park is mainly divided into three areas: the Rabbit Kingdom, the Growth World, and the Creation Bay. Directly opposite the main entrance is the Growth World, like coming to a small castle, which has a very pleasant name, Sky Castle. Climbing to the highest point allows us to get closer to the sky. Within this Growth World, there are many play projects that are rare in Shanghai and even in China, such as ultra-long zip lines and comprehensive tower combinations, making it a world for children. Next to the Growth World is a large lavender flower sea, but unfortunately, it has already passed the blooming season of lavender. Fortunately, there are always different surprises in the Rabbit Nest. Even without lavender, there are large areas of verbena and rose gardens, adding a brilliant touch to this autumn.

Emerging from the world of growth, one can immediately see the Kingdom of Bunny across the way. Just the name conjures images of adorable cuteness. This play area is tailored for younger children, featuring slides, climbing structures, and swings, all meticulously included. Beyond these, swings, sand pits, climbing frames, racing cars, zip lines, go-karts, and slippery slides are all concentrated within this zone. TheApart from these popular rabbits, each themed area hosts different small animals such as giraffes and caterpillars, drawing children into this colorful fairy-tale world. Climbing up on ropes and sliding down can easily occupy them for a good part of the day. In the Bunny Nest, slides and sand are certainly not in short supply; almost every play area is equipped with such facilities. Thus, even if the park is crowded, the visitors are effectively dispersed across various play areas, preventing any feeling of congestion.

In addition to these climbing areas, the arena is also an excellent place for interaction with parents. Bicycles and bumper cars are available here, all complimentary. Unlike ordinary parks, the vast lawn here serves not only as a picnic spot but also hosts various swings, internet-famous pin sculptures, and other toys. Parents can rest while basking in the gentle sunlight and accompany their children in play.

In summary, here, children can explore the secrets of dinosaur fossils, experience the magic of musical fountains, and enter a fairy-tale world, spending joyful times with mom and dad. After tiring play, they can find suitable gastronomic experiences on the lawn or at the Bunny House.

Someone asked, “Does this little boy disrupt your original life? Do you regret it?” I smiled. The role of a mother, though arduous, is made worthwhile by his slight smile, which can melt all troubles. Thinking of giving him a larger space, thinking of taking him to see a bigger world, I am grateful to have you, making my life after thirty much more splendid.