Revolutionary Shanghai Through the Ages: A Journey into the Past and Present

**Shanghai Through the Ages Experience** **Duration:** 1 day **Time:** July **Cost per person:** 500[...]

**Shanghai Through the Ages Experience**

**Duration:** 1 day
**Time:** July
**Cost per person:** 500 yuan
**Accompanied by:** Oneself
**Activities:** Cultural, Train, Bohemian, Weekend getaway
**Published on:** 2023-07-06 at 18:27

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I returned to Shanghai, captivated by the allure of “Shanghai Through the Ages” beside the Huangpu River. The essence of “Through the Ages” lies in its ‘change and constancy’, maintaining the core performance style and level while infusing local culture and historical narratives, making it relatable to the locals. This Shanghai rendition is as enchanting as the city itself, subverting the traditional Song City experience with its unpredictability.

**Location and Arrival:**
Exiting the World Expo Avenue Station’s Exit 1 on the subway, walk straight ahead to encounter a unique container-style building, which is “Shanghai Through the Ages”, resembling a giant mystery box. The retro clay sculpture entrance gives off an ancient castle vibe, setting the stage for an immersive experience.

**Scenic Area and Facilities:**
The Shanghai Through the Ages scenic area is housed in a large building, suitable for all seasons. On the first floor, attractions include the Battle of Shanghai, Costume Change Pavilion, ‘WA! Dinosaurs’, Earthquake, Time Street, Time Travel Street, and Through the Ages Restaurant. Outdoors, you’ll find the Magic Forest, Forest Theater, Punk Square, Pot Square, Water Park, Jungle Maze, Jungle Climbing, Children’s Play Area, and Love Valley.

**Experience and Performances:**
The correct way to experience Shanghai Through the Ages is to rent a cheongsam at the Qipao shop by the entrance and travel back to 1921. The Forest Theater, with 4 performances daily, is a must-visit. I watched the first show at 10:20 AM, featuring folk acrobatics, each show lasting half an hour.

**Outdoor Attractions:**
Don’t miss the ‘Jungle Maze’ for a check-in photo and ‘Love Valley’ for a picturesque moment. The outdoor water play area on the first floor is a parent-child paradise, so remember to bring a change of clothes.

**Indoor Attractions:**
‘The Horror Research Institute’ on the first floor offers a chilling experience with eerie sound effects and sudden ghost appearances. On the first floor, ‘Battle for Shanghai’ depicts the wars of a bygone era, immersing visitors in a war drama.

**Second Floor Attractions:**
Ascending to the second floor, you’ll find Eternal Sentiments Street, Shanghai Eternal Sentiments Theater, Illusion Space, Light and Shadow Show, Night Fragrant, and Barbecue Square. ‘Illusion Space’ and ‘Light and Shadow Show’ offer a 10-minute spectacle, while the grand theater performs ‘The Great Earthquake’ and ‘WA! Dinosaurs’ at staggered times.

**The Great Earthquake Performance:**
At 12:10 PM, the 5D large-scale live-action drama ‘The Great Earthquake’ commences, recreating the tragic scene of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake and the touching rescue efforts post-disaster. The director innovatively recruits volunteers from the audience, who, following the lead of professional actors, succeed in their roles, providing an authentic earthquake experience.

**Schedule and Updates:**
Don’t forget to pick up a schedule at the entrance and follow the timeline. You can also follow their public account for real-time updates, as the program times vary daily.

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This journey through “Shanghai Through the Ages” is a testament to the city’s enchanting history and culture, offering a weekend getaway filled with cultural experiences, train rides, and bohemian charm.**WA! Dinosaurs**

Indeed, the audience is moved to tears. For the sake of rescue operations, a dam is blown up, releasing thousands of tons of water on stage—real water that splashes onto the first row where I sat, drenching me in mist. This is highly recommended.

In this world, if you ask children what their favorite prehistoric animal is, they will undoubtedly answer ‘dinosaurs.’ Rather than spending the summer at home outwitting your little ones, bring them to see ‘WA! Dinosaurs.’ There’s no need to move after ‘The Great Earthquake,’ as ‘WA! Dinosaurs’ is a 40-minute show that has become a must-visit for families since its inception. It seems that not bringing your child here would make you an irresponsible parent.

‘WA! Dinosaurs’ is performed twice daily, and we watched the 13:10 show. The show begins in a doctor’s dinosaur laboratory where the doctor successfully revives dinosaur remains into a dinosaur named ‘Abu.’ Led by Abu, the audience travels through a time machine to the Jurassic era, where they witness pterosaurs, Tyrannosaurus Rex, and Velociraptors—extremely realistic dinosaurs appearing on stage. The moment they appear, the adrenaline of the young audience surges, as which child doesn’t love dinosaurs?

WA! Dinosaurs is a hit high-tech, large-scale stage play that combines art and science throughout the performance, filled with educational points, making it a great tool for entertaining children. Let’s travel back to the Jurassic period and embark on a fascinating journey with children, bringing textbook knowledge to life and allowing them to learn beyond the classroom. Watching this stage play is not only entertaining but also educational. The ups and downs of the plot, such as ‘Abu falls’ and ‘Protecting the Dinosaur Eggs’, are full of twists and turns and are very interesting. The large egg on stage represents a dinosaur egg, encouraging the audience to protect it and fostering ecological awareness from a young age. The theater is always filled with the laughter of children, and the magical journey ends with the energetic songs and dances of dozens of dinosaurs.

**Shanghai’s Timeless Love**

One exciting show after another, it’s time to move on to the main show, ‘Shanghai’s Timeless Love’. Although ‘Shanghai’s Timeless Love’ is also on the second floor, it is located elsewhere. The play tells the historical and cultural legends of a city. Currently, many cities have their own ‘Timeless Love’, such as Lijiang Timeless Love, Hangzhou Timeless Love, Sanya Timeless Love, Mingyue Mountain Timeless Love, Guilin Timeless Love… Of course, Shanghai also has its own ‘Timeless Love’, which may be late but never absent. This is a must-see show when visiting Shanghai, with a performance time of about 1 hour, three shows a day, the first at 14:00, and the other two at 16:30 and 19:30. You can choose to watch according to your own time.

The plot of ‘Shanghai’s Timeless Love’ is divided into five acts, namely ‘Shanghai’s Origins’, ‘Shanghai’s Jiangnan’, ‘Modern Era’, ‘Age of Awakening’, and ‘Wind from the Sea’. The first act, ‘Shanghai’s Origins’, narrates the birth of Shanghai. Over 2000 years ago, when floods were rampant and people suffered greatly, Lord Chunshen led the people to dredge the Huangpu River, solving the water disaster and writing the initial character of the city. This spirit of not fearing difficulties and facing challenges bravely has become an important beginning of the Shanghai spirit. In memory of Lord Chunshen, later generations referred to Shanghai as ‘Shen’ and the fishing tool ‘Hu’. So that’s how ‘Shen’ and ‘Hu’ came about, very enlightening! Shanghai people have always regarded themselves as superior, but they are just fishermen like me.

The second act is ‘Shanghai’s Jiangnan’, with a very refreshing opening dance. Jiangnan is good, the scenery is familiar from the past.

The third act is ‘Modern Era’, telling the story of the dark undercurrents and extravagant nightlife of the Bund. During the performance, dancers suddenly appear from the audience, eliciting sighs of admiration! In the 1930s, Shanghai had the reputation of being ‘the largest metropolis in Asia’. After the ‘September 18th Incident’, the three eastern provinces and many places in North China fell one after another, and the prosperous Bund also faced a critical moment, with dark undercurrents behind the modern era.

The fourth act, titled ‘The Awakening Era,’ showcases the proactive search for a way out by progressive individuals like Chen Yan and Chen Qiao, who represent the future of the Chinese nation. They take to the streets to awaken theThe splendor of the World Expo still echoes, and the development and opening-up of Pudong are moving forward. As the wind blows from the sea, Shanghai stands tall in the East of the world, embodying openness, innovation, and inclusiveness in China’s new era development journey.

After watching the Timeless Emotion, one is truly astounded by the lighting technology and the performers. There are no limits to what Timeless Emotion cannot do. You never know what you will see next, where the performers will emerge from, or whether you will laugh or cry next. Everything is unknown… Timeless Emotion offers the audience an auditory and visual feast that breaks the imagination, a moment of empathy between the stage and the audience, no wonder it is called ‘a must-see show in a lifetime.’

After leaving the theater and descending to the outdoor Guozhuang Square, staff dressed in various ethnic costumes lead tourists in a hand-dance, turning strangers into family in an instant. Let’s hold hands for a lifetime.

‘Flash Mob’ is an explosive program where peculiarly dressed characters move about, capturing attention. Actors interact closely with tourists on the streets, making it hard to distinguish between actors and tourists, with crowds forming around them. Finally, there is a grand carnival for all ages and genders, a joyful event that cannot be missed!

On the first floor, there is a Timeless Emotion restaurant. After watching the ‘Shanghai Timeless Emotion’ performance, I had the opportunity to have lunch here, ordering a partridge egg and pork rib meal for 59 yuan.

At Shanghai Timeless Emotion, everything is passionate, with performance art, punk, trendy parties, electronic music, and revelry all taking place; at Shanghai Timeless Emotion, everything is also wonderful, with beautiful scenery, people, and food. Whether you are delighted, moved, or inspired during the visit, everything is healed.

The scenic spot is located at No. 1750 Shibo Avenue, Pudong New District. Transportation: Take the subway line 13 to Shibo Avenue Station, exit at gate 1, it’s very convenient! For those around Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai, driving is very convenient!