Zhongshan Park Commercial Circle: Shopping Paradise

Originally a British real estate tycoon’s private garden and turned into a recession park in 1914, Zhongshan Park is now an urban garden featuring both natural and architectural landscapes. But it’s more a commercial landmark, where Metro Line 2, 3 and four bring over 300,000 shoppers every day to Printemps Paris Department Store, Metro Town, Cloud Nine Shopping Mall and the newly open Ashley and Gloria Department Store.

What makes it special?

The neighborhood of Zhongshan Park is the political, cultural and commercial center of Changning District, and one of the major transportation hubs in west Shanghai. Centering on Zhongshan Park, the established commercial circle is one of Changning’s three key commercial areas and the district’s most important landmark contributing to Changning’s integrated service of commerce, tourism and culture.
—Tang Xiaofeng, Curator of Changning Library

When I was a child, Zhongshan Park was a place far away. It took me a long time to get there by Bus No. 2 from Nanjing Road. But during my four years at East China Normal University, Zhongshan Park was where I went to every week.

Among the “100 Things to Do as a ECNU Student” is “walking from the campus to Zhongshan Park”. And I did that in my freshman year. I was exhausted when I finally got there after over half-and-hour’s walk, so I had to take Bus No.67 back to the campus after having a cup of coffee at Cloud Nine.

Also during my first year in college, I took a photography course and was once asked by our teacher to take pictures at Zhongshan Park. After we canceled the schedule twice due to bad weather, we finally made it in a sunny day. However, rain started to fall shortly, so we had to stay on the second floor of the KFC at Metro Town, taking photos of passengers running in the rain. -- Cui Dacheng, graduate from East China Normal University