This is China’s largest public library, with a copy of Rodin’s sculpture The Thinker plonked outside. For a postmodern white-tile building, it is actually quite impressive. Free reading cards valid for a year allow you to read but not borrow foreign publications. For foreign-language books, newspapers and magazines, head to the 4th floor. The library has a useful internet room and free wi-fi.

To borrow foreign-language publications and Chinese books, you need to pay between ¥100 and ¥1000 deposit (a residency permit or passport is also required).


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Community Church

0.22 MILES

Shanghai’s largest and most popular, this nondenominational ivy-cloaked church was built in 1924. There are no cheesy Chinese Catholic frills and the…

2. Ba Jin’s Former Residence

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This charming little pebble-dash residence with a delightful garden is where the acclaimed author Ba Jin (1904–2005) lived from 1955 to the mid-1990s. Ba…

3. Wukang Road Tourist Information Centre

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On one of the area’s best-preserved streets, this centre displays scale-model concession buildings, photos of historic Shanghai architecture and maps for…

4. Leo Gallery

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Spread across two buildings in the charming Ferguson Lane complex, the Leo Gallery focuses on works by young Chinese artists.

5. Ferguson Lane

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On those rare days when Shanghai’s skies are cloud-free, the chic Ferguson Lane courtyard fills up in the blink of an eye with boutique browsers, latte…

6. Soong Qingling’s Former Residence

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Built in the 1920s by a Greek shipping magnate, this quiet building became home to Soong Qingling, wife of Dr Sun Yatsen, from 1948 to 1963. Size up two…

7. Shanghai Camera History Museum

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One for diehard vintage camera fans, this museum displays cameras from the 20th century, including old folding models from the 1920s and ’30s as well as a…

8. Shanghai Arts and Crafts Museum

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Repositioned as a museum, this arts and crafts institute displays traditional crafts such as needlepoint embroidery, paper cutting, lacquer work, jade…