An interesting way to appreciate how far Shanghai has come in a short time is to enter the center via the past. The People's Square subway station (the busiest in Shanghai) empties directly beneath the museum into a concourse that has been redone to look like a Shanghai street scene from 1930, including old streetlights, trams, and sepia-toned photos of the period. From here visitors ride the escalator to the Exhibition Center and are instantly launched into the 21st century.
A contemporary structure with an abundance of natural light, the center consists of five floors of both permanent and rotating exhibits. They all relate to Shanghai's development and are presented in both passive and interactive formats to interest all ages. On our recent visit, there was a 360-degree film that was prepared for the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, whose theme was "Better City, Better Life."
The center's crowning glory is its three-dimensional scale model of the city of Shanghai. It is officially listed by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest model of its kind. At more than 6,500 square feet, it is the size of three singles tennis courts. It displays the entire urban region, including both of the city's massive airports. Toss away the guidebooks and maps, none can compare to feeling like a modern-day Gulliver with the city laid out at your feet.
Visitors can view this Shanghai in miniature from multiple perspectives by wandering around a raised walkway that circumnavigates the model. For a bird's-eye view, take the escalator up one floor and peer down from a balcony onto this "mini Shanghai." Handsets can be rented in English that highlight the city's development.
