People's Square (simplified Chinese: 人民广场; traditional Chinese: 人民廣場; pinyin: Rénmín Guǎngchǎng) is a large public square adjacent to Nanjing Road in the Huangpu District of Shanghai, China. People's Square is the site of Shanghai's municipal government headquarter building, and is used as the standard reference point for measurement of distance in the Shanghai municipality.[citation needed]
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History
Prior to 1949 and the establishment of the People's Republic of China, what is now People's Square was a part of the horse racing course of Shanghai. After gambling and horse racing were banned by the new Communist government, a part of the race course became the People's Square, which included a large avenue and spectator stands for use during parades.
In the 1990s, major changes were made to the square. The Shanghai Municipal Government building was moved from the former HSBC Building, and the Shanghai Museum was also moved away from its previous site in a former office building. More recent additions include the Shanghai Grand Theatre and the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall.
Other parts of the race course still remain. The clubhouse buildings became the Shanghai Art Museum, while part of the race track became People's Park, a public park.
Landmarks
Prominent landmarks on and around the square include:
- JW Marriott, Shanghai
- Shanghai City Hall
- Shanghai Grand Theatre
- Shanghai Museum
- Shanghai Art Museum
- Kathleen's 5
- Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall
- People's Park
- Nanjing Road - Famous Shopping Road
Major office buildings and malls
- Headquarters Building, Shanghai
- Raffles' City
Transportation
People's Square may be reached by taking Shanghai Metro Line 1,
External links
- Apr. 2007 Sept. 2007 Oct. 2007 Jan. 2008 YouTube videos
Coordinates: 31°14′02″N 121°28′04″E / 31.233944°N 121.467813°E
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