Discover Shanghai’s Exciting New Landmarks in 2024

Shanghai, a city that never ceases to amaze, is set to unveil an array of groundbreaking landmark projects in 2024, promising new experiences for both residents and visitors. Here’s your guide to the most anticipated openings that are sure to redefine the city’s landscape.

#1. Shanghai Museum East Wing to Gradually Open in Early February

After six years of construction, the East Wing of the Shanghai Museum, covering an area of 113,200 square meters, is set to open gradually. It features 20 exhibition halls and interactive experience spaces.

The exterior of the building is enveloped in winding marble, resembling the undulating waves of the sea, while the courtyard garden design embodies a strong Chinese cultural essence. The East Wing of the Shanghai Museum plans to open in three phases within 2024: on February 2nd, it will initially open the “Bronze Exhibition Hall,” making about 25% of its space accessible; by the end of June, 80% of the exhibition space will be open; and by the end of November, the East Wing will be fully open.

#2. France’s Puy Du Fou’s first project in Asia will be soft opened

Puy du Fou, the world’s top-ranked entertainment theme park brand from France, is set to launch its immersive theatrical experience in Shanghai in the first half of 2024. The park, with an investment nearing $100 million, features over 50 movie-like scenes and more than 26,000 vintage props, ensuring an unforgettable journey through time.

Dive into the enigmatic legends of a lost ancient city, thrilling espionage, and tumultuous love stories from distant lands. As the protagonist in these breathtaking cinematic scenes, you’ll make crucial decisions on your adventure, relishing a cultural entertainment experience that beckons repeated exploration.

#3. Huawei’s Largest Global R&D Center Completed

Huawei’s largest global research and development center spans approximately 400 acres, with a building area of about 2 million square meters and a total investment exceeding 1.4 billion USD. The R&D center campus houses over 100 research and development buildings, which undertake tasks in areas such as terminal chips, wireless networks, and the Internet of Things. In the future, about 35,000 science and technology research and development personnel will be stationed at the center.

#4. Shanghai LEGOLAND Resort Nears Completion

Spanning over 318,000 square meters with a total investment of 3.6 billion RMB, the LEGOLAND park in Shanghai is nearing completion this year, with an anticipated opening in the spring or summer of 2025. The park will feature eight major themed areas, three of which are specially designed with Chinese characteristics. These include a “LEGO little monkey knight” theme area inspired by the classic “Journey to the West”; a “Creative World” theme resembling a Jiangnan-style ancient water town boat tour; and a “Mini World” themed area showcasing Shanghai’s iconic Bund architecture, Oriental Pearl Tower, and Shikumen buildings, reflecting the unique Shanghai culture.

#5. Major Investment Project in Global Esports Industry Debuts in Shanghai

HOPS★ON, with a total area of 700,000 square meters and a total investment of 2.1 billion USD, stands as China’s pioneering “pan-cultural sports entertainment social business complex.” It also holds the title of the largest single investment project in the global esports industry to date. This impressive complex includes Asia’s deepest extreme diving pool, the world’s first dual esports arena, China’s first Aerodium wind tunnel racing venue, an immersive beach surfing pavilion, an international competition-standard climbing facility, and Shanghai’s largest outdoor pump track park.

#6. Asia’s Largest Broadway Theatre Cluster Completion

Whisked Tea is one of the forms of the Chinese tea ceremony. Back in the Song Dynasty, more than 800 years ago, Whisked Tea was one of China’s most mainstream ways of drinking Tea. Like the barista who makes lattes nowadays, the tea artisan who makes Whisked Tea uses ground tea paste as the material and adds water to make the tea broth change into various patterns.

The dim sum served with Tea originated from the imperial palaces of the Song Dynasty. Each exquisite and small dim sum fuses oriental aesthetics with gastronomy to the extreme.

A visit to a teahouse that serves Song-style Tea is the perfect way to experience traditional Chinese culture, oriental aesthetics, and Chinese Tea.

Find the best Shanghai teahouses here.

#7. Shanghai Highlights 2024 – The Old City Hall

The historic Old City Hall building, once known as the “Far East’s first enclosed structure,” is set to open to the public after a decade of restoration. Located near the Bund, this building will offer a mix of office, cultural, and commercial spaces, adding a historic charm to the city’s modern skyline.

#8. Things to do in Shanghai 2024 – The World’s Largest Indoor Ski Resort Set to Open in the First Half of the Year

The “Shanghai Yaoxue Ice and Snow World,” boasting a total construction area of 350,000 square meters and an investment of nearly 1 billion USD, is set to open its doors. It will feature the world’s largest indoor real snow ski resort, covering over 90,000 square meters. The project includes an S-shaped 3D dimensional ski slope and more than 20 snow-related entertainment activities. Additionally, it offers unique amenities such as China’s first indoor snow train, an all-weather water park, and a five-star resort hotel!

#9. The World’s Largest Indoor Ski Resort Set to Open in the First Half of the Year

China’s largest and the world’s third-largest giant screen sphere cinema has been essentially completed and is expected to open to the public within the year. The architecture, inspired by the image of river dolphins riding the waves, features an elliptical sphere with an inner diameter of 37.5 x 34.5 meters. This digital cinema can accommodate 380 people for simultaneous viewing. The giant screen, approximately 22.4 meters wide and 12 meters high, creates a dome-like, stunning naked-eye 3D visual experience.

#10. Things to do in Shanghai 2024 – The World’s Largest Indoor Ski Resort Set to Open in the First Half of the Year

The cultural flagship of the Asian performing arts center, the Shanghai Grand Opera House, covers an area of approximately 146,000 square meters. The opera house features three auditoriums: a main hall with 2,000 seats, a second auditorium with 1,200 seats, and a scenario theater with 1,000 seats.

In the future, it will also introduce restaurants, galleries, museums, and libraries. The core structure of the theater has been topped out, and once open, it will become China’s first comprehensive theater complex integrating performance exchange, creative production, and art education.