Shanghai Happy Valley is located in the Sheshan National Tourism Resort, Songjiang District, Shanghai. It is a national 4A-level tourist attraction and one of the large-scale theme parks with abundant amusement facilities in China. With "dynamic, fashionable, joyful and dreamlike" as its core characteristics, the park integrates experiential amusement, themed performances and cultural exhibitions, creating a leisure vacation destination that combines excitement and ornamental value. Covering a total area of about 650,000 square meters, with the core amusement area accounting for approximately 520,000 square meters, the park has more than 200 various themed buildings, venues and amusement facilities, including 6 major themed zones, over 10 top-level large-scale amusement equipment and dozens of characteristic performance programs. It can accommodate tens of thousands of tourists at the same time and has an annual reception capacity of millions of visitors. Relying on the natural ecological environment of Sheshan, the park skillfully combines artificial landscapes with natural scenery. It not only has thrilling amusement projects such as roller coasters and drop towers, but also features themed blocks with Jiangnan water town customs and retro atmosphere, meeting the needs of tourists of different ages and preferences. It is a popular choice for family trips, friend gatherings and young people's check-in.
History and Culture
Shanghai Happy Valley is invested and built by Overseas Chinese Town Group, and it is an important layout project of the Happy Valley chain theme park brand in East China. The project officially started planning and construction in 2006, and after nearly 3 years of preparation and construction, it officially opened to the public on August 16, 2009. It filled the gap in the market of large-scale comprehensive theme parks in Shanghai and promoted the cultural and tourism industry upgrading of Sheshan National Tourism Resort. With years of operational experience in the theme park field, Overseas Chinese Town Group has integrated the core amusement concept of the Happy Valley brand with Shanghai's local Haipai culture and Jiangnan water town culture, making the park not only have amusement attributes, but also bear the function of regional cultural display and dissemination.
Since its opening, Shanghai Happy Valley has always focused on the iteration and upgrading of cultural content, creating a series of themed cultural activities around different festivals and seasons, such as the Spring Festival Lantern Show and folk performances during the Spring Festival, carnival water parties and night-time music festivals in summer, Halloween Carnival in autumn, and Christmas and New Year celebrations in winter. These themed activities combine traditional folk culture, popular fashion culture with park amusement projects, forming a unique cultural IP. At the same time, many themed zones in the park also contain distinct cultural backgrounds. For example, the "Shanghai Beach" zone restores the customs and features of old Shanghai, reproducing the commercial prosperity and humanistic customs of Shanghai during the Republic of China period, allowing tourists to immerse themselves in the unique charm of Haipai culture during their visit; the "Shangri-La" zone is based on the magical legends and natural scenery of Tibetan Shangri-La, creating an amusement scene full of mysterious colors and spreading the charm of diverse ethnic cultures.
Over the years, relying on high-quality amusement experience and rich cultural activities, Shanghai Happy Valley has won many industry honors, becoming one of the benchmark projects in Shanghai's cultural and tourism industry, and also providing a useful reference for the integrated development of cultural and tourism in the Yangtze River Delta region, witnessing the transformation of China's theme park industry from single amusement to cultural empowerment.
Major Attractions
Wooden Coaster
Wooden Coaster is one of the iconic amusement projects in Shanghai Happy Valley and also the first wooden roller coaster in China. Its track is about 1,168 meters long, with a maximum drop of about 33 meters, and the whole ride lasts about 1 minute and 30 seconds. The project uses high-quality North American pine to build the track and support structure, which not only retains the retro texture and unique bumpy feeling of the wooden roller coaster, but also ensures the operational safety and stability through modern engineering technology. When riding, tourists will experience multiple high-speed dives, twists and climbs, with a maximum speed of about 90 kilometers per hour. They can experience extreme excitement in the howling wind and slight tremor of the wooden structure. Meanwhile, green plants and landscape sketches are set around the track, allowing tourists to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the park while feeling the thrill. Since its opening, this project has been a must-visit for young tourists and roller coaster enthusiasts.
Top Thrill
Top Thrill is a vertical drop roller coaster, located in the "Shanghai Beach" themed zone of Shanghai Happy Valley. Its track is about 969 meters long, and the highest point is about 65 meters above the ground, equivalent to the height of more than 20 floors of a building. The core highlight of this project lies in its nearly 90-degree vertical drop design. After tourists take the roller coaster to climb slowly to the highest point, there will be a short hover. At this time, they can overlook the panoramic view of the entire Sheshan National Tourism Resort. Then the roller coaster will drop vertically at an extremely fast speed, generating a strong sense of weightlessness in an instant, followed by multiple twists, rolls and dives. The whole ride lasts about 2 minutes, with a maximum speed of about 115 kilometers per hour. The project adopts an advanced safety restraint system to ensure that tourists can stay safe throughout the extremely exciting experience. It is one of the most thrilling amusement projects in the park and is deeply loved by tourists who pursue adventure and challenges.
Shanghai Beach
Shanghai Beach is one of the six major themed zones in Shanghai Happy Valley, covering an area of about 80,000 square meters. Designed based on the Shanghai Bund and old Shanghai blocks during the Republic of China period, it restores the architectural style, commercial scenes and humanistic customs of that time. There are many replica buildings of the Republic of China in the zone, including Shikumen-style residences, European-style banks, shops and clock towers, with building heights ranging from several meters to more than 20 meters, which are scattered to form a block landscape full of a sense of times. In addition to the core amusement project Top Thrill, the zone also has amusement facilities such as "Peak Time" (elevating drop tower) and "Giant Pendulum". At the same time, there is a real-scene performance program themed on "Shanghai Beach". Through the performances of professional actors, realistic scene layout and special effects technology, it reproduces the legendary stories of Shanghai during the Republic of China period, allowing tourists to immerse themselves in the prosperity and legend of old Shanghai. In addition, there are many themed shops and catering outlets in the zone, selling old Shanghai characteristic cultural and creative products and local snacks, allowing tourists to taste delicious food and buy souvenirs during their visit.
Shangri-La
The Shangri-La themed zone covers an area of about 100,000 square meters. Based on the magical legends and natural scenery of Tibetan Shangri-La, it creates an amusement area full of mysterious colors and ethnic customs. The buildings in the zone adopt Tibetan-style design, with red, white and blue as the main colors, and are equipped with prayer flags, prayer wheels, Tibetan totems and other elements, restoring the architectural style of Tibetan villages and temples. At the same time, a large number of plateau characteristic green plants and flowers are planted in the zone, creating a fresh and natural ecological atmosphere. The core amusement projects in the zone include "Blue Moon Coaster" (high-speed roller coaster) and "Spinning Camel Hump" (parent-child amusement facility). Among them, the Blue Moon Coaster has a track length of about 755 meters, with a maximum speed of about 80 kilometers per hour. The whole ride is smooth, full of speed and passion, suitable for young tourists; the Spinning Camel Hump is relatively mild, suitable for parent-child families to experience together. In addition, there is a Tibetan Culture Exhibition Hall in the zone, which introduces the geographical features, ethnic culture and folk customs of Shangri-La through pictures, texts, objects and multimedia, allowing tourists to understand diverse ethnic cultures while visiting.
Happy Times
The Happy Times themed zone covers an area of about 60,000 square meters. With modern fashion and joyful carnival as its core theme, it is the most lively area in the park, suitable for young people to gather and play. The buildings in the zone adopt bright and vivid colors and streamlined design, full of modern and fashionable atmosphere. At night, the lighting system in the zone will be fully turned on, with neon lights flickering, creating a dreamlike carnival atmosphere. The core amusement projects in the zone include "Twin Towers" (double-tower drop tower), "Carousel" (luxury double-decker carousel) and "Swing Umbrella". Among them, Twin Towers consists of two towers, one red and one blue. The red tower is a fast-elevating type, and the blue tower is a combination of slow elevating and rotating type. Both towers are about 56 meters high. Tourists can choose different towers to experience according to their acceptance, and overlook the panoramic view of the park at high altitude; the luxury double-decker carousel adopts European court-style design, with exquisite carousel shapes and bright lights, suitable for couples and parent-child families to experience, creating a romantic and warm atmosphere.
Maya Beach Water Park
Maya Beach Water Park is a supporting water-themed park of Shanghai Happy Valley, adjacent to the core area of Happy Valley. Covering an area of about 120,000 square meters, it is open to the public every summer (usually from June to September), and is a well-known summer water recreation and summer resort in the Yangtze River Delta region. The water park is designed based on Maya civilization, with a large number of Maya-style buildings, sculptures and totems built in the park, creating a mysterious atmosphere of ancient civilization. At the same time, it is equipped with various large-scale water amusement facilities, including "Giant Trumpet" (giant trumpet-shaped slide), "Bumblebee" (spiral slide), "Maya Water Village" (large interactive water amusement area) and wave pool. Among them, the wave pool covers an area of about 10,000 square meters, which can simulate various types of waves with a maximum wave height of about 3 meters. Tourists can experience the fun of surfing in the pool. Meanwhile, there is a stage beside the wave pool, where various water performances and music festivals are held during summer; the Maya Water Village is suitable for family parent-child play, with many small slides, fountains, water splashing devices and other facilities, full of joyful interactive atmosphere. The water park also has supporting facilities such as changing rooms, shower rooms and catering areas, providing tourists with convenient and comfortable play experience.
Tour Routes
According to the age, play preferences and time arrangement of tourists, the tour routes of Shanghai Happy Valley can be divided into two types: the "Thrilling Adventure Route" (suitable for young tourists and roller coaster enthusiasts, with a recommended play time of about 8 hours) and the "Parent-Child Warm Route" (suitable for family tourists with the elderly and children, with a recommended play time of about 6 hours).
Thrilling Adventure Route: After entering the park from the main gate, first go to the "Happy Times" zone to experience Twin Towers (double-tower drop tower) and Swing Umbrella to warm up and adapt to the amusement rhythm of the park; then go to the zone where Wooden Coaster is located to experience Wooden Coaster (wooden roller coaster) and feel the retro excitement; then go to the "Shanghai Beach" zone to check in Top Thrill (vertical drop roller coaster) and challenge the most thrilling amusement project in the park, then experience the Giant Pendulum in the zone to further feel the thrilling fun; have lunch at the themed catering outlets in the Shanghai Beach zone and take a short rest after the meal; in the afternoon, first go to the "Shangri-La" zone to experience Blue Moon Coaster (high-speed roller coaster) and Spinning Camel Hump to feel the Tibetan customs and speed passion; then go to other remaining zones to experience various small and medium-sized thrilling amusement projects; in the evening, if it is summer, you can go to Maya Beach Water Park to experience water projects; if it is other seasons, you can return to the Happy Times zone to experience the luxury double-decker carousel to relieve the tension of the day, and finally watch the night-time performance programs in the park to end the day's visit.
Parent-Child Warm Route: After entering the park from the main gate, go directly to the "Happy Times" zone to experience the luxury double-decker carousel and parent-child small train to create a warm atmosphere; then go to the "Shangri-La" zone to experience Spinning Camel Hump and the Tibetan Culture Exhibition Hall, which not only allows children to experience mild amusement projects, but also helps them understand ethnic culture; have lunch at the light food catering outlets in the Shangri-La zone, and after the meal, go to the "Shanghai Beach" zone to watch the real-scene performance program themed on "Shanghai Beach", allowing children to feel the cultural customs of old Shanghai and avoid experiencing overly thrilling amusement projects; in the afternoon, go to the Maya Water Village (open in summer) or other parent-child themed areas to experience interactive amusement projects, then go to the children's playground in the park to let children play freely; in the evening, go to the park square to wait for the night-time light show and parent-child themed performance programs, and finally buy souvenirs at the themed shops to end the day's visit. In addition, if you have enough time, you can reasonably arrange the visiting order of each zone to avoid the peak queuing time of amusement projects (usually from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.) and improve the visiting efficiency.
Travel Tips
- Recommended visiting time: It is recommended for ordinary tourists to arrange 1 day (about 6-8 hours). If you want to have an in-depth visit to all areas including Maya Beach Water Park, it is recommended to arrange 2 days and choose to stay at the themed hotels around the park.
- Best visiting seasons: Spring (March-May) and autumn (September-November) have pleasant weather with temperatures ranging from 15℃ to 25℃, which are suitable for long outdoor activities. Moreover, the park is covered with lush green plants and blooming flowers, presenting the best landscape effect; summer (June-August) is suitable for water recreation and summer resort in Maya Beach Water Park, but the temperature is high, so you need to take heatstroke prevention and sun protection measures; winter (December-February) has low temperatures, and some outdoor amusement projects may be temporarily suspended, with fewer tourists, so you can avoid the peak queuing period.
- Queuing strategy: The park usually opens at 9:30 (may be advanced to 9:00 on holidays). It is recommended that tourists arrive at the park gate 30 minutes in advance, enter the park quickly after opening, and go to the popular amusement projects (such as Wooden Coaster and Top Thrill) first, which can effectively reduce the queuing time; in addition, you can follow the official WeChat account of Shanghai Happy Valley to check the real-time queuing time of each amusement project and reasonably adjust the tour route.
- Catering suggestions: Each themed zone in the park has catering outlets, providing a variety of choices such as Chinese fast food, Western light meals and local snacks; if you want to save money, you can bring a small amount of portable and odorless snacks and drinking water (the park allows carrying non-glass packaged drinking water and a small amount of snacks), avoiding carrying a lot of food to increase the burden of visiting.
- Performance programs: There are many characteristic performance programs in the park every day, including real-scene performances, float parades and light shows. Among them, the float parade is usually held from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., and the night-time light show and fireworks display (open on holidays and weekends) are usually held from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. It is recommended that tourists check the performance schedule released by the park in advance and reasonably arrange the time to watch, so as to improve the visiting experience.
- Parent-child preparation: For tourists with children, it is recommended to bring a stroller (the park also provides rental service), sun hat, mosquito repellent and change of clothes (especially when experiencing water projects in summer); in addition, you can prepare non-slip shoes for children in advance to avoid slipping during the visit.
Notes
- Amusement project restrictions: Each amusement project has clear restrictions on height, weight and health status. For example, Wooden Coaster requires tourists to be at least 1.4 meters tall, and Top Thrill requires tourists to be at least 1.5 meters tall and weigh no more than 120 kilograms. People with heart disease, high blood pressure, acrophobia, pregnant women and the elderly are prohibited from experiencing thrilling amusement projects. Tourists need to check the signs of each project in advance and abide by the relevant regulations to ensure the safety of visiting.
- Safety protection: When experiencing thrilling amusement projects, you must strictly follow the guidance of the staff, correctly wear the safety restraint device, and must not untie or shake it at will during the whole process; when walking in the park, you need to pay attention to the road conditions under your feet, avoid chasing and frolicking, especially in crowded areas and queuing areas of amusement projects, you need to abide by public order and queue up in turn.
- Property custody: There are many tourists in the park, so you need to take good care of your personal belongings, carry valuables such as mobile phones, wallets and documents with you, and avoid placing your belongings on the storage racks of amusement facilities (some projects provide temporary storage boxes, it is recommended to use them and keep the keys properly); in addition, when visiting the water project area, it is recommended to place valuables in waterproof bags to avoid moisture damage.
- Dressing suggestions: It is recommended to wear comfortable and loose clothes and sports shoes, which are convenient for outdoor activities and amusement projects; in summer, you need to wear breathable and sweat-absorbent clothes and take sun protection measures (carry sunscreen, sunshade, sun protection clothing, etc.); in winter, you need to wear warm clothes to avoid catching cold; when experiencing water projects, it is recommended to bring a change of clothes and slippers.
- Park regulations: It is forbidden to bring pets, glass products, flammable and explosive materials, controlled knives and other dangerous goods into the park; smoking is prohibited in the park (only allowed in designated smoking areas); it is forbidden to arbitrarily scribble, damage the buildings, sculptures, green plants and other landscape facilities in the park; it is forbidden to shoot commercial videos and photos without permission, if you need to shoot, you need to communicate with the park management department in advance.
- Handling of special situations: If you feel unwell or lose your belongings in the park, you can contact the staff in the park in time (the staff wear uniform clothes) or go to the park's tourist service center for help; the park has a medical point that can provide basic medical assistance services; in case of extreme weather (such as rainstorm, typhoon, thunder and lightning, etc.), some outdoor amusement projects may be temporarily suspended, and tourists need to follow the arrangement of the staff and go to the safe area to take shelter in an orderly manner.
- Tickets and vouchers: You need to take good care of your tickets or electronic admission vouchers when entering the park. Some amusement projects and performance programs may need to check the vouchers; if you buy a package ticket (including Happy Valley and Maya Beach Water Park), you need to pay attention to the validity period and usage rules of the package ticket to avoid missing the usage time.
Transportation
- Public Transportation - Metro: You can take Shanghai Metro Line 9 to Sheshan Station, get out from Exit 2, then transfer to the free shuttle bus of Happy Valley (the operation time of the shuttle bus is synchronized with the opening time of the park, with a frequency of about every 10-15 minutes, and the journey takes about 5 minutes) to directly reach the main gate of Shanghai Happy Valley.
- Public Transportation - Bus: You can take bus lines such as Songjiang Line 19, Songjiang Line 33 and Songjiang Line 92, get off at "Happy Valley Station", and walk about 5 minutes to enter the park; in addition, there are direct tourist shuttle buses to Happy Valley in some areas of downtown Shanghai, you can follow the official information of Shanghai Tourist Distribution Center to check the specific schedules and fares.
- Self-driving: Starting from downtown Shanghai, you can go via Shanghai-Chongqing Expressway (G50) and Shanghai-Kunming Expressway (G60), navigate to "Shanghai Happy Valley (No. 888 Linhu Road, Songjiang District)". The park has a large parking lot, and parking spaces are relatively tight during holidays, so it is recommended to leave in advance.
- Tourists from other places: After arriving at Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station by high-speed rail, you can transfer to Metro Line 2 to Xujiahui Station, then transfer to Metro Line 9 to Sheshan Station, and then transfer to the free shuttle bus to the park; after arriving at Shanghai Pudong International Airport by plane, you can transfer to Metro Line 2 to Century Avenue Station, then transfer to Metro Line 9 to Sheshan Station, and then transfer to the free shuttle bus to the park, the whole journey takes about 1.5-2 hours.
Opening Hours
The regular operation time (non-holidays, non-summer night session period) is from 9:30 to 17:30 from Monday to Friday, and from 9:00 to 18:00 on Saturday and Sunday. The admission deadline is 1 hour before closing. During the summer night session period (usually from mid-June to mid-September, the specific time is subject to the official announcement of the park), the opening time of the park is extended, from 9:30 to 22:00 from Monday to Friday, and from 9:00 to 22:30 on Saturday and Sunday. The admission time for the night session is usually 16:00, and tourists can buy exclusive night session tickets to enter the park. During the holiday operation time (including legal holidays such as Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, Labor Day, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day), the park usually opens at 9:00 in advance, and the closing time is extended to 18:30 or 22:00 (if the night session is opened during holidays).
Tickets
Tickets start from 260 yuan per person. You can search for the official WeChat account "上海欢乐谷happyvalley" or the service account "上海欢乐谷" on WeChat to get the latest updates or buy tickets online.
Online Booking
Click here to jump to the Trip.com ticketing platform for ticket purchase.