Jinshan City Beach is located at No. 7555 Hu-Hang Highway, Jinshan District, Shanghai, on the northern shore of Hangzhou Bay. It is a national 4A-level tourist attraction. Featuring coastal leisure and sports entertainment as its core characteristics, it is the first coastal 4A-level scenic spot in Shanghai and a well-known coastal leisure resort in the Yangtze River Delta. The total planned area of the scenic spot is about 2.8 square kilometers, including 1.5 square kilometers of water area and 1.3 square kilometers of land area. The completed coastal landscape belt is about 3.5 kilometers long, with a beach shoreline of approximately 2.3 kilometers. The fine sand used on the beach is all sourced from Pingtan, Fujian, featuring delicate and soft texture with a flat and open beach surface. Core buildings in the scenic spot include coastal viewing platforms, beach service centers, etc. Supporting facilities cover coastal walkways, water-friendly platforms, sports and leisure areas, and can accommodate about 30,000 visitors for leisure at the same time.
History and Culture
The coastal area of Jinshan District where Jinshan City Beach is located has long been an important coastal gateway of Shanghai. As early as the Ming and Qing dynasties, this area was a key coastal defense location, home to the Qianhu Station of Jinshanwei, a major military stronghold against Japanese pirates. The preserved coastal defense cultural relics form an important part of the scenic spot’s historical heritage. The coastal defense culture of Jinshanwei has a history of more than 600 years. During the development and construction of the scenic spot, some historical markers and memorial landscapes related to coastal defense culture have been preserved, allowing visitors to learn about the evolution of coastal defense in the Shanghai coastal area while enjoying leisure activities.
In modern times, this area was once a center for fishery and salt production in Shanghai. It gradually transformed into an industrial supporting shoreline in the 1970s and 1980s. Since 2004, Jinshan District has launched an ecological restoration and tourism development project for the coastal shoreline. After years of renovation and upgrading, Jinshan City Beach was officially opened to the public in 2007, transforming from a traditional industrial shoreline into an ecological coastal leisure scenic spot, marking an important milestone in the development of coastal tourism in Shanghai.
In addition, relying on the local marine culture, Jinshan City Beach hosts special events every year, such as the Jinshan City Beach Music Season and Marine Culture Festival. These activities integrate coastal folk customs, marine sports and other cultural elements, further enriching the cultural connotation of the scenic spot and making it an important platform for the display and communication of Shanghai’s marine culture.
Main Attractions
Blue Sea and Golden Sand Area
The Blue Sea and Golden Sand Area is the core attraction of Jinshan City Beach and the largest beach zone in the scenic spot, covering an area of about 180,000 square meters. The beach is 50–80 meters wide, with water depth gradually increasing from the shore to the sea. The shallow water area is only about 0.5 meters deep, suitable for parent-child activities and beach leisure. The sand in this area is professionally screened and free of impurities. The seawater is treated through physical sedimentation and biological purification, reaching the national Class II seawater quality standard, making it one of the few coastal beach areas in Shanghai where visitors can directly enjoy water activities. The area is equipped with complete leisure facilities such as beach chairs, sun umbrellas, and shower rooms, and also offers recreational activities including beach motorcycles and water bikes.
Coastal Leisure Walkway
The Coastal Leisure Walkway stretches about 3.5 kilometers, running through the entire Jinshan City Beach scenic spot. The walkway is about 3 meters wide, paved with non-slip and permeable eco-friendly materials, and runs close to the beach shoreline. Along the way, there are water-friendly platforms, viewing seats, landscape greenery and other supporting facilities. The walkway connects all major attractions of the scenic spot. Visitors can tour on foot or by bike (shared bike rental is available in the scenic spot), enjoying coastal scenery and the relaxing atmosphere of sea breezes. The fully step-free design makes it accessible to visitors of all ages.
Jinshan City Beach Water Sports Center
Located in the southeast of the scenic spot, the Jinshan City Beach Water Sports Center covers an area of about 12,000 square meters. It is a well-known coastal water sports base in the Yangtze River Delta, equipped with professional water sports facilities and coaching teams. The center offers experience and training for various water sports, including sailing, windsurfing, kayaking, and jet skiing. It also hosts various water sports competitions, such as the National Windsurfing Championships and Shanghai Water Sports Carnival every year, attracting numerous water sports enthusiasts.
Tour Route
Recommended classic tour route for Jinshan City Beach: Enter from the main entrance (No. 7555 Hu-Hang Highway). First, walk about 500 meters south along the Coastal Leisure Walkway to the Blue Sea and Golden Sand Area, where you can enjoy water activities, beach leisure, or rent beach motorcycles, water bikes and other recreational items (visiting time: about 2–3 hours). Walk about 300 meters east to the Water Sports Center to experience sailing, kayaking and other water sports or watch water sports performances (visiting time: about 1–2 hours). Finally, return north along the Coastal Leisure Walkway, enjoying coastal scenery, resting at leisure stations along the walkway, and tasting local coastal snacks. The entire route is about 4 kilometers, with a recommended total visiting time of 5–6 hours.
For parent-child visits, the route can be adjusted: enter from the main entrance and go directly to the parent-child recreation area in the Blue Sea and Golden Sand Area to enjoy sand digging, parent-child water bumper boats and other activities.
Travel Tips
- Best visiting time: May to October is the peak season for Jinshan City Beach. Water activities are available from June to August, while September to October features cool weather suitable for beach leisure and coastal walks. The best daily visiting periods are 9:00–11:00 a.m. or 14:00–17:00 p.m., avoiding high temperatures at noon.
- Recommended duration: 4–5 hours for visiting core attractions only; a full day (about 6–8 hours) if experiencing water sports.
- Items to prepare: Sun protection (sunscreen SPF50+, sun hat, sunglasses), change of clothes (for water activities), beach shoes (to avoid injury from debris on the beach). For children, prepare sand toys, life rings, etc.
- Dining suggestions: There is a coastal food street in the scenic spot offering local Jinshan snacks. You may also bring simple meals and eat in designated picnic areas.
- Recreational activities: Jet ski experience: about 15 minutes; sailing experience: about 30 minutes; parent-child water bike (double): about 1 hour.
Notes
- Glassware, sharp objects, barbecues, and fireworks are prohibited in the beach area. Swimming without permission is forbidden (only allowed in designated water-friendly zones).
- Water sports must be carried out under the guidance of professional coaches. Confirm your health before participation; visitors with heart disease, high blood pressure, water sickness and other conditions are not advised to join.
- Feeding marine life and littering are prohibited. Please dispose of garbage in designated sorted bins to protect the coastal ecological environment.
- Pay attention to wave warning information in summer. In case of strong winds, rainstorms and other severe weather, some areas or water activities may be temporarily closed. Please follow the instructions of scenic staff.
- Take good care of personal belongings. Valuables are recommended to be stored in lockers in the scenic spot due to crowded beach areas.
- Beach vehicles are limited to 5 km/h. Pedestrians should use designated walkways to avoid mixing with vehicles.
Transportation
- Public transport: Take Metro Line 1 to Jinjiang Park Station, transfer to Shimei Line (Jinjiang Park Metro Station – Shihua Bus Station). The whole journey takes about 1 hour. Walk about 10 minutes (800 meters) from Shihua Bus Station to the main entrance. Take Metro Line 22 (Jinshan Railway) to Jinshanwei Station, transfer to Bus Jinshan No.1 or Jinshan No.3 to City Beach Station, then walk about 5 minutes (300 meters).
- Self-driving: Depart from downtown Shanghai, take the Shenyang-Haikou Expressway (G15) to Jinshan New Town Exit, drive about 2 kilometers south along Hu-Hang Highway to the scenic parking lot. The parking lot includes ground and underground areas.
- Internal transport: Shared bike rental is available; sightseeing buses (full route) depart every 15 minutes and stop at major attractions.
Opening Hours
April 1 – October 31 (peak season): 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. Water-friendly zones: 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. November 1 – March 31 (off-season): 8:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. Water-friendly zones closed.
Tickets
Ticket: 10 RMB per person. You can search the official service account "金山城市沙滩" on WeChat for the latest updates.
Online Booking
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