In May of this year, Shanghai Zoo is set to celebrate its 70th anniversary. Many people still affectionately refer to it as “Xijiao Park” (Western Suburb Park).
This park, which has accompanied generations of Shanghai children as they grew up, is like a time capsule, preserving old memories.
At the same time, it has become one of the trendiest and most popular check-in spots thanks to its new attractions.
The Three Lives of a Park
The site of Shanghai Zoo was originally the Old Yutai Horse Stable owned by British expatriate Barnes Dallas, which opened in 1900.
It covered an area of 13,300 square meters and was expanded to 66,700 square meters in the late Qing Dynasty.
It was later purchased by eight British companies, including Butterfield & Swire, Jardine Matheson, and HSBC, and became the Golf Club (Hongqiao Golf Club) in 1916.
On March 20, 1953, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs approved the “Report of the Shanghai Municipal Government on the Recovery of the Golf Course in Xinjing District.”
In July, the Park Management Office of the Municipal Works Bureau took over the golf course and purchased the buildings and other facilities for 17,000 yuan.
In October, the Municipal Construction Commission decided to build a cultural and recreational park on the site with an investment of 853,300 yuan.
On May 25, 1954, “Xijiao Park” officially opened to the public as a cultural and recreational park.
In August, the Shanghai Municipal Government decided to expand Xijiao Park into a zoo, and from then on, Xijiao became associated with animals.
In the 1960s and 1970s, the zoos attached to Fuxing Park and Zhongshan Park were incorporated into Xijiao Park, and the Giraffe House, Hippopotamus House, and Gorilla House (now the Chimpanzee House) were built.
Xijiao Park became one of Shanghai’s most famous attractions. On January 1, 1980, Xijiao Park was officially renamed Shanghai Zoo.
An Inexplicable Fate with Elephants
In a sense, elephants changed the trajectory of the park. In June 1954, the Office of the State Council informed the Shanghai Municipal Government that the elephant Nanjiao, gifted to Chairman Mao by the Dai people of Xishuangbanna, was to be kept and exhibited in Shanghai.
In August, experts from the Moscow Zoo were invited to Shanghai to discuss the park’s construction plan. After surveying Xijiao Park, Longhua Nursery, Changqiao, and other places, they decided to build Xijiao Park into a comprehensive zoo integrating exhibition, production, research, and science education in stages.
In 1959, Xijiao Park built Swan Lake, Lion and Tiger Mountain, Panda Ridge, and Hundred Flowers Hall, and the types of animals on display continued to expand, with animal exhibition areas extending throughout the park.
A large comprehensive zoo emerged and became a famous tourist attraction in Shanghai. For Shanghai people, visiting Xijiao Park meant seeing animals.
It can be said that without Nanjiao, there would be no zoo construction, and without Banna, there would be no highlight of the zoo for decades.
In May 1972, with the consent of the original state authorities, after a long journey, the elephant “Banna” settled in Shanghai Zoo.
In 1997, the park also completed the new “Auspicious Elephant Welcoming” gate, with Asian elephant sculptures on both sides forming an arch with their long trunks.
In November 2018, the elephant “Banna” passed away. She had accompanied the people of Shanghai for 46 years, and many Shanghai people have a photo with “Banna” in their youth albums.
The “Dream Core” Nostalgia
There was a time when, for Shanghai people, going to Xijiao Park to “visit the zoo” was a big deal that could be bragged about. “One East (The Bund) and One West (Xijiao Park)” was enough to boast for a week! This shows the status of Xijiao Park in the hearts of Shanghai people at that time.
Nowadays, due to its nostalgic “dream core” style, Shanghai Zoo has become one of the most popular check-in spots for many young people.
One of the most photogenic places in the entire zoo is the Goldfish Gallery. In the shiny fish tanks, the red goldfish swimming nimbly and the green plants reflected in them create an overwhelming “dream core” feeling.
Shanghai Zoo has towering old trees and a spacious lawn covering more than 100,000 square meters.
The most expansive lawn, located under the Ferris wheel, can be traced back to the golf course lawn in the 1910s and is well-known. It is adjacent to Swan Lake and is also the most open lawn in the park.
Although the Ferris wheel in the zoo is currently out of operation, you can still take a beautiful scenic photo on the lawn.
