Take a tour from outer space to a coffee store
The Minpu Bridge is seen at sunset, with chimneys and factories along the river in the background.
Aerospace Tour
Recommended touring hours: Half a day
Recommended route: Shanghai Aerospace Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (Mars Exploration Mission Simulation Cabin – Tianhe Core Module – Tiangong Space Station Lab Module – Chang'e Lunar Probe Equipment)
The Shanghai Aerospace Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center has equipped each of its exhibition halls with high-tech facilities such as display walls, 3D projection technology and simulation modules.
The 3,500-square-meter venue offers visitors access to simulation scenarios of a Mars landing and space seeding.
In its Mars Exploration Mission Simulation Cabin, visitors can learn about the history, advanced technology and challenges of Mars missions underway in a number of countries.
Its Tianhe Core Module simulation facility restores the original super lab that had created extreme conditions such as micro-gravity, weak geomagnetism, strong radiation, high vacuum, ultra-low temperatures and impeccably clean conditions.
Its Tiangong Space Station Lab Module is a restoration of the original Tiangong Space Station Lab where visitors can pose for a photo or experience its simulated space environment.
Both the Tianhe Core Module and the Tiangong Space Station Lab belong to the China Space Station, or Tiangong.
The other components are the Shenzhou Manned Spacecraft and Tianzhou Cargo Spacecraft. Each component is an individual aerospace vehicle, while united they form the China Space Station, which is flexible in form and able to cater for multiple missions.
The route also includes a simulation of the Chang'e 3 Lunar Lander and the Yutu Rover.
China's lunar probe mission progress had spanned around two decades. In October 2007 it sent its first Chang'e 1 Satellite into space. After steps that included landing on the moon and a lunar probe finally returning to Earth, China finally reaped success in its lunar probe mission with its Chang'e 5 Lunar Return Vehicle taking back soil samples from the moon and landing safely in Inner Mongolia in December 2020.
Minhang's prowess in aerospace has contributed greatly to China's crewed missions in space station construction as well as the lunar probe mission, with its China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation 8th Institute (CASC 8th Institute) carrying out multiple tasks in research and production of aerospace components.
In addition to its core sci-tech facilities, the center also presents an aerospace-themed fair in which visitors can review a history of China's aerospace development and pick their favorite aerospace IP products.
Its Tianwen Bookstore boasts a collection of 8,000 books that include modern literature and aspirational stories. And a canteen in it offers food characteristic of aerospace style.
Venue: Shanghai Aerospace Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center
Opening hours: Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm
(The venue is currently open for group visits only. For reservations please call 6067-6780.)
Address: 3883 Yuanjiang Rd
元江路3883号
An industrial tourist site in Minhang District has been approved by a panel of experts and city authorities as another "Qualified Service Unit for Industrial Tourism."
The Shanghai Aerospace Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center at 3883 Yuanjiang Road provides visitors with a unique experience of the aerospace sector, its cultural and innovation products, a themed bookstore and canteen.
The district also recommended two other industrial tour routes that include a subway museum, a former train ferry site and the 6th Roaster coffee factory.
Following is a detailed guide of the tour.
Train ferry and coffee aroma
Recommended touring hours: Half a day
Recommended route: Train Ferry Station Relics Site – 6th Roastery Coffee Store
Pujiang Country Park in Minhang not only offers a leisurely walk along its 4-kilometer Huangpu River riverfront, but also preserves relics of the only train ferry station along the Huangpu River.
Construction of a rail line that connected Pudong and Puxi began in 1960. Two ferry stations were set up in Wujing Town and Duhang Old Street of Pujiang Town on the banks of the Huangpu to transport trains across the river.
However, the rail line had a low transport capacity since it opened to traffic in 1961 and closed shortly afterward in 1962.
Now visitors have a chance to marvel at this industrial heritage while taking a walk along the riverfront.
The 6th Roastery Coffee Store in Pujiang provides tailored small-batch coffee orders in its 6,400-square-meter venue, where visitors can try both coffee making and baking.
In addition, its Xiā Zā (獬豸) solar-term drip bag coffee made its debut at the 5th China International Import Expo in the intangible cultural heritage food category.
Xiā Zā, a Chinese mythical creature noted for its wisdom, is a part of folk culture in Pujiang.
The town cooperated with the 6th Roastery to develop the Xiā Zā solar-term drip bag coffee, noted for its prints of solar terms, related to Shanghai proverbs.
Such proverbs include "The beginning of autumn won't give a cold autumn wind with one month of scorching days ahead," "Winter solstice marks a new cycle of surplus" and "Summer solstice marks a new cycle of diminishing."
Shanghai proverbs are a traditional part of Shanghai folk literature. In May 2011 they were listed as a part of the national intangible cultural heritage.
Venue: Train Ferry Station Relics Site
Opening hours: Daily, 8:30am-5pm
Address: 8, Lane 2578, Puxing Highway (Inside Pujiang Country Park)
浦星公路2578弄8号(浦江郊野公园内)
Venue: 6th Roastery Coffee Store
Opening hours: Daily, 9am-6pm
Address: 1/F, Bldg 6, 3585 Sanlu Highway
三鲁公路3585号6号1层
'Triphibian' tour
Recommended touring hours: 2 days
Recommended route: Shanghai Aviation Science Museum – Hanxiang Water Garden – Bright Milk East China Factory – Shanghai Metro Museum
This "Triphibian" tour on Minhang's industrial sector invites visitors to an airplane flying simulation, a trip through the past and present of the subway system of Shanghai and rowing on a lake in a classic garden.
The Shanghai Aviation Science Museum has a display of aviation vehicles including a Shenyang J-8 fighter and DC-8 jetliner. Through its 2,000-square-meter indoor exhibition halls, visitors can access the history of China's aviation industry development and the secrets and knowledge behind diverse aviation vehicles.
At Shanghai Metro Museum, visitors access the history, functions, culture and safety guidelines of Shanghai's Metro system and also an insight into the world's Metros. They can browse historic profiles of the city's Metro lines, look at automated subway train models, watch dazzling 5D films and real-time road conditions and passenger flow data, as well as assemble do-it-yourself train models and walk in a simulated subway tunnel.
The Hanxiang Water Garden is a classic garden in Maqiao Town.
Built in 2002 as an ecological park to guarantee safety of raw water intake in the upper reaches of the Huangpu River, the park features antique-style bridges and architectures, ancient trees and rocks in a variety of shapes. Visitors can go boating in the classic garden and camp on the park's grasslands.
At the Bright Milk East China Factory, visitors can take a "trip" along with a milk droplet from the ranch it came from to the processing and packaging line of a factory and finally to a household table. They can also test their knowledge of different styles of milk through their sense of smell.
The factory has a 1.6-kilometer-long observation tunnel where visitors can watch illustrations on walls about processing and knowledge of the milk industry.
Venue: Shanghai Aviation Science Museum
Opening hours: Wednesday-Monday,
9am-4pm
Address: 7900 Humin Rd
沪闵路7900号
Venue: Shanghai Metro Museum
Opening hours: Tuesday-Sunday,
9:30am-4:30pm
Address: 1799-7 Wuzhong Rd
吴中路1799-7号
Venue: Hanxiang Water Garden
Opening hours: Daily, 8am-5pm
Address: 3805 Jiangchuan Rd
江川路3805号
Venue: Bright Milk East China Factory
Opening hours: Monday-Friday, 9am-3pm
(Please contact 5465-7780 for reservation.)
Address: 489 Zidong Rd
紫东路489号
