Ramble along the river and creek to experience spring

The waterfronts of the Huangpu River and Suzhou Creek, both collectively known as the "mother river" of Shanghai, have become popular destinations for citizens and tourists to enjoy the pleasant spring vibe of the city.

Flowers, millions upon millions of them, have fully bloomed on the riverside regions, highlighting Shanghai's aim to become a "garden city".

Follow Cindy and Margo to check out some of the best riverside spots to enjoy spring blossoms.

Jiang Xiaowei / SHINE

后滩湿地公园

Houtan Wetland Park

Shanghai World Expo site has four key parks as brief respites for visitors, and Houtan Park is famous for its well-preserved natural ambiance.

Tourists can amble among the trees and breath the fresh air, take in the exotic flowers and plants, and admiring the beautiful scenery along the riverside.

It was also the former site of the city's early iron-steel factory and shipyard. A natural wetland was preserved for the park after the factories were relocated for the expo.

More than 3,000 square meters of colorful rape flowers were planted in the park last year. They've fully bloomed. The wetland has become an ideal habitat for migratory birds. People can really feel the breath of nature here amid the concrete forest of the megacity.

Address: 1750 Shibo Avenue, Pudong New Area

世博大道1750号

How to get there: 1km west from the Shibo Avenue Station of Metro Line 13

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滨江大道公园

Binjiang Park (near Binjiang Avenue)

Pudong has developed a 22-kilometer-long continuous path for cycling, jogging and walking along the Huangpu River, as well as 22 service stations along the path.

Multiple species of flowering plum trees have been planted along the Pudong waterfront, known as the East Bund. Most have fully bloomed.

The Binjiang Park near the Lujiazui Station of Metro Line 2 is the best site for photos of the fully bloomed magnolia, known as the city flower of Shanghai, with the Oriental Pearl Tower as a backdrop.

Riding an escalator of the Lujiazui Skywalk, people can also take photos on the Disney flagship store, the Pudong Art Museum, which perfectly combines architecture and art, and the 320-meter Sinar Mas Plaza tower, the current tallest building on the opposite North Bund.

Address: 2967 Lujiazui Road W., Pudong New Area

陆家嘴西路2967号

How to get there: Lujiazui Station of Metro Line 2

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外滩

The Bund

More than 50,000 tulips are blooming on the Bund. Visitors can take photos of the flowers with Lujiazui skyscrapers or the exotic Bund architecture as backdrop.

A large tulip garden has been developed near the Waitanyuan, literally "the origin of the Bund," which is studded with famous buildings such as the old British Consulate, the Union Church and the Peninsula Hotel.

The nearby Yuanmingyuan Road, dubbed the "most beautiful backstreet on the Bund", is flanked by the city's earliest western architecture in the renaissance, neoclassicism, eclecticism, art-deco and modernism styles.

Address: No.1 Zhongshan Road E., Huangpu District

中山东一路 外滩

How to get there: Jinling Road E. Port of Huangpu River Ferry. Nanjing Road E. Station of Metro Line 2, 10

Jiang Xiaowei / SHINE

苏州河口

Mouth of Suzhou Creek

The No.1 Sinopec Gas Station at the intersection of Nansuzhou and Sichuan roads was built in 1948 and named after the liberation of Shanghai in May 1949. To dress up the site, a café has opened on the station's open-air terrace, affording patrons a lovely riverside view.

When the cherry blossom was in full bloom, it was dubbed the "most beautiful gas station" in Shanghai.

Beside the gas station, two concrete bridge piers of the former Wusong Road Bridge, which was demolished in 2009, have been preserved and converted into a sightseeing platform.

Visitors can pose here for photos, with views of the Shanghai Postal Museum in the background.

Address: 198 Nansuzhou Road, Huangpu District

中国石化上海石油分公司第一加油站

How to get there: 500 meters east of Tiantong Road Station of Metro Line 12

Jiang Xiaowei / SHINE