Shanghai Parks Extend Hours This Summer

Shanghai greenery officials announced on Thursday that the city's parks will have extended operation hours this summer to accommodate more visitors, Shanghai Daily reported.

Apart from this, park-goers will also be treated to expanded security measures and improved facilities.

Some of these parks--seven in particular, all located in downtown Huangpu District--have decided to extend their hours from 5 a.m. until 9 p.m. all year-round. This is after they have had their lighting systems and surveillance cameras upgraded, and the frequency of their security patrols increased.

These leisure areas include the Jiuzi Park, Fuxing Park, Huaihai Park, Liyuan Park, Gucheng Park, People's Park and Penglai Park.

Lu Jianping, Shanghai Greenery and Public Sanitation Bureau deputy director, shared that their office has been receiving requests to have the city parks be opened at night, especially with the arrival of the summer season.

In preparation for the new schedule, old paths, structures and drainage systems have been renovated and repaired.

The bureau noted that except from Shaoxing Park and Yuyuan Garden, 11 parks in Huangpu will remain open after dark.

In a recent visit by Shanghai Daily to Zhongshan Park in Changning District, the staff found people playing chess, jogging and skateboarding.

"I think it is good to open the park round the clock because some people may want to stay longer, and I have seen strengthened security measures like increased patrols and even a police dog," Chen Aijuan, a mother of an 8-year-old child, shared.

However, she complained that public square dancers should not stay until midnight "because they cause noise and occupy large public areas of the park."

Tian Jiayi, another nearby resident, also suggested that "the convenience store should remain open at night because night strollers need to buy water," adding that "people should [also] be careful of their belongings."

Tian, nonetheless, noted that "all in all, it is not bad to open it longer and dancers need a place instead of occupying streets in front of residential complexes to dance."

Meanwhile, the bureau also announced yet another good news: Around 200 movies like "Zootopia" and "Kung Fu Panda" will be screened at night in parks for free until September.