1933 Old Millfun (Free!)
This used to be an abandoned slaughterhouse that have been revamped. Unfortunately, despite revitalisation efforts, this place still remained rather empty. There was very low take-up of spaces by shops and restaurants. As such, it was one of the most serene attractions which you could take photographs to your heart's delight. We saw some people modelling there as well.
For fans of architecture, this is not a place to be missed. I came with 2 kids in tow and we explored for more than an hour (which was way longer than what we initially planned). The whole place was like a concrete maze and there is something really pretty/ amazing about the design. It is a bit out of the way and not close to other attractions but it was 100% worth the detour.
Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Centre
Another hidden gem in an office building, you are not really supposed to take photos of their posters. So here's one photo of a poster which I bought. To be frank, this place is not huge but it was really interesting watching how the government pivoted the people to certain beliefs and careers. If you can read mandarin, there will be more appreciation on the captions and quotes on the posters. To a certain extent, it also gives you a flavor of the old China.
The entrance ticket is not expensive. As this is a private museum and the owner is getting on in age, I would really recommend you to get something for yourself at the souvenir shop to support it. Although most of the items there are pretty fairly affordable, another foreign lady and I each bought down some of their more pricey items. Perhaps he just wants to share his love and collection, but I am thankful he allowed us to buy a piece of history home.
Marriage Market (People's Park)
It was so exciting to hunt this down. For the Shanghai market, it only happens on the weekend. It was raining that day and I was very anxious that the people will not gather. Fortunately, there was still an authentic crowd there with little curious foreigners. If you can read mandarin, you would be able to better understand the description of the notices and understand how materialistic the dating society is at the moment.
I had the good fortune to chat with some of the matchmakers and candidates there. They explained to me they prefer this to dating apps because of the scams and onboarding fees of online apps. The matchmaker/ candidates would usually bring a bunch of profiles, some belonging to their other single friends/ relatives. For the profiles I read, their age tend to be on the higher side and most are very well educated. Very interesting and give you a good peek to the Chinese dating market!
***Activities mentioned above are either free or not on Klook at the moment. If you are booking any other experiences via Klook, you can use the discount code "BABYNFAMKLOOK" for a 5% Discount. Applicable to All Klook Activities with min. spend of SGD50. Discount capped at SGD15.