People's Park & People’s Square

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http://www.heygo.com 14th March - Shanghai People's Park and People's Square



The Shanghai Marriage Market is a marriage market held at People’s. Parents of unmarried adults flock to the park every Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. to trade information on their children.



The primary goal of attending the marriage market is for parents to find a suitable partner for their child. The standards of finding the right match may be based upon, but not limited to age, height, job, income, education, family values, Chinese zodiac sign, and personality.

All of this information is written on a piece of paper, which is then hung on long strings among other parents' advertisements for their children.

The parents walk around chatting with other parents to see if there is a harmonious fit only after their children's standards are met.



Many parents do not have permission from their child to go to this event. In many parents' eyes, parent matchmaking gatherings such as the Shanghai Marriage Market are the only way to uphold a traditional dating style for their children in modern China. China's long idealized tradition of continuing their family lineage is very important within Chinese culture.



The People's Park is also known as the Renmin Park, with a total area of 98,200 square meters (24.3 acres). The park has eight gates.

The park is built on the grounds of the former Shanghai Race Club, established by the British in 1862. The club building built in 1933, became a landmark in downtown Shanghai.

The club's flagpole was considered a great shame for the Chinese, as it was made from the mast of a Chinese warship captured by British and American troops. When the People’s Republic of China was founded on 1 October 1949, the new Chinese national flag was hung from the pole.The new Communist government banned horse racing and gambling, and converted the racecourse into People's Park and People’s Square



In the center of the central plaza of People’s Square lies the circular musical fountain, so colourful and obviously a popular place for people to sit and enjoy the music.



The Park Hotel, Art Deco style was the tallest building in Asia from its completion in 1934 to 1963.

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