1000 Trees Shanghai – How to Visit the Futuristic Shopping Mall!

One of the buildings I was most excited to visit in Shanghai was 1000 Trees.

It’s an otherworldly, multi-use complex that seamlessly blends nature with modern living. 

This mind-bending masterpiece will make you feel like you’ve stepped into another dimension. 

I couldn’t believe what my eyes were seeing. It felt like visiting a floating castle from a fantasy realm or a dystopian kingdom. 

Beyond a great photo opportunity, it’s a complex that boasts a shopping mall, an art centre and a living space. So, you must plan a stop here. 

Here is how to visit 1000 Trees Shanghai, with the best locations for photos. 

What is 1000 Trees Shanghai?

1000 Trees in Shanghai is a futuristic, multi-use complex designed by British architect Thomas Heatherwick.

This surreal building resembles a mountain in the forest or a floating castle in the sky. Locally, it’s nicknamed the “Hanging Gardens of Babylon”

The innovative architecture boasts over 1000 trees and 25,000 plants. It’s a place that seemingly blends nature with modern living.

It functions as a shopping mall, art space and living area in Shanghai. But it looks like something from a fantasy world. 

This otherworldly structure often goes viral on social media, and many people visit to take photos. 

It’s somewhere you must visit on your travels through China. Even to prove that you’ve seen this place with your own eyes, as it looks unreal!

Where is 1000 Trees in Shanghai?

You’ll find 1000 Trees Shanghai in Tain’an Square, which is north of the city centre. This is a short walk from the M Art Centre and Suzhou Creek. 

Shanghai is a huge city, and this futuristic castle is out of the way of the main attractions. So, I would only visit if you have some time to spare.

On AMap, it can be hard to find the exact location. So, put these terms into the search bar:

• Tian’an Square
• 1000 Trees Mall Shanghai
• 1000 Trees 百联千树

How to Visit 1000 Trees

You can easily visit 1000 Trees in Shanghai by taking the metro or a taxi:

• By Metro: The closest metro station to 1000 Trees is Jiangning Road Station on Line 13. Then, it’s a 10-minute walk. Alternatively, arrive at Changping Road Station on Line 7. 

• By Taxi: For comfort, you can take a Didi to Tian’an Square. It’s China’s version of Uber and trips are very affordable. You can book trips through the Alipay app. So, make sure to have this set up.

Arriving at 1000 Trees

When I first arrived at 1000 Trees, I honestly couldn’t believe what I was seeing; the entire place looked artificially generated. 

This surreal structure looked like something plucked from one of the pages of my fantasy novels. 

Many people call it a Sci-Fi garden or futuristic forest due to its surreal design. 

It perfectly blends modern architecture with elements of nature and, at certain angles, looks like a tree-covered mountain or a floating castle. 

Best 1000 Trees photography locations

Most people visit 1000 Trees for photography as this futuristic building is both aesthetic and unique.

Here are the best photography locations to get the perfect photo.

1. Moganshan Road

Just to the side of the 1000 Trees shopping mall entrance, you’ll find Monganshan Road.

From here, you can see the top of the ‘tree mountain’ apartment complex in the distance. 

It does require a zoom lens, but you can get some fabulous photos and videos of walking down this road with the sci-fi trees in the distance.

2. Changhua Road Bridge

The most popular photography location for 1000 Trees is just in front of the mall entrance on the Changhua Road Bridge.

This bridge crosses Suzhou Creek and provides a panoramic view of the futuristic forest over the water.

You’ll find professional photographers set up on this bridge with tablets, offering photo shoots. 

How it works is they take photos of you, and you purchase any photos you like for a set price (usually 20-30 yuan a piece). 

They then send the photos you’ve chosen over on WeChat almost instantly. 

These photographers do come in handy if you’re travelling solo. But don’t feel obligated. 

3. Suzhou Creek

I found that the best photography locations for 1000 Trees were found on the waterfront of Suzhou Creek.

This is the scenic river that flows beside the building and makes a lovely area for a stroll. 

It’s very popular with locals who like to jog or walk their dogs, and there are benches to sit and appreciate the view. 

You’ll find endless photo opportunities of 1000 Trees as you meander down the path. So, you can take your pick.

The only thing to note is that this area can get quite busy during the day. So, it may be worth visiting early in the morning for a more peaceful experience. 

Inside 1000 Trees Shopping Mall

When you’ve finished taking photos of 1000 Trees, I recommend heading inside the shopping centre.

It’s a huge building that’s very sleek with futuristic architecture that is aesthetically pleasing. 

You’ll find a labyrinth of escalators to take you to the upper floors, and it’s great to get lost and see what you can find. 

There are delicious bakeries, fashion boutiques and even a % Arabica café to take a rest.

There was a K-Pop Dance event during my visit, which was fun to watch for a while.

Is 1000 Trees in Shanghai worth visiting?

I would say so, yes. 1000 Trees is one of the most unique buildings I have seen on my travels, and this futuristic forest will amaze you. 

It makes a wonderful photo opportunity, and strolling along Suzhou Creek makes an enchanting way to spend a morning or afternoon. 

That being said, it’s quite far away from the main attractions, and there aren’t a lot of things to do when you get here.

Definitely visit if you have the time to spare in your Shanghai itinerary, but don’t prioritise it over other more famous attractions.

Opening times & entry fees

Suzhou Creek and the outside of 1000 Trees are both open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. So, you can visit any time you like for photography.

I recommend visiting early in the morning to avoid crowds. Sunset on Suzhou Creek is magical, but it can be crowded. 

If you want to go inside the shopping complex, it’s open from 10 am to 10 pm daily. 

It’s also completely free to visit 1000 Trees, making it a great budget activity in Shanghai. 

My top tips for visiting 

• 1000 Trees is quite a distance from the main attractions in the city, so only visit if you have time to spare. 

• There isn’t a wealth of things to do at 1000 Trees Shanghai, and the shops aren’t unique. It’s mainly a good photo opportunity. 

• Changhua Road Bridge gets busy, but there are plenty of places to capture the incredible architecture from the waterfront. 

• I recommend spending around 1-2 hours at 1000 Trees Shanghai to allow time for a scenic stroll down Suzhou Creek. 

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