Sitting at the intersection of Yan'an Road West and Kaixuan Road in Changning district, West Yan'an Road Station on metro Line 3 and metro Line 4 adjoins some of the best public green space in the neighborhood. Framed between Kaiqiao Greenland and Tianshan Park, the station offers commuters a pleasant respite from the urban jungle.

In today's weekly column, the Global Times takes you to the neighborhood and introduces some of the area's hidden treasures.

Tianshan Park is just a stone's throw from West Yan'an Road Station. Photos: Zhu Jialei/GT

Tianshan Park

Located to the west of the metro station, Tianshan Park (1731 Yan'an Road West, 6259-4887) covers 68,000 square meters, featuring landscapes of hills, fountains and a lake. The park opens from 6 am to 6 pm from October 1 to March 31. A number of pavilions with stone tables and benches can be found inside the park where seniors living in neighboring communities come to play poker, Chinese chess and mahjong during the day.

The grass lawn on the north end of the park is always crowded with kids playing football or flying kites on sunny weekdays. On weekends, the lawn turns into a love nest for young couples who flock to the park to picnic and laze away the afternoon.

The artificial lake in the center of the park offers boating services. You can rent an electric boat for 60 yuan ($9.85) per hour after paying a 40 yuan deposit or a paddle boat for 40 yuan per hour plus a 10 yuan deposit.

Yuyintang is just a stone's throw from West Yan'an Road Station. Photos: Zhu Jialei/GT

Yuyintang

Hidden in a white and orange house beside the grass lawn, Yuyintang (851 Kaixuan Road, 5237-8662, www.yytlive.com), one of the city's best venues for live music, is a stone's throw from the station.

Open for almost six years, the club is a landmark of Shanghai's underground music scene. Gigs are held almost every day of the week, providing a platform for upcoming local musicians and a diverse array of original, independent music from all over the world. Regular events include open mic nights every Monday starting at 9 pm (free entrance) and jazz nights on Tuesdays at 9 pm (free).

Catch the mellow folk stylings of Beijing-based five-piece Li Dong this Friday (9 pm, 40 yuan presale; 60 yuan on the door). On Saturday is Yuyintang's annual Halloween Rock Tribute night (9 pm, 40 yuan), which sees Shanghai-based bands like Death to Giants, Friend or Foe and XiaoXinYiYi cover their favorite acts, including Green Day, Tool and The Grateful Dead. On Sunday, German indie singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Peter Piek will perform tracks from his new album Cut Out The Dying Stuff (9 pm, 50 yuan).

Ke Center for the Contemporary Arts

Ke Center for the Contemporary Arts

Tucked away on Kaixuan Road, you can find a creative complex with five red-brick buildings. Ke Center for the Contemporary Arts (Bldg B, 613 Kaixuan Road, 6131-3498 or 6131-3080, www.kecenter.org.cn) is located in one of them. The complex is built on the former site of Shanghai Daming Rubber Factory and Ke Center opened in June 2007. It is one of a handful of art centers in downtown Shanghai that holds exhibitions, performances and art events. Though Ke Center is small, the curators are avant-garde and pioneering. The center hosted Yoko Ono's first solo exhibition in China in 2008.

The small 400-square-meter theater on the first floor of the center hosts regular stage performances. Nostalgia, a romantic drama will be staged from December 18 to 22. The story takes place in an unknown country in Europe at an unclear time. Three paranoid female protagonists make conversation about their life, their loves and their dreams. Tickets are from 80 to 120 yuan.

Shanghai Museum of Textile and Costume

Located on the campus of Donghua University, Shanghai Museum of Textile and Costume (1882 Yan'an Road West, 6237-3919 or 6237-3509) opened in 2009. Covering a space of 6,700 square meters, the museum consists of four halls - a scientific hall, an ancient hall, a modern hall and a minority hall. A wide range of looms from the Qin Dynasty (221BC-206BC) to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) is displayed at the museum. Visitors can also try to paint patterns on their own T-shirts and learn how to make pankou (special buttons for a qipao) as well.

The museum is open from 9 am to 4 pm, Tuesday to Saturday. Visitors with an ID card or a passport can visit the museum for free. Group visitors should make reservations in advance.