Shangcheng Road Station on metro Line 9 is located in Pudong New Area, close to the Century Avenue. Walking out of any exit of the station, it is easy to see the familiar skyscrapers of Lujiazui nearby.

However, unlike the business bustle of Lujiazui, this area is more focused on leisure, entertainment and culture.

The Global Times recently visited Shangcheng Road Station to profile some of the best places to visit nearby.

Lujiazui 1885 Plaza 

Walking out of exit 1 on Shangcheng Road and going east for less than five minutes, you'll arrive at Lujiazui 1885 Plaza (665 Shangcheng Road) at the intersection of Shangcheng Road and Nanquan Road North.

Together with a central green area, the plaza consists of five separate buildings of masonry and timber, combing the architectural styles of old European villas with the traditional shikumen (a style of architecture in Shanghai) residence.

Building C is the largest in the complex and was originally a private villa in old Shanghai called "Shenjia Villa."

It was once occupied by Shen Xingyuan (1870-1956), a local doctor who established a clinic here after his six-year course of study in Western medicine in Japan.

Shen chose the location as it was easy to reach for patients from either side of the Huangpu River.

The villa was renovated in 1996, when the other four buildings were also added, imitating the architecture of the original. At this time, the road in front of the villa, originally called "Shenjianong Road," was renamed Shangcheng Road.

Building C is home to a wide range of restaurants. These include Hecai Japanese Cuisine; Qing Sushi; Croissants de France; and Shanghai-Cantonese fusion restaurant Grand Maison Cuisine.

The latter (floor 2 to 4, Building C, 5878-1888) promotes healthy and organic food cooked in olive oil without MSG and other additives. It is especially popular for its nourishing Cantonese stews, each of which is cooked for six hours.

Located on the first floor of Building B, Teddy Belove (112 Building B, 5019-5783) is, as its name suggests, a teddy bear specialty shop. However, while teddy bears are known for loving picnics, this shop has seen fit to combine its trade in furry friends with Thai cuisine. In the shop, at least 100 teddy bears of different sizes and colors are all available for sale.

Several of the larger ones are even seated at restaurant tables, ready to offer companionship to any lonely diners.

The store also regularly holds workshops instructing participants in how to make handmade teddy bears for themselves.

The store has two other branches in Shanghai, one at No.23, Lane 248 Tianzifang on Taikang Road and the other at 122 Kerry Parkside on Huamu Road.

Big E

West out of exit 3, a 15-minute walk along Pudong Road South will take you to Big E (B2 World Plaza, 855 Pudong Road South, 4000-309-992). At first glance, it appears to be a regular night club you might find anywhere in the downtown area of the city. A bartender stands before a wall of bottles, while customers toast each other on sofas among much laughter and chatter.

There is also a gaming area with table football and billiards.

However, the real attractions of the club are at the back, where you will find a miniature golf course and laser tag area. Both are painted with luminous 3D images.

The mini-golf course is decorated with images of ocean life on the wall. There is a total of nine holes, which are arranged in a winding course.

The laser tag area is more suitable for active thrill-seekers. The area is made up of different colored zones. Some are full of mysterious color combinations, and some decorated with images from the vast expanse of outer space, dotted with countless stars.

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A colored zone in Big E Photos: Hu Bei/GT

Horse sculptures in Lujiazui 1885 Plaza

All the equipment for laser tag is imported from the US, including an English-language instruction video in the preparation room. A maximum of 30 people can participate at any time.

Both mini-golf and laser tag cost 70 yuan ($11.42) per round.

Dongfang Bookstore & 3 Yeh Optical City

Walking out of exit 2 for five minutes, branches of Dongfang Bookstore (6888-9279) and 3 Yeh Optical City (5131-0168) are both in Lucky Tower at 660 Shangcheng Road. The bookstore occupies the first and second floors, and the optical city the third and fourth.

With Chinese classical literature, Chinese versions of various Western classics, contemporary Chinese novels and reference books, the bookstore is well stocked.

The optical market is one of the best places in the city to buy glasses. It has over 100 shops selling glasses and sunglasses (prescription and non-prescription).

The frames range from cheap plastic frames to copies of the latest fashions from overseas.

Editor's note:

This year is the 21st anniversary of the opening of the Shanghai metro. The subway has facilitated more than 13 billion journeys during its 21 years, and half of Shanghai citizens cite the metro as their favored mode of transport. To commemorate the anniversary, each week the Global Times will take an in-depth look at one metro station and its surroundings. In the case of downtown stations, we will focus on points of interest within walking distance; while for suburban areas, we will cast our net a little wider.