When autumn arrives in Shanghai—between October and December—the city quietly changes her clothes. She slips out of summer’s heavy heat and into a gown woven with gold and crimson. The air turns crisp, and the light feels softer, as if someone lowered the sun just a little.
I love walking through the former French Concession in these months, when the plane trees release their leaves like golden rain. In temple courtyards, ginkgo trees glow like lanterns, scattering fan-shaped coins across the ground. And in the parks, the red maples flare up like embers, warming even the chilliest days.
From October to December, this modern city feels slower, calmer, almost nostalgic. Every street corner offers a new painting, every park a different mood. In this guide, I’ll take you to the best places to see fall colors in Shanghai, tell you the perfect time to visit each fall foliage, and show you how to reach them by subway.
1. Best Time to See Fall Colors in Shanghai
I always mark my calendar for late October. That’s when Shanghai begins to whisper the first signs of autumn foliage. A few plane trees along my street start to fade from green to gold. In hidden corners of parks, a shy red creeps into the maple leaves. It’s like the city is testing its autumn dress before stepping onto the stage.
By mid-November, the show of autumn leaves is in full swing. The ginkgo trees turn into towering golden torches, lighting up temple courtyards and quiet boulevards. The maples glow in shades of scarlet and amber, so rich they almost don’t look real. I love walking under them then—every step kicks up a crunching carpet of color.
Early December feels different. The air is sharper, and most autumn leaves have begun to fall. But there’s a kind of quiet beauty in those last days. A single golden ginkgo by the roadside, a stubborn patch of red maple in the park—little reminders that autumn foliage hasn’t completely left.
If you time it right, you can see the whole transformation, from the first blush of yellow to the final farewell of falling leaves. That’s the magic of the best spots to see autumn colors in Shanghai—they change with every week you visit.
2. Best Spots to See Autumn Colors in Shanghai
Every autumn, I make a little promise to myself—to revisit my favorite corners of fall foliage in Shanghai and see how the season has transformed them. Some places feel like old friends, others like fleeting dreams. Each one tells a different story in gold, crimson, and amber. Over the next few stops, I’ll share the best places viewing the autumn leaves that have stolen my heart year after year.
1) Ginkgo Square at Shanghai Concert Hall (Huangpu District)
Best time: Mid to late November
The first time I visited the ginkgo square in front of the Shanghai Concert Hall (上海音乐厅银杏广场), I actually stopped in my tracks. Dozens of century-old ginkgo trees were dressed in glowing gold, their leaves drifting down like warm snow. The air shimmered in the sunlight, and with the elegant European-style concert hall as the backdrop, it felt like stepping into a Parisian autumn dream—only better, because it was home.
Photographers adore this place. On sunny mornings, you’ll find people crouching low with their cameras, chasing that perfect moment when the light filters through the golden canopy. I like to simply stand there, watching the leaves fall, listening to the faint city hum mix with the soft rustle overhead. It’s the kind of beauty that slows your heartbeat.
📌 Address: 523 East Yan’an Road, Huangpu District (near South Xizang Road)
黄浦区延安东路523号（近西藏南路）
🚇 Metro: Line 8 or 14 to Dashijie Station, 5-minute walk
2) Wukang Road (Xuhui District)
Best time: Late October to mid-November
Every autumn, I find myself drawn back to Wukang Road (武康路), one of the most iconic streets in Shanghai’s former French Concession. By late October, the plane trees begin their quiet transformation. Their leaves shift from green to buttery gold, and soon the entire street glows under a soft amber light.
Walking here feels like drifting through an old European film set. The fallen leaves spread across the pavement like a golden carpet, framing rows of old villas with tiled roofs and intricate balconies. Small cafés spill warm light onto the sidewalks, and the scent of fresh espresso floats in the air. Sometimes I rent a bike and pedal slowly, letting the crunch of leaves and the creak of the pedals set the rhythm. Other times, I just wander on foot, peeking into quiet courtyards and feeling the layers of old Shanghai’s charm wrap around me.
There’s a kind of romance on Wukang Road that belongs only to autumn. The city noise fades here, replaced by the whisper of leaves and the soft clink of coffee cups.
📌 Address: Wukang Road, Xuhui District (from Huashan Road in the north to Middle Huaihai Road in the south) 徐汇区武康路（北起华山路，南至淮海中路）
🚇 Metro: Line 10 or 11 to Jiaotong University Station, 5-minute walk
3) Jumen Road Golden Ginkgo Avenue (Huangpu District)
Best time: Mid November to Early December
When I think of the Best Places to See Fall Colors in Shanghai, Jumen Road （局门路)）always comes to mind. By mid-November, its ginkgo trees blaze gold, creating a canopy so bright it seems to glow against the grey walls. Fallen leaves pile into a soft carpet, and every step feels like walking through sunlight.
I like to start at Zhongshan South First Road and wander north, letting the “Golden Avenue” guide me. The 8 Bridges Creative Park is my first stop—brick warehouses turned into stylish cafés and art spaces. Farther along, quirky spots like Hao Dong Xi and Adult Soda add charm. By the time I reach Xietu Road, the late-day light turns the gold into deep honey.
Photographers love it here in the early morning, when the street is quiet and the light filters softly through the leaves. My favorite moment is at sunset, when the whole avenue becomes molten gold—a perfect ending to an autumn day.
📌 Route: Zhongshan S. 1st Rd → Quxi Rd → Xietu Rd
🚇 Metro: Line 13 Expo Museum (Exit 3), 6-min walk; Line 4 Luban Rd, 10-min walk
4) Guilin Park (Xuhui District)
Best time: Mid-November to December
The first time I stepped into Guilin Park(桂林公园), I felt like I had stumbled into a secret chapter of old Shanghai. Once known as “Huang Family Garden,” this was the private villa of Huang Jinrong, the powerful chief inspector of the French Concession. Today, it’s a public park, but the air still carries the elegance of its past.
Most people know Guilin Park for its sweet osmanthus blossoms in autumn, but when the maples and ginkgo trees turn, the whole place transforms. The pavilions, corridors, and arched bridges—so classically Jiangnan—are suddenly framed in scarlet and gold. I always make my way to the ginkgo avenue in front of the Sijiaoting pavilion (四教厅). Here, the golden leaves blanket the stone path, and every breeze sends a fresh shower tumbling from the branches.
By early December, the red maples reach their peak, glowing like lanterns in the soft winter light. Some trees are still turning, so the colors shift daily—from pale orange to deep crimson. I like to linger here in the afternoon when the light slants low, touching the leaves and casting a warm, dreamlike glow over the old garden walls. It’s one of those rare places where history and nature meet so perfectly, you almost forget you’re in the middle of a modern city.
📌 Address: 128 Guilin Road, Xuhui District 上海徐汇区桂林路128号
🚇 Metro: Line 12 to Guilin Park Station, 3-minute walk
5) Sinan Road Plane Tree Avenue (Huangpu District)
✨ Best time: Late October to December
When friends ask for the Best Places to See Fall Colors in Shanghai: Best Time & Subway, I often smile and say, “Sinan Road (思南路).” They call it an open-air architecture museum, and in autumn, it truly feels like history wrapped in gold.
The moment I step under the plane trees, a golden canopy closes above me. Leaves drift down, resting on cobblestones and villa walls like soft notes in a slow song. More than twenty century-old homes line the street—Spanish, English, French, and neoclassical—each framed by warm autumn light.
I start my stroll at Fuxing Middle Road, passing the restored Shikumen of Sinan Mansions and Zhou Enlai’s quiet former residence. Farther south, the Sinan Bookstore waits under the trees, perfect for a coffee break.
Early mornings around 8 or 9 are my favorite, when sunlight filters through the leaves and the street belongs to the locals. After rain, the pavements gleam and the gold turns richer, like a painter’s palette.
📌 Route: Fuxing M. Rd → Sinan Mansions → Middle Huaihai Rd (15 minutes)
🚇 Metro: Line 13 Middle Huaihai Rd; Line 10 Xintiandi; Line 1 South Shaanxi Rd
6) Golden City Road Ginkgo Avenue (Changning District)
✨ Best time: Mid-November to early December
When I scout the Best Places to See Fall Colors in Shanghai, Golden City Road always makes the shortlist. Golden City Road (黄金城道) is one of Shanghai’s newer autumn darlings, but it’s already stolen my heart. The first time I came here, I stepped out of the metro and was met with a wall of gold. For 600 meters, two perfect rows of towering ginkgo trees line a pedestrian street, their branches arching overhead to create a glowing tunnel of light.
In late autumn, the leaves fall so thickly that the pavement disappears beneath a golden carpet. It’s not the quiet, historic charm of the French Concession—here, the beauty feels bold and modern. Sleek apartment towers rise behind the trees, their glass reflecting the yellow leaves in a way that makes the whole street shimmer. I love how the city and nature seem to embrace each other here, neither trying to outshine the other.
The atmosphere is international—families with strollers, friends chatting in different languages, photographers crouching for the perfect angle. In the evenings, the street lights switch on and the ginkgo leaves glow like they’ve been set alight. I once stayed until dusk, sipping coffee from a nearby café, just to watch the light shift from golden to amber to deep night.
📌 Address: Golden City Road Pedestrian Street (from Gubei Road in the east to Yili South Road in the west) 上海市长宁区黄金城道步行街（东起古北路，西至伊犁南路）
🚇 Metro: Line 10 to Yili Road Station, Exit 3, 5-min walk; Line 15 to Hongbaoshi Road Station, Exit 2, 8-min walk
💡 Why I love it: Perfect for slow walks, spontaneous photo shoots, and soaking in that rare mix of big-city energy and natural beauty. Here, every photo feels like a fashion magazine spread, and every step is lit with gold.
7) Gongqing Forest Park (Yangpu District)
Best time: Mid to late November
Whenever I map the Best Places to See Fall Colors in Shanghai, Gongqing Forest Park is my escape. Whenever the city starts to feel a little too fast, I head to Gongqing Forest Park (共青森林公园). Tucked away in Yangpu District, it feels like stepping out of Shanghai and into another world. In autumn, this place is pure magic—rows of sweetgum trees, Chinese tallow, and ginkgo turn the park into a painter’s palette of crimson, amber, and gold.
My favorite spot is the Qiulin Aiwan area (秋林爱晚), which translates to “Lingering in the Autumn Woods.” The name says it all. The path winds through groves where the leaves above glow in the sun, and the ground is carpeted with color. Sometimes I walk slowly with my camera, catching the light between the branches. Other times, I bring a picnic, find a quiet patch of grass, and let the afternoon drift by.
On cooler days, I rent a bike and ride under the canopy, the leaves falling like confetti as I pass. Families laugh in the open fields, couples pose for photos under the golden ginkgo trees, and the air smells faintly of earth and leaves. It’s the kind of autumn that makes you forget you’re still in one of the busiest cities in China.
📌 Address: 2000 Jungong Road, Yangpu District 杨浦区军工路2000号
🚇 Metro: Line 8 to Xiangyin Road Station, transfer to Bus 102 to Gongqing Forest Park Stop
8) Expo Park Autumn Colors (Pudong New Area)
Best time: Early November to early December
For a modern twist on the Best Places to See Fall Colors in Shanghai, I head to Expo Park (世博公园). I still remember the first time I saw Expo Park in autumn—it felt like the city had built a bridge between nature and modern design just for this season. Stretching along the Huangpu River, the park opens up with sweeping golden lawns that look like someone rolled out a shimmering carpet. On breezy days, the riverside willows sway gracefully, their branches catching the light like strands of silk.
I like to wander toward the Hou Tan wetlands, where tall reeds ripple like waves with every gust. In the distance, the sleek Expo pavilions stand proud, their glass and steel gleaming even brighter against the warm autumn hues. It’s a contrast I can’t get enough of—modern architecture framed in nature’s richest colors.
Here, architecture and nature share the stage. That balance earns Expo Park a spot among the Best Places to See Fall Colors in Shanghai.
📌 Address: 1750 Shibo Avenue, Pudong New Area (near Shangnan Road) 浦东新区世博大道1750号
🚇 Metro: Line 8 to China Art Museum Station, Exit 3, 8-min walk; Line 13 to Shibo Avenue Station, Exit 1, 10-min walk; Line 7 to Yaohua Road Station, Exit 4, 15-min walk
3. Shanghai Autumn Travel Tips
After years of chasing the Best Places to See Fall Colors in Shanghai, I’ve learned a few tricks to make the journey smoother—and the memories brighter.
First, pack smart. Autumn here, especially in late season, can swing from crisp mornings at 10°C to warm afternoons near 20°C. I usually wear a trench coat over a light sweater and keep a jacket in my bag. That way, I’m never caught shivering under a ginkgo tree or sweating through a maple-lined stroll.
Light is everything for photos. I love heading out around 9 or 10 a.m., when the sun slips through the leaves like melted gold, or between 3 and 4 p.m., when the colors deepen to honey and copper. Midday light can be harsh, but those hours feel like nature’s soft-focus filter.
Crowds can steal the magic, so I skip weekends for the most popular spots. A quiet weekday morning on Sinan Road or Jumen Road feels like the city has reserved the view just for you.
And please, don’t miss Shanghai’s autumn flavors. I always end a leaf-hunting day with steamed hairy crab, a paper bag of roasted chestnuts still warm in my hands, or a square of fragrant osmanthus cake. Autumn here isn’t just a feast for the eyes—it’s a full-season experience.
Every year, Shanghai’s autumn feels like a secret whispered only to those who take the time to notice. It comes quickly, lingers just long enough to take your breath away, and then slips quietly into winter. In those fleeting weeks, the city glows—sometimes with the quiet romance of a golden plane tree avenue, sometimes with the bold colors of a ginkgo-lined boulevard, and sometimes with the timeless beauty of a red maple in an old garden.
After exploring the Best Places to See Fall Colors in Shanghai, I’ve realized that it’s not just about the leaves—it’s about the way they transform the city. The streets feel softer, the air carries a hint of nostalgia, and even the skyline seems warmer under autumn light. Whether I’m walking through Sinan Road’s golden canopy, sitting by the river in Expo Park, or losing track of time in a quiet corner of Guilin Park, I always feel like I’m meeting a new side of Shanghai.
So pack your camera, lace up your walking shoes, and give yourself a few slow days here. The season may be short, but the memories will last long after the last leaf falls. This is the city’s most beautiful chapter—don’t miss your chance to turn its pages. 🍁📸
