Encountering Black Swans in Shanghai｜A Century of Light and Shadow Poetry in Xujiahui Park

Xujiahui Park｜The heart of Shanghai, a "urban symbiosis pact" jointly signed by plane trees, black swans, and red brick chimneys—— It doesn’t win by size, but with just 0.83 square kilometers, it plants three layers of time in the gaps between skyscrapers: The lake reflects the 1920s Baidai Company recording studio; The swans carry the wild genes released when the park was completed in 2000; The chimney holds the lingering warmth of the 1930s old record factory. There is no "tourist attraction feel" here, only under the shadows of plane trees, where Shanghainese write day after day with walking, feeding, sitting quietly, and daydreaming—— An urban life white paper on how to coexist with history, nature, and speed. Address: No. 889 Zhaojiabang Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai Opening Hours: 5:00-22:00 Transportation: 2-minute walk from Exit 8 of Xujiahui Station on Metro Lines 1/9/11 【Must-See Highlights】 Black Swan Family: Three elegant black swans (you might even encounter their babies) Baidai Little Red House: A 1921 French Renaissance building Century-old Plane Trees: Stunning in golden autumn Red Brick Chimney: 46.5 meters tall relic of the old record factory When you turn from Tianyaoqiao Road into the park, Before seeing the lake, you first meet the wind: A cool breeze carrying moisture brushes past, Mixed with the slightly astringent fragrance of plane leaves, the fishy scent of black swan wings, and a faint, slightly sour smell like old film dampness—— That is time breathing. Looking up, A clear pool lies quietly before you, named "Baidai Lake": The water surface is like a mirror, reflecting the Honghui Hang Lung on the opposite shore and the glass curtain wall of the Shanghai Library East Building; A small island floats in the lake’s center, with a solitary, gnarled pine whose shadow slants across the water like an ink seal; The most touching is the lakeshore: → The east shore is the original site of the 1921 Baidai Company recording studio (now the "Baidai Little Red House"), with mottled red walls and peeling window frames, still exuding French elegance; → The west shore features a newly paved light gray permeable concrete walkway from 2023, embedded with glowing LED strips that wind like star trails at night; → The south shore is a century-old plane tree-lined avenue, with dense canopies turning yellow in late autumn, and when the wind rises, golden leaves flutter like foil, covering the entire path—— Water is paper, buildings are words, trees are seals, light is annotation, Shanghai uses the whole park to write a letter to the future. 【Check-in Guide】 1️⃣ Black Swan Feeding Time (best from 6-8 AM) 2️⃣ Little Red House Light and Shadow (best sunlight from 3-5 PM) 3️⃣ Chimney Sunset (light show at 5 PM in winter) 4️⃣ Plane Tree Avenue (most beautiful in golden November) What truly gives this letter warmth are the black swans: Not captive, but semi-wild: they can swim in the lake, come ashore, and fly over fences (some have even perched on the rooftop of the neighboring Metro City); At six in the morning, an old local often wears a dark blue cloth shirt and brings a bamboo basket to feed them—the basket contains not bread, but crushed brown rice, cooked water chestnuts, and dried seaweed strips; If you squat down and open your palm, a swan will slowly swim close, curve its long neck, and gently touch your fingertip with its beak, cold yet firm—— It doesn’t recognize you as a tourist, only as someone willing to be still in this moment. 【Local Exclusive Tips】 1️⃣ Avoid peak crowds: weekdays from 10 AM to 12 PM are busiest 2️⃣ Quiet moments: best for photography daily from 6:00 to 7:30 AM 3️⃣ Hidden Easter egg: wild roses at the chimney base bear red berries in winter The most stunning is the red brick chimney: 46.5 meters tall, built in the 1930s, originally part of the Baidai record factory boiler room; The chimney base is unadorned, with wild roses sprouting from brick joints, bearing red berries in autumn, dotting the ochre brick wall like vermilion spots; The chimney top is open, and when the wind blows, it emits a low humming, like the background noise before an old record player starts; Every December 24th on Christmas Eve, warm yellow beams light up inside the chimney, shooting into the sky and lasting all night—— It no longer emits smoke, but light; no longer supplies energy, but dreams. 【Romantic Easter Eggs about Xujiahui Park】 ✅ Winter exclusive: Christmas Eve chimney light show ✅ Sound memory: vinyl restoration room inside the Little Red House ✅ Urban wonder: mysterious symbiosis of tree roots and subway tunnels May your visit— Not be for check-ins, but for pausing; Not for fullness, but for clarity; When a swan brushes past your brow, What your fingertips touch, Is the spirit of Shanghai that Xujiahui refuses to let go—— A wisp, Of living Shanghai charm.