The People's Square, which was refurbished and expanded in 1994, is the political and cultural center of Shanghai. The Shanghai Municipal Government Building or Shanghai City Hall is just next to the People's Square. It is often used as the standard reference point for measurement of distance to a certain location.

The large public square is home to a gigantic music fountain, several dozen thousand square meters of green patches, the Shanghai New Museum with a unique design, the magnificent City Hall, a spacious underground shopping center, and the splendid Shanghai Grand Theater. A stroll on the square enables one to gain some idea about the modern chic and refined elegance of Shanghai and people there.