Columbia Circle (上生新所)
Open neighbourhood · Changning · Shanghai. A 1920s American country club, Hudec villa and old pool, now an open creative park.
Source: https://chinafootnotes.com/places/columbia-circle · Data checked 2026-10-02 · Rendered for 2026-10-03 (Asia/Shanghai). Facts carry their status; "not found yet" means we searched and found no reliable source.
Why go
Columbia Circle (上生·新所) was built in the 1920s as the clubhouse of an American residential estate, later became a biological-products institute, and since 2018 has been an open park of cafés, shops and event spaces. Three historic buildings survive: the 1927 Columbia Country Club (now Tsutaya Books), the Navy Club with its English-style outdoor pool, and the Spanish-style Sun Ke Villa designed by László Hudec. It is quiet, leafy and free to walk around.
What to do
- Browse Tsutaya Books. The 1927 Columbia Country Club has housed Tsutaya Books' first Shanghai store since 2020, about 2,000 m² with original arches and fireplaces and a bar inside.
- See the 1920s swimming pool. Beside the Navy Club (1924) lies a rare English-style outdoor pool with its original mosaic and a ram's-head sculpture on the north wall; it is now used for fashion shows and events.
- Catch an exhibition in Sun Ke Villa. Hudec's Spanish-style villa, later home of Sun Yat-sen's son Sun Ke, opens only when it hosts an exhibition, and visits are booked through the Columbia Circle WeChat account.
- Have brunch in the garden. Cafés and restaurants fill the new Phase 2 buildings and squares; TRIFLE (Building 16) serves brunch and pastries 09:00–22:00 with garden seating.
- Don't miss: The ram's-head sculpture in the niche on the north wall of the old pool, uncovered during restoration.
- Best time: Weekday afternoon, 15:00–16:00 light
- Skip if: Skip it if you are short of time and not interested in architecture, bookshops or cafés.
Practical details
- Hours: Open-air park open 24 hours · venues vary
- Sun Ke Villa opens only during exhibitions, by booking; at other times it is closed.
- Admission: Free to walk in
- Concerts and special exhibitions may charge separately; the 2025/26 New Year concert price is historical and is not a current admission price.
- Booking: No booking for the park; villa by booking
- Columbia Circle (上生·新所) — WeChat → search 上生新所 → official account → events/booking menu
- Passport accepted: unknown — Sun Ke Villa reservation accepts an unspecified document; passport handling is not established.
- Sun Ke Villa opens only during exhibitions and uses a separate booking; this requirement does not apply to outdoor park walking.
- Last admission: No park-wide last entry
- Time to allow: 1–2 hr
- Getting there: Jiaotong University station; exit unconfirmed
- Metro Line 10/11 to Jiaotong University (交通大学), about 16 min walk
- Show a taxi driver: 上生·新所，长宁区延安西路1262号
- Map: Apple Maps · Amap 高德
- Address: 上海市长宁区延安西路1262号 / 1262 West Yan'an Road
- Foreign visitors: Free park; no ticket checkout
Not found yet
- booking.passport.accepted: Whether the WeChat booking for Sun Ke Villa or Tsutaya accepts passports is not stated. (searched: government, Trip.com Moments, WebSearch)
- transport.metro[0].exit: Only one visitor names Jiaotong University Exit 6. The other cited Trip.com moment did not contain the West Yan’an Road route; it appeared in a recommended post. (searched: official/government web, local news/guide, individual visitor posts)
- transport: A confirmed official route to the park was not located; the Trip.com moment had a cross-post parsing error. (searched: district/park official web, Trip.com moment body)
Traveler tips
- Check for a Sun Ke Villa exhibition. Sun Ke Villa (孙科别墅) inside Columbia Circle opens only while hosting an exhibition. Check the current event listing in the official 上生·新所 WeChat account, then use that event's booking instructions before attempting to enter. Outdoor paths and the old pool can still be visited separately. Caveat: A 2025 exhibition offered free slots; that price does not establish future exhibition admission or passport acceptance. source
- Book Tsutaya Books if required. Tsutaya Books (茑屋书店) occupies the 1927 Columbia Country Club building, with original arches, fireplaces and a bar. A September 2026 post says you need to reserve in advance through its WeChat account; after browsing, walk to the old pool and villas next door. Caveat: Reservation requirement from one 2026 post; not stated by the operator page we found. source
- Find the English-style pool and ram's head. Behind the Navy Club (1924) is a rare English-style outdoor pool. Its patterned mosaic was kept during restoration, and a ram's-head sculpture once hidden in the north-wall niche is visible again. The pool area hosts fashion shows and exhibitions, so access can vary. source
- Check the route from Jiaotong University. One 2025 visitor walked about 1.3 km from Jiaotong University station (交通大学) Exit 6 to Sun Ke Villa inside Columbia Circle. Set the destination to 上生·新所, 1262 Yan'an West Road, and check the current exit map before leaving the station. Caveat: Exit 6 is a single-author route. The previously cited Trip.com moment contains no West Yan'an Road station instruction; it came from a recommended post. source
- Make it a Hudec architecture route. Inside Columbia Circle, see Sun Ke Villa, Tsutaya Books in the former country club, and the restored pool before heading to Wukang Mansion. The walk onward to Wukang Mansion takes roughly 15–20 minutes by editorial map estimate, so do not loop back to Columbia Circle afterward. Caveat: Sun Ke Villa interior opens only during booked exhibitions. source
- Stay for brunch in the garden. Phase 2 of the park added squares and new buildings with cafés. TRIFLE (瑞福, Building 16) serves coffee, pastries and brunch 09:00–22:00 with outdoor tables in the greenery; allow another hour or two to wander the old club buildings afterwards. (2 travelers) source
Sources
- Shanghai Municipal People's Government (published 2023-12-17)
- Shanghai Municipal People's Government (published 2025-12-25)
- Shanghai Municipal People's Government (source: Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce) (published 2023-12-17)
- Changning District People's Government (published 2024-03-27)
- Shanghai Municipal People's Government (published 2025-12-23)
- _TI***ms (Trip.com Moments) (published 2026-09-28)
- StellaFrost_64 (Trip.com Moments) (published 2025-11-05)
- Lina Sinchuk (Trip.com Moments) (published 2026-09-01)
- The Global Food Traveler (Trip.com Moments) (published 2026-09-29)
- _TI***da (Trip.com Moments) (published 2026-09-28)
- Fedoriada (Trip.com Moments) (published 2026-07-24)