Top 5 Abandoned Places in Shanghai – Best Urbex China Spot

In this article, discover five essential locations selected from our Urbex China Map, which features over 500 abandoned places across China, carefully documented for unique and immersive explorations.

Urbex China in Shanghai offers one of the most unique urban exploration experiences in Asia. Known for futuristic skyscrapers, financial districts, historic waterfronts, and rapid urban growth, Shanghai also hides abandoned factories, forgotten warehouses, silent residential blocks, and unfinished developments beyond the modern skyline.

Exploring Shanghai reveals a hidden side where industrial heritage, urban decay, and the ruins of rapid transformation coexist — making it one of the most rewarding destinations for urban exploration photography in China.

Why Shanghai Is One of the Best Urbex Destinations in China

Shanghai's breakneck modernization has created a paradox: the faster the city grows, the more it leaves behind. Entire industrial districts, unfinished real estate projects, and residential blocks frozen mid-demolition now dot the urban fabric. A years-long property sector crisis has only accelerated this phenomenon, leaving derelict buildings and ghost structures empty across the city's outskirts and former manufacturing zones.

For urban explorers, this makes Shanghai unrivaled — a place where decay and ambition exist side by side, and where every abandoned building tells a different story about China's transformation.

📍 All locations below are referenced on our Urbex China Map — GPS coordinates, access notes, condition ratings, and explorer reports included.

1. The Pentagon Mall – Pudong District (Known Location)

Without a doubt, the most iconic urbex spot in Shanghai. The Pentagonal Mart in Pudong was built in 2009 as a replica of the U.S. Pentagon and was intended to become the world's largest shopping mall, spanning over 500,000 square meters across 70 acres. The project was immediately plagued by its remote location and a labyrinthine interior that confused and deterred tenants. Most shops never opened. The interior was gradually swallowed by dust and disrepair.

Today, this giant concrete shell has become a landmark of the urbex China community — so well known that explorers leave messages for each other on the walls of the top floor.

👉 Broken tiles litter the ground, a faded mall map is barely visible under the dust, and some rooms still show signs of former squatters: mattresses, discarded takeout boxes, laundry hanging outside windows.

👉 Story: Built in 2009 as the world's biggest shopping mall, the project failed due to its remote location and confusing layout. Investment collapsed before it ever opened properly, leaving China's largest derelict structure frozen in time.

🔗 More on the Pentagon Mall: Wikipedia – New South China Mall

2. Houtouwan – Ghost Fishing Village Near Shanghai (Known Location)

A two-hour ferry ride from Shanghai, the ghost village of Houtouwan on Shengshan Island is one of the most photographed abandoned places in all of China. Every building has been consumed by climbing vines — the species Parthenocissus tricuspidata, which grows up to a meter per year — turning an entire working-class fishing town into the most visually striking ruin in the country.

At its peak in the 1980s, the village held over 2,000 residents and was nicknamed "Little Taiwan" for its prosperity. The shallow harbor gradually became unable to accommodate larger modern trawlers. Without proper roads or schools, families began leaving one by one. By 2002, the last resident had gone.

👉 Stone houses draped in moss, narrow alleys reclaimed by vegetation, crumbling walls overlooking the sea — a scene straight out of a post-apocalyptic film.

👉 Story: The harbor became too shallow for modern fishing fleets. Without transport links or schools, 600 families gradually left for mainland cities. By 2002, Houtouwan was completely empty. Two decades of subtropical humidity did the rest.

🔗 More on Houtouwan: Wikipedia – Houtouwan

3. The Abandoned Textile Mill – Industrial Heritage Shanghai (Exclusive on our Map)

A manufacturing facility now deteriorating despite the surrounding modernization of its district — one of the last visible traces of Shanghai's era as a global textile hub.

👉 Dust-covered machinery, broken windows, and vast production spaces create a surreal post-industrial atmosphere that defines the best of urbex in China. The equipment left inside tells the story of an industry dismantled almost overnight as land values soared and factories were pushed out of the city center.

👉 Story: Rising land values and rezoning plans accelerated industrial relocation throughout Shanghai's inner districts. What took decades to build was vacated in months as developers moved in.

📍 Exact location available on our Urbex China Map.

4. The Empty Residential Towers – Urban Decay Shanghai (Exclusive on our Map)

A housing complex now partially abandoned during large-scale redevelopment, suspended between use and demolition.

👉 Silent corridors, empty apartments, and deserted courtyards create one of the most cinematic urbex experiences in Shanghai. Walking through former living spaces — kitchens still tiled, wallpaper still patterned — carries a particular emotional weight. These towers were homes before they became ruins, and that history is impossible to ignore.

👉 Story: Urban renewal plans gradually displaced residents as Shanghai expanded. Entire neighborhoods were cleared to make way for new infrastructure, leaving these towers in prolonged suspension.

📍 Exact location available on our Urbex China Map.

5. The Wind-Beaten Hotel Above the City – Abandoned Shanghai Skyline (Exclusive on our Map)

A hospitality building now abandoned in a rapidly changing urban district, with panoramic views over Shanghai's skyline.

👉 Empty rooms, damaged interiors, and sweeping city views create one of the most atmospheric urbex spots in Shanghai. There is something uniquely unsettling about a hotel — a space built entirely around the comfort of guests — stripped of everything except its bones. Corridors lined with numbered doors, a lobby open to the sky, a rooftop overlooking the city that never stops.

👉 Story: Financial difficulties halted redevelopment efforts mid-project. The building has remained suspended ever since — too costly to finish, too prominent to demolish.

📍 Exact location available on our Urbex China Map.

Urbex China – Safety & Legal Reminder

Urban exploration in China carries specific risks. Trespassing is illegal, and security has increased significantly around abandoned structures in major cities. Always:

• Research each site thoroughly before visiting
• Explore with at least one other person
• Wear protective gear — mask, gloves, and sturdy boots
• Never force access or cause damage to any structure
• Respect the spaces and leave no trace

The urbex code applies everywhere: "Take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but footprints."

❓ FAQ – Urbex Shanghai

Is urbex legal in Shanghai?
Urban exploration is a legal grey area in China. Entering private or abandoned property without permission is technically trespassing and can result in fines or detention. Always research each site, avoid forcing access, and explore responsibly.

How do I get to Houtouwan from Shanghai?
Take a bus from Shanghai's Nanpu Bus Terminal to Shenjiawan Port on Shengshan Island. The journey takes approximately 4 to 6 hours including the ferry. Plan for a two-day trip to make the most of the visit.

What is the best time to visit abandoned places in Shanghai?
Early weekday mornings are best to avoid security and other visitors. Spring (March–May) and autumn (September–November) offer the most comfortable temperatures and the best natural light for urban decay photography.

🎯 Conclusion

Shanghai offers one of the richest experiences in urbex China, combining industrial heritage, abandoned residential districts, forgotten warehouses, and urban redevelopment zones. Every exploration reveals another hidden side of China's most dynamic metropolis.

Thanks to our Urbex China Map, you get access to over 500 unique locations for a safe and immersive exploration experience — with GPS coordinates, access ratings, photos, and explorer reports for every spot.

🗺️ Explore the full Urbex China Map →