Lu Xun, founder of China's New Literary Movement has many places to his name around the Hongkou area, non more visited than the one-of-a-kind Lu Xun park - next to the Football Stadium.
Sure, there are parks all over Shanghai where you'll catch a game of checkers, spot some Tai Chi or enjoy a sonata but Lu Xun is bristling with odd-bod activity. In a walk from one end to the other we saw a string quartet, shogun marching, ballroom dancing, grasshopper catcher, opera singer, mah jong tournament, skateboarding and a kung fu sword master.
Then there's the exercise area with some incredibly ripped grandpas pushing out 100 dip sets and grannies doing the splits. All of this to piped music throughout; mostly traditional Chinese with an occasional The Godfather theme tune tossed in.
All of this paled into insignificance as we rounded the corner to find a Takeshi's Castle style boating pond where for 30RMB we waged a 20min war on the high seas.