Shanghai Metro & Zoo Adventure: Exploring Lines & Wildlife

We took the metro on a very sunny Easter Sunday out to Shanghai Zoo near the Hongqiao Airport to the West of the city. The Shanghai Metro (Chinese: 上海地铁; pinyin: Shànghǎi Dìtiě); is a rapid transit system in Shanghai, operating urban and suburban transit services to 14 of its 16 municipal districts and to Kunshan, Jiangsu Province. Served as a part of Shanghai rail transit, the Shanghai Metro system is the world's biggest metro system by route length, totalling 802 kilometres (498 mi). It is also the second biggest by the number of stations with 408 stations on 19 lines. Line 10 is driverless. Line 10 opened in April 2010 is 44.9 km long and has 37 stations. Line 11 goes to Disney resort over in the east and was opened in December 2009 is 82.4 km long and has 39 stations. Shanghai Zoological Park (simplified Chinese: 上海动物园; traditional Chinese: 上海動物園; pinyin: Shànghǎi Dòngwùyuán), or commonly Shanghai Zoo in short, is the main zoological garden in Shanghai. It is located near the township of Hongqiao (formerly Hung-Jao) and was formerly known as " Xijiao Park" (or "Western Suburbs Park"). The site of what is presently the Shanghai Zoo was first developed as livery stables in 1890. In 1914, the livery stables were purchased by a consortium of merchants, and in 1916 it was converted into the Hung-Jao Golf Club, one of Shanghai's largest golf clubs. Like many other foreign-owned clubs, its property was in 1953 resumed by the new government, after the Chinese Communist Party took over Shanghai in 1949. In 1954, the former golf course was opened to the public 1954 as "Xijiao Park". In 1959, a series of animal enclosures were built and the park was expanded. In 1980, the park was renamed "Shanghai Zoological Park". After half a century of development, the Shanghai Zoo has become one of the best ecological...