Shanghai's libraries are free and open to expats, and Shanghai Library East is genuinely beautiful.
Shanghai's libraries are free, open to everyone including expats, and two of them are genuinely beautiful places to spend a cold day. The headline act is Shanghai Library East in Pudong, a soaring modern building near Century Park where you can walk in, sit down and read anything with no card at all. You only need a card, and your passport, if you want to borrow books home.
Shanghai Library East, the free building worth the trip
Shanghai Library East (上海图书馆东馆) opened in 2022 at 300 Hehuan Road in Pudong, a short walk from Science and Technology Museum station on Metro Line 2, and it is one of the largest libraries in the country. Entry is free and you do not need a card or a booking just to go in, sit on one of the terraced reading floors, and spend the afternoon with a book and a view over the trees. It is the rare Shanghai landmark that is stunning, warm, quiet and costs nothing, which is exactly what you want when the weather turns.
Come on a weekday if you can; weekends fill up, and some upper floors keep shorter hours. Monday access is reduced, with the lower floors opening in the afternoon and some sections closed, so it is worth checking the day before. If you like a free day out, our guide to free things to do in Shanghai that do not feel cheap has more in the same spirit.
How to get a Shanghai library card as an expat
Getting a card at a Shanghai library is simple: bring your passport to the registration desk and choose your level. A reading-only card is free and lets you use everything on site. A borrowing card, which lets you take books home, comes with a small refundable deposit, and the reference collection asks for a larger one. Staff handle foreign passports routinely, though borrowing sometimes also needs a Shanghai residence permit, so have it with you just in case.
There is an e-card through a WeChat mini-program too, but it wants a Chinese phone number, so the passport-at-the-desk route is the reliable one for most newcomers.
What you can actually read, and the English side
Shanghai's libraries are not only Chinese-language. Both main buildings hold foreign-language collections, with English fiction, reference and periodicals, plus quiet study areas, free wifi and cafes, which makes them a calm alternative to paying for a coworking seat when you just need somewhere to focus. The East building leans modern and spacious; the original Shanghai Library on Huaihai Middle Road in Xuhui, near Gao'an Road, is the older, more scholarly one, handy if you live on the Puxi side.
Shanghai Library East is the rare city landmark that is stunning, warm and quiet, and costs you nothing at all.
It is also an easy half-day to pair with something else. The East building sits one metro stop from the Science and Technology Museum, where the city's well-known market hides underground, so a morning of reading and an afternoon of haggling at the fake market make a neat Pudong day. Or keep it slow and make it part of a Sunday alone.
Good to know
- Good for: anyone wanting a free, beautiful, warm place to read, study or hide from the cold, no card needed just to visit.
- Where: Shanghai Library East, 300 Hehuan Road, Pudong, by Science and Technology Museum station (Line 2). The original library is on Huaihai Middle Road in Xuhui.
- Hours: open daily with reading floors from around 9am to 8:30pm, reduced on Mondays. Check the day before.
- Make the most of it: bring your passport for a card, go on a weekday, and pack a flask; there is a cafe but the reading floors are the draw.
Is Shanghai Library East free to visit?
Yes. Entry is free and you do not need a card or a reservation just to go in, read on the terraced floors and use the wifi. You only need a card, plus your passport, if you want to borrow books to take home. Special exhibitions occasionally ask for a free booking.
Can expats get a Shanghai library card?
Yes. Bring your passport to the registration desk and you can sign up on the spot. A reading-only card is free; a borrowing card carries a small refundable deposit of about ¥100 (around USD 15). Borrowing sometimes also requires a Shanghai residence permit, so carry it in case the desk asks.
How do I get to Shanghai Library East?
It is at 300 Hehuan Road in Pudong, a few minutes' walk from Science and Technology Museum station on Metro Line 2, or Yingchun Road station on Line 18. It sits near Century Park, so it pairs well with a walk if the weather is kind.
Does Shanghai Library have English books?
Yes. Both main buildings hold foreign-language collections with English fiction, reference works and periodicals, alongside quiet study areas and free wifi. The selection is broad rather than bang up to date, so it is better for reading and research than for chasing this month's new releases.
When is the quietest time to visit Shanghai Library East?
A weekday is calmest, with the most free seats and the full run of floors open. Weekends and Monday afternoons get busy, and some upper floors keep shorter hours, so arrive earlier in the day if you want a window seat on a terrace.
As Du Fu wrote, 读书破万卷，下笔如有神, read ten thousand scrolls and the brush moves as if touched by a spirit. A free seat by a tall window is as good a place as any in Shanghai to make a start.
Words, maps and research by the Choice Shanghai team. Please credit us and tag our 公众号 if you share.
