Century Avenue

Century Avenue

Stretching approximately 5.5 kilometers from the Oriental Pearl Tower to Pudong Century Park and spanning 100 meters in width, Century Avenue runs from the Oriental Pearl Tower and Lujiazui Roundabout in the west to the administrative and cultural center of Pudong New Area in the east. It is hailed as the "Champs-Élysées of the East."

Functionally positioned as an urban landscape boulevard, the design scheme provided by French firm Chaix & Morel et Associes shifts the central axis of Century Avenue 10 meters southward, making it the world’s only asymmetrical road. It boasts a grand and majestic presence with a strong landscaped effect.

Functionally positioned as an urban landscape boulevard, the design scheme provided by French firm Chaix & Morel et Associes shifts the central axis of Century Avenue 10 meters southward, making it the world’s only asymmetrical road. It boasts a grand and majestic presence with a strong landscaped effect.

Century Avenue is also the first urban landscape boulevard where greenery and pedestrian walkways are wider than the vehicle lanes. Its design effectively harmonizes the integrated relationship among pedestrians, traffic, and buildings. To highlight the landscaped effect, the green pedestrian walkway spans 69 meters, with the 44.5-meter-wide northern sidewalk featuring four rows of trees: evergreen camphor trees on the outer side and deciduous ginkgo trees along the inner side, creating a seasonal effect of shade in summer and light penetration in winter.

The southern side, 24.5 meters wide, features two rows of trees. Additionally, the northern sidewalk includes eight 180-meter-long and 20-meter-wide “botanical gardens,” respectively named Willow Garden, Metasequoia Garden, Cherry Garden, Crape Myrtle Garden, Magnolia Garden, Camellia Garden, Bauhinia Garden, and Koelreuteria Garden, each with distinctive themes and features.

Along the road, time-themed sculptures and artworks are installed, offering unique scenery and rich cultural charm.

Key sculptures and artworks along Century Avenue include Century Dawn, located at the intersection of Century Avenue and Laoshan West Road. Inspired by the ancient Chinese timekeeping device “hourglass,” nine stainless steel and glass columns of varying heights are arranged in a parabolic formation to resemble planetary orbits. Every 2 to 5 days, electric pumps lift the fallen sand back up. This rare fusion of ancient technology and modern Pudong architecture creates a uniquely charming atmosphere.

Five Elements is inspired by the ancient Chinese philosophy of mutual generation and restriction, using the oracle bone script forms of the five elements—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—as its core design elements. Each of the five sculptural components has a distinct form: “Metal” takes a triangular, pagoda-like shape standing in the center; “Wood” is boldly carved from a cube; “Fire” adopts the shape of a flame—all three are made of cast bronze.

“Water” is crafted from stainless steel in smooth, pictographic curves representing flowing water, while “Earth” is hewn from natural stone. Oriental Light, situated on the expansive roundabout at the intersection of Century Avenue and Yanggao Road and backed by the large plaza of Century Park, is modeled after an ancient sundial. Using a stainless steel pipe truss structure, it evokes a sense of distant history.

The sundial is larger at the base and smaller at the top. Its oval dial plate symbolizes the Earth, and the central point through which the gnomon passes represents China. According to astronomers, the gnomon points directly north and functions as a time indicator.

In line with the naming concept of Century Avenue, the series of urban environmental art installations along the avenue consistently reflect an overall sense of unity and a style of modern high technology. The time-themed sculptures make Century Avenue the world’s only urban sculpture boulevard dedicated to the theme of time.

Sculptures such as Oriental Light, Century Morning Light, and Five Elements have already been installed. At the same time, simple forms paired with refined metal tensile structure installations—whether columns, benches, railings, lamp posts, or shelters—feature a unified color scheme, forming iconic and distinctive hues.

Time-themed sculptures and installations are placed along the route, such as sundial pointers, Century Clocks, and hourglasses in different sections. The construction of Century Avenue not only plays a significant role in the functional and morphological development of Pudong but also stands as a landmark urban landscape project at the turn of the century in Shanghai.

Century Avenue is a grand construction project. The landscape engineering and the development of commercial, cultural, tourism, and leisure functions on both sides will be gradually improved. The plots along Century Avenue hold immense business potential.

Transportation

Line 2 of the Shanghai Metro: Shanghai Science and Technology Museum Station (on the section of Century Avenue between Yanggao South Road and Xiangyang Road), where apart from the museum itself, you’ll find the Pudong New Area Administrative Service Center

Lines 2, 4, 6, and 9 of the Shanghai Metro: Century Avenue Station (on the section of Century Avenue between Zhangyang Road, Dongfang Road, and Weifang Road)

Line 2 of the Shanghai Metro: Dongchang Road Station (on the section of Century Avenue between Pudong South Road and Nanquan North Road)

Line 2 of the Shanghai Metro: Lujiazui Station (at the intersection of Century Avenue and Lujiazui Roundabout; accessible via the Lujiazui Roundabout and pedestrian overpass)

Ground transportation: Buses 01, 119, 779, 787, 792, 799, 992, 993, Tunnel Line 3, Tunnel Line 9, and Xinchuan Special Line, among others

Scenic Location

Century Avenue, Pudong New Area, Shanghai