There's room for improvement when it comes to babycare facilities
As Shanghai is growing more pedestrian-friendly by improving its public spaces, some people are considering ways to make it easier for young parents to walk their babies.
Dr Xu Anlu, a lecturer at Shanghai International Studies University, is one of those campaigning for a better travel experience for babies.
"Infants and young children cannot express their thoughts well, but their needs should not be ignored," she told Shanghai Daily. "A babycare room where they can have their milk, get their diapers changed and even sleep can help."
But not everyone agrees with her. A staff member of a district-level service department told Xu that in most cases, people don't take their children out until "they are 3 years old."
Xu approached the department with her research team, I & U Future, to discuss the need for babycare rooms in public places.
"What the staff member said shocked me," Xu said.
Some people believe that newborns and small children would disrupt them in public, while others worry that public services cannot accommodate babies' travel demands.
A screenshot of a netizen who received 255 "thumbs-up" for insisting that infants should not travel and criticized a blogger who posted her happy experience of traveling with her baby on social media site Xiaohongshu.
Improving babycare rooms
"I will not take my 1-year-old son out in the winter because many babycare rooms do not have warm tap water," said Sherry Guo, a junior high English teacher. "My son hates freezing water to wash his buttocks when it's time to change diaper."
Recently, a woman who was photographed breastfeeding her infant on a train and another parent who changed diapers in a public area came in for criticism online, making the need for babycare rooms all the more important.
Xu's research team of 12 students has studied over 100 babycare rooms in Shanghai and interviewed over 1,200 parents since last year. Based on the findings, up to 94.8 percent of respondents believe that relevant departments should improve local baby care rooms.
"Many parents always say 'Lump it' when they take children out," Xu said.
Tan Shiqi, the research team leader and a junior at SISU, said that "many places, even in the city center, such as the Museum of Art Pudong, do not have babycare rooms."
Interestingly, the museum cooperated with a British art museum in February to promote children's self-expression and artistic growth. But the basic needs of the children are not addressed.
Dr Xu Anlu, a lecturer at Shanghai International Studies University, and her team of researchers have released a report on the need for babycare rooms in public places. They also created a model of an ideal nursing room.
I also discovered that neither Shanghai Culture Square, which has staged concerts for children, nor Disney Town, a commercial block of the Shanghai Disney Resort outside the theme park, offers a nursing room.
"Our analysis shows babycare rooms are affordable. Diaper-changing tables, washbasins and sofas cost as little as 2,000 yuan (US$273.27)," Tan said.
As a mother of a 2-year-old daughter, I make it a point to check whether nursing rooms are available at places we plan to go with my child.
However, even though research suggests there are nursing rooms in places we plan to visit, it can be hard to locate them.
According to Xu's team's poll, 42 percent of respondents have experienced difficulty finding a nursing room. The reasons for this include a lack of location direction, insufficient job training for relevant staff, and remote locations.
I have often spent a good 30 minutes looking for nursing rooms in parks and scenic riversides but with little success. When I did find one, it was invariably closed with signs saying, "equipment damaged, temporarily closed."
Additionally, I've seen a man sleeping, a cleaner drinking tea, a young woman applying makeup, and someone charging an electric bike in a nursing room.
An electric vehicle is being charged at a babycare room in a riverside park in Minhang District.
In 2016, the Shanghai government proposed the "15-minute community life circle," in which residents can have easy access to major amenities associated with a good quality of life. "But currently, it is difficult to find a nursing room within 15 minutes," argued Xu.
However, most babycare rooms in local shopping malls can accommodate people's needs. Warm water, free diapers, a refrigerator for storing breast milk, a bottle warmer, a dedicated breastfeeding area, and even a children's slide are available on practically every floor.
Richard Shen, a father of a 1-year-and-6-month-old infant, stated that he is "always moved by these facilities and items, even though some of them, like disposable baby urine pads and even portable electric kettles, are in my travel bag."
"A separate breastfeeding area for mothers also makes me feel at ease when I take my baby to the room."
"When my baby was 8 months old, she kept practicing turning over," Shen recalled. "Thanks to the toys over the diaper changing table and the cute images on the ceiling of a baby care room in downtown Xujiahui's ONE ITC Mall, it was easy for me to change the diapers."
A nursing room in Xujiahui's ONE ITC Mall with comfort toys over the diaper changing table
In February, the Shanghai Health Commission mandated babycare spaces at shopping malls and cultural and sporting venues where parents and newborns frequent. It also has room for guidance.
I also discovered that the electronic map of Shanghai nursing rooms on the Suishenban app, the city government's public service platform, still had numerous vacant places.
Implementing the commission's stated objectives is challenging in the absence of laws and regulations with penalties like fines, accountability, and rectification, according to Xu.
Nursing rooms and other babycare facilities are available at some venues for babies under 2. Here are part of them.
Guangfulin Relics Park 廣富林遺址公園
Although the park's exhibition halls (including the underwater museum) do not welcome baby strollers, the outside area is baby-friendly and has wheelchair access and a children's park.
A restaurant in the park provides baby highchairs, baby utensils and diaper-changing tables.
Opening hours: 9am-5pm
Address: 3260 Guangfulin Road, Songjiang District 松江區廣富林路3260號
Admission: Free (the entrance fee for four exhibition halls is 70 yuan)
Facilities & services available: baby stroller-friendly, babycare room, baby highchairs in scenic spot restaurant
How to get there: Take Metro Line 9 to Songjiang University Town Station. Transfer to Songjiang Bus No. 24 (barrier-free bus) and get off at Guangfulin Road Longyuan Road Stop.
Qibao Old Town 七寶古鎮
Small bridges and flowing water are typical Jiangnan (regions south of the Yangtze River's lower reaches) watertown scenes. But I often feel helpless when I have to cross the river with bags, a baby stroller and my daughter.
Qibao Old Town has two modern bridges with no steps, making wheelchairs and baby carriages more accessible. Although this ancient town is small, it provides adequate space for a baby to explore the traditional Chinese landscape.
Opening hours: 24 hours (time for its exhibition halls: 9am-6pm)
Address: Qingnian Road by Hengli Road, Minhang District 閔行區青年路與橫瀝路路口
Admission: Free (Tickets are required for exhibition halls)
Facilities & services available: baby stroller-friendly, babycare room, baby highchairs in scenic spot restaurant
How to get there: Metro Line 9 Qibao Station
Rabor Nova 云堡未來市
It is a new art and culture attraction that opened in 2019 and features a variety of art galleries, reading rooms and entertainment venues.
When I went there with my daughter in August, I met three families with little children.
"For adults, this place is small. However, if you crouch down and look at the place through a child's eyes, you will find many interesting things, such as stones of various shapes," a visitor surnamed Dai said.
Opening hours: 24 hours (time for its exhibition halls: 9am-5pm or 6pm)
Address: 885 Wangjiashe Road, Dongjing Town, Songjiang District 松江區洞涇鎮王家厙路885號
Admission: Free (tickets are required for different exhibitions)
Facilities & services available: baby stroller-friendly, babycare room, baby highchairs in scenic spot restaurant
How to get there: Metro Line 9 Dongjing Station
Shanghai Powerlong Museum 上海寶龍美術館位
Playing with playdough at the Shanghai Powerlong Museum
The museum has 10n galleries with various themed exhibitions that vary on a regular basis. Some are appropriate for children.
In July, I took my daughter to see a Florentijn Hofman exhibition, "Celebrate Together!" She was fascinated with the animal-shaped artwork made of balloons and also used colorful paper and playdough to experiment with art.
The exhibition ended last month, but there are other exhibits for children, such as the Hello Kitty-themed exhibition celebrating the cartoon character's 50th anniversary. The exhibition is underway until January 28 next year.
Opening hours: Tuesdays-Sundays, 10am-6pm (closed on Mondays, except for holidays)
Address: 3055 Caobao Road, Minhang District 閔行區漕寶路3055弄
Admission: Different ticket fees for different exhibitions
Facilities & services available: baby stroller-friendly, babycare room, baby highchairs in scenic spot restaurant
How to get there: Metro Line 9 to Qibao Station
Guangfulin Country Park 廣富林郊野公園
A child grabs winter jujubes at Guangfulin Country Park.
Many activities are offered in the park, such as horseback riding, bicycle riding, fishing and kite flying. Adults and children can pick fruits and vegetables such as winter jujube, cherries and strawberries. Camping and picnicking on the lawn or in the woods are other viable options.
Opening hours: 8am-6pm
Address: 3488 Chenta Road, Songjiang District 松江區辰塔路3488號
Admission: Free
Facilities & services available: baby stroller-friendly, babycare room
How to get there: Take Metro Line 9 to Songjiang University Town Station. Transfer to Songjiang Bus No. 24 (barrier-free bus) and get off at Guangfulin Road Longyuan Road Stop.
Shanghai Blooming Garden 花開海上生態園
The 82-hectare park is a great place to admire flowers and plants throughout the year, like cherry blossoms in spring, lotus flowers in summer, red maples in autumn and plum blossoms in winter.
Opening hours: 8am-5pm
Address: No. 6060, Xiujing, Daijing Village, Zhujing Town, Jinshan District 金山區朱涇鎮待涇村秀涇6060號
Admission: 30 yuan (free for children younger than 6 years old or under 1.3 meters tall)
Facilities & services available: baby stroller-friendly, babycare room, baby highchairs in scenic spot restaurant
How to get there: There's no Metro station nearby and buses may not be barrier-free. Better drive or take a taxi.
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