Chapter 6

4 am to 5 am

The Blue Hour

The streetlights are still on, though they seem dimmer against the changing sky. The sky begins to change — not growing brighter, but turning blue, a deep, almost liquid blue. Across the city, people wait quietly for dawn in their own 24-hour havens.

Dining

24-hour McDonald's

Under the warm yellow lights of a 24-hour McDonald's, the exhaustion of the night seems to settle onto a tray. For those still awake, it is a place to sit, grab a bite, and wait for dawn.

• Jing'an Temple Branch: No 18 Wanhangdu Road, Jing'an district
• Zhabei Park Branch: 40 meters south of the intersection of East Luochuan Road and Gonghexin Road, Jing'an district
• Dapuqiao Branch: No 1 South Ruijin Road, Huangpu district
• Xujiahui Branch: No 1 Tianyaoqiao Road, Xuhui district
• Tianlin Haoyouduo Branch: 1F, Wal-Mart, No 402 Guilin Road, Xuhui district
• Shanghai Pudong Shinmay Union Square Branch: Rooms 121-122, 1F, and Rooms 210-212, 2F, No 999 South Pudong Road, Pudong New Area
• Parkson Newcore Branch: 1F, West Building, Parkson Newcore, Nos 789-880 Tianshan Road, Changning district
• Changshou Road Branch: No 393 Changshou Road, Putuo district

Retail

24-hour convenience stores

The sky hangs between night and day, while the white glow of a 24-hour convenience store resembles an island at dawn. As the doors open, the scent of oden drifts out. Inside, one person waits for a rice ball to warm in the microwave, while others sit by the window scrolling through their phones. During the city's quietest hours, convenience stores offer a place to pause and recharge.

Alldays (好德便利店):

• No 196A, Guangyuan Road, Tianping Road subdistrict
• No 143 Anfu Road, Hunan Road subdistrict

Lawson (罗森):

• No 101 Jiashan Road

Bookshops

Heping Library

和平书院

• Address: Gate 5, Heping Park, No 891 Tianbao Road, Hongkou district
• Opening hours: 24 hours

Hidden within Heping Park, Heping Library is Shanghai's first 24-hour park library. The space offers indoor study seats, outdoor seating, and food and drinks, with a 24-hour reading area on the first floor.

The City Never Sleeps

城市不眠书店

• Address: Room A109, 1F, Building A, No 18 Jinhai Road, Pudong New Area
• Opening hours: 24 hours

Open 24 hours a day, The City Never Sleeps offers a quiet place for those still awake in the wee hours. It also regularly hosts reading events.

i Ren Shufang Self-Service Reading Room

i人书房

• Address: 60 meters northeast of the intersection of Nansuozhou Road and Datian Road, Jing'an district
• Opening hours: 24 hours

With no staff members on site, the compact self-service reading room is nestled in a discreet space that accommodates just five or six readers at a time.

Entertainment

Qushui Lanting Resort Hotel

曲水兰亭

• Address: No 3337 Hongmei Road, Hongqiao town, Minhang district
• Opening hours: 24 hours

Qushui Lanting combines bathing and spa facilities with dining and leisure activities, offering a place to slow down as the night draws to a close. A 12-hour admission option gives guests plenty of time to soak, rest, eat, and enjoy the facilities at an unhurried pace.

KTV

Even without seeing the light outside, everyone knows that dawn is near. The body starts to give in: voices are hoarse, feet are tired, but the last bit of energy refuses to call it a night. Here, the long night finally comes to an end.

• Chun K (纯K): 3F, Sun Moon Light Center, No 618 Xujiahui Road
• Windsor KTV (温莎KTV): B1, Shanghai Plaza, No 138 Middle Huaihai Road

Note: Opening hours and venue operations may change. Visitors are advised to check with individual venues before traveling.

Source: Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce