Founded by Soon Ching-ling (1893-1981), the Shanghai Children's Art Theater is part of the China Welfare Institute. It was reconstructed from the former SAIC GM pavilion during the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai.

An exterior view of the Shanghai Children's Art Theater. [Photo/WeChat account: shhplyj]

The theater, which opened on June 1, 2013, is also known as "the big whale" among young audiences due to its shape.

The Shanghai Children's Art Theater became the first in China to present shows for children under three years old in 2015. In 2017, it became the first to introduce overseas shows to children with special needs. It has also developed the Starfish Project to provide continued services to these children.

The theater introduced successful overseas performing groups to China, such as the Piccolo Coro "Mariele Ventre" dell'Antoniano, a celebrated Italian children's choir, and Baby Shark Live: The Hidden Treasure in 2022. It also launched a series of original shows featuring different aspects of Chinese culture such as folk opera, an intangible cultural heritage.

Address: No 800 Miaojiang Road, Huangpu district

(Updated on Nov 25, 2025)

Sources: "shhplyj" WeChat account, shcat.com.cn, chinadaily.com.cn