Sunrise
The Bund
Area: Huangpu River
Face east for the Pudong skyline brightening; fog and crowds call for a fixed safe position.
A city-focused calendar of blue hour, golden hour, sunrise, sunset and moon phase for planning dawn, dusk, cityscape and travel shoots in Shanghai.
| Date | Blue hour | Golden hour | Sunrise | Sunset | Tonight's Moon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-27 | 05:01-05:26 / 18:25-18:50 | 05:26-05:58 / 17:53-18:25 | 05:26 | 18:25 | Waxing Gibbous 99% |
| 2026-08-28 | 05:01-05:26 / 18:24-18:49 | 05:26-05:59 / 17:51-18:24 | 05:26 | 18:24 | Full Moon 100% |
| 2026-08-29 | 05:02-05:27 / 18:23-18:47 | 05:27-05:59 / 17:50-18:23 | 05:27 | 18:23 | Waning Gibbous 99% |
| 2026-08-30 | 05:03-05:28 / 18:21-18:46 | 05:28-06:00 / 17:49-18:21 | 05:28 | 18:21 | Waning Gibbous 96% |
| 2026-08-31 | 05:03-05:28 / 18:20-18:45 | 05:28-06:01 / 17:48-18:20 | 05:28 | 18:20 | Waning Gibbous 90% |
| 2026-09-01 | 05:04-05:29 / 18:19-18:44 | 05:29-06:01 / 17:47-18:19 | 05:29 | 18:19 | Waning Gibbous 83% |
| 2026-09-02 | 05:05-05:29 / 18:18-18:42 | 05:29-06:02 / 17:46-18:18 | 05:29 | 18:18 | Waning Gibbous 74% |
Today the Sun rises from East (77°) and sets toward West (283°); choose the foreground by direction before timing the shot.
Daylight in Shanghai is shrinking by about 12 minutes week over week; today lasts about 12h 59m.
Today’s morning/evening golden-hour windows in Shanghai are about 33 / 32 minutes.
Across these seven days, 2026-08-28 has the brightest moon (100%), while 2026-09-02 is darkest (74%); choose by whether you want foreground light or stars.
Use the local times above to plan when to arrive, then choose a viewpoint by direction: east and southeast for sunrise, west coast for sunset.
Sunrise
Area: Huangpu River
Face east for the Pudong skyline brightening; fog and crowds call for a fixed safe position.
Sunset
Area: Suzhou Creek mouth
Western light layers the bridge, river and towers; keep pedestrian routes clear in heavy traffic.
Sunset
Area: Lingang, Pudong
The open lake suits long dusk and symmetry; wind or haze quickly breaks the reflection.
This calendar lays out upcoming twilight windows so you can choose warm light, cool light, silhouettes, or Moon shots before leaving.
Blue hour
Before sunrise and after sunset, the sky still has tone while street and building lights become visible. It is strong for bridges, streets, skylines, and reflections.
Golden hour
Low Sun angles create softer light and longer shadows. Landscapes, portraits, coastlines, and ridgelines gain clearer direction in this window.
Moon
Bright moonlight can reveal foreground detail but may reduce star contrast. If you want the Moon in frame, also check moonrise, moonset, and direction.
The best light lasts only minutes. Having a visual idea before arrival is more reliable than searching at the peak.
Arrival
Sunrise and sunset change quickly. Arrive 20 to 30 minutes early to test composition, safe movement, and backup angles.
Frame
Reflections, wet pavement, street lamps, silhouettes, ridgelines, and buildings often carry the image. The timetable tells you when light arrives; the scene makes the photo.
Backup
A blocked sunset is not a failed trip. Cloud texture, silhouettes, street lights, wet reflections, and blue hour can all become alternative subjects.
Related tools: Sunrise & Sunset · Photography Golden Hour Planner · Stargazing & Moon Viewing Score