Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, Research observatory in Xuhui District, China

The Shanghai Astronomical Observatory is a research institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences at 80 Nandan Road, Xuhui District, formed in 1962 from the Xujiahui and Sheshan observatories. Its headquarters is an office and laboratory site, not a visitor facility; observing runs take place at Sheshan, where a 25-metre radio telescope built in 1987 and a 60 cm laser ranging station stand. The 65-metre Tianma radio telescope, 70 m high and 2,700 tonnes, was completed in 2012 near Tianma Mountain in Songjiang.

The facility was created in 1962 by merging two older regional observatories into a single institution. This consolidation formed a more powerful research center that advanced China's role in astronomical work.

The name Xujiahui (Ziikawei) survives from the Jesuit observatory of 1872 that merged into SHAO in 1962. The 25 m Sheshan telescope works within the European VLBI Network, so observing runs are scheduled jointly with European stations. SHAO also took part in the Chang'e 1 lunar mission through VLBI position determinations.

The headquarters sits at 80 Nandan Road in Xuhui District, while the instruments are split between the Sheshan observing campus and Tianma Mountain near Songjiang. The 25-metre Sheshan telescope, built in 1987, and the 60 cm laser ranging station are working research facilities, not a visitor site, so plan around the campus locations rather than expecting public tours.

The facility operates a massive radio telescope with a diameter of 65 meters, enabling extremely precise measurements of celestial objects. This instrument is among the most important tools for radio astronomy observations in the region.