Shanghai is a typical estuarine megalopolis with unique estuarine and coastal geomorphic relics and land subsidence disaster relics caused by neotectonic subsidence and river—sea interaction. For utilization and protection of the local geoheritage resources, this paper elucidates systematically the characteristics and geological significance of geological relics in Shanghai for the first time.Methods: Based on literature data, remote sensing images and ground survey, this paper selected and identified 12 geological relic concentration areas in Shanghai. The characteristic parameters of typical geological relics were obtained through route investigation, field observation, photographing and aerial photograph interpretation. Supplementary AMS14C dating was carried out to further determine the age of the paleo- coastline relics. A representative geological profile consisting of 17 Quaternary boreholes was compiled to reveal the evolution of geological relics.Results: In chronological order of initiation, the geological relics in Shanghai can be divided into four types: volcanic geomorphology, coastal geomorphology, water geomorphology and geological disaster relic, which are named as volcanic mound, paleo- coastline, Yangtze River delta and land subsidence relic. AMS14C dates of shell fragments from the sandy cheniers show that the ages of paleo- coastline relics in Jinshan district (the west of Shanghai) and eastern Chongming island are approximately 6. 0 ka and 0. 7 ka, respectively. The geological structure section of loose sediments shows the evolutionary relationship between the three types of geomorphological relics of different ages. The geological relics of Shanghai as a whole express the evolution of geomorphic pattern of the Yangtze River estuary in the past 120 million years, the evolution of land and sea and civilization in the past 6000 years, the evolution of the Yangtze River estuary in the past 1500 years and the occurrence and prevention of land subsidence disasters in the past 100 years.Conclusion: In general, the geological relics of Shanghai contain the unique history of geological evolution and human—earth interation in the mega- estuary area in China or even in the world. The geological sites in Shanghai proposed in this study are mainly distributed in typical and rare ecological landscape areas and cultural landscape areas. Therefore, all kinds of geological relic landscapes and their corresponding scientific interpretation are of great significance for enhancing the value of regional ecological and cultural landscapes and developing geo- tourism routes.