CN
Shanghai
China's Most Cosmopolitan City
China's Most Cosmopolitan City
The Bund is Shanghai’s 1.5-kilometre waterfront promenade, lined with 52 neoclassical and art deco European banking and trading houses built between 1840 and 1940. Across the Huangpu River, the Pudong skyline — the Shanghai Tower (632m; second tallest building in the world), the Jin Mao Tower, and the Oriental Pearl TV Tower — provides one of the most dramatic cityscapes on earth. The contrast between the two riverbanks, separated by 150 metres of river, is the visual definition of Shanghai.
💡 Go at sunset for the full effect: the Bund buildings are lit from one side as Pudong lights up from the other. The Bund at 11pm, after most tourists have left, is exceptionally atmospheric.
Yu Garden (Yuyuan; ¥40; Huangpu district; Metro Line 10 to Yuyuan) is a 2-hectare Ming dynasty private garden of rockeries, pavilions, and ornamental ponds, built 1559–1577. The surrounding bazaar streets — heavily restored but undeniably atmospheric — are the finest concentration of Qing-era architecture in Shanghai. The Huxinting Teahouse (the oldest in the city; zigzag bridge over the lake; tea from ¥68) is the most photographed building in Old Shanghai.
💡 Arrive when Yu Garden opens at 8:30am to appreciate the rockeries and pavilions without crowds. The bazaar around it gets very busy by 10am.
The French Concession (Xuhui and Jing’an districts) is Shanghai’s finest neighbourhood: wide tree-lined streets of plane trees, art deco apartment buildings, independent restaurants, and boutique cafes that survived the Cultural Revolution relatively intact. Xintiandi is a pedestrianised development of restored shikumen (stone-gate) lane houses from the 1920s, now the most fashionable dining and bar area in the city — international and Chinese restaurants side by side with high-end boutiques.
💡 Rent a bicycle and ride the French Concession: Wukang Road, Anfu Road, and the lanes off Yongkang Road have the finest street-level architecture in Shanghai. Allow 2–3 hours for a slow loop.
The Shanghai Tower (632m; SHT at 118th floor; ¥180; book at www.shanghaitower.com.cn) is the world’s second tallest building and has the world’s highest observation deck. The views on a clear day extend beyond the city limits to Hangzhou Bay. The adjacent World Financial Center (¥160; the bottle-opener shaped building with the hole at the top) has a glass-floor bridge at 474m. Both are accessible from Lujiazui Metro station (Line 2).
💡 The SHT deck is less crowded than equivalent European towers — book the first slot of the morning (9am) for the clearest air and fewest visitors. The elevator ascent takes 55 seconds.
Shanghai’s defining dish is xiaolongbao — steamed soup dumplings with a pork-and-gelatin filling that liquefies during steaming. The canonical source is Nanxiang in Yu Garden Old City (¥18 for 6; expect a 20–40 minute queue). Hairy crab (yangcheng lake; September–November; from ¥80 for a female crab) is the great seasonal Shanghai delicacy. The French Concession has the highest density of independent restaurants in the city: Yongkang Road for wine bars and Italian; Wulumuqi Road for Shanghainese home cooking; Xintiandi for Japanese and international options. For the Bund-adjacent dining experience without Bund prices, the restaurants on M on the Bund’s side street offer comparable views at 60% of the cost.
Morning: walk the full length of the Bund (1.5km; free). Cross to Pudong via the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel (kitsch but fun; ¥55 return) or the ferry (¥2). Visit the Shanghai Tower observation deck (book ahead; ¥180; 9am–10pm). Return to the Bund by 5pm for golden-hour photos of Pudong from the western bank. Dinner at a French Concession restaurant (Yongkang Road area: ramen, wine bars, and Shanghainese cuisine within 200m of each other).
Yu Garden at 8:30am before tour groups arrive (¥40; 1.5h). Xiaolongbao soup dumplings at Nanxiang in the Old City bazaar (¥18 for 6; queue: ~30 mins). Metro to the French Concession: rent a bicycle (from ¥20/hour) and cycle Wukang Road, Anfu Road, and the lanes behind Xintiandi. Afternoon coffee at a cafe on Yongkang Road. Evening: Xintiandi for dinner and drinks.
Jade Buddha Temple (Jing’an District; ¥50; metro Line 7 to Changshuro; 1.5h) for one of Shanghai’s finest active Buddhist monasteries. Afternoon: Tianzifang (former French Concession lane houses converted to art galleries, craft shops, and cafes) for the best street-level browsing in the city. Day trip alternative: Zhujiajiao water town (1h by bus from Pu’an Road terminal; ¥80 return) for canal-side Ming architecture without crowds.
Shanghai’s internet censorship is identical to the rest of mainland China. Download ExpressVPN (or NordVPN) and test it before boarding.
Street taxis in Shanghai are metered and generally honest, but communication is difficult without Mandarin.
The Bund is busiest between 5pm and 9pm.
Local students approach tourists claiming to practice English, then invite them to a tea ceremony or gallery nearby that ends with an extremely overpriced bill.
Restaurants directly on the Bund serve mediocre food at 4× the standard Shanghai price for the view.
The Shanghai Metro (20 lines; ¥3–9 per journey) is one of the world’s busiest and most efficient.
Essential for Google, WhatsApp, and all Western services in China. Install and test before landing — cannot be downloaded in China.
Free
WeChat for messaging and WeChat Pay; Alipay for the highest foreign-card compatibility. Both are essential for payments in restaurants, museums, and shops. Set up before departure.
Free
Offline Shanghai Metro route planner in English. Shows line maps, station exits, and interchange instructions. No internet connection required inside the system.
Free
China’s dominant ride-hailing app. Download and link a card before arrival for reliable English-interface point-to-point travel without needing to speak Mandarin.
Free
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