The Bund at Night
attractionShanghai Skyline
attractionYu Garden
attractionXintiandi
cultureXiaolongbao
foodFrench Concession
cultureShanghai is China's financial powerhouse, a city of Art Deco landmarks, futuristic skyscrapers, and a vibrant expat scene. The Bund's colonial architecture faces off against Pudong's sci-fi skyline across the Huangpu River. Beyond the glitz, you'll find tree-lined French Concession streets, world-class dining, and a nightlife scene that rivals any global city.
Top Attractions
The Bund
Shanghai's iconic waterfront promenade lined with 1920s Art Deco buildings. Best viewed at night when Pudong's skyscrapers light up across the river. Walk from Waibaidu Bridge to the Meteorological Signal Tower. The 52 buildings showcase a who's who of colonial architecture — Gothic, Baroque, Romanesque, and Art Deco stand shoulder to shoulder. The wide pedestrian walkway is perfect for a sunset stroll, and the view of the Oriental Pearl Tower glowing across the Huangpu is one of China's most photographed scenes.
📍 Address: Zhongshan East 1st Road, Huangpu District
🚇 Metro: Nanjing East Road (Line 2/10)
🕐 Hours: Always open. Best views 7–10pm when Pudong lights are on.
🎫 Tickets: Free. No tickets needed.
💡 Insider Tip: For the best photo, walk to the north end near Waibaidu Bridge at blue hour (just after sunset) — the sky turns deep blue while Pudong's lights glow warm orange.
Visit both day and night — they're completely different experiences. The Bund Sightseeing Tunnel is overpriced and underwhelming. Walk instead.
Yu Garden & Old City
A classical Chinese garden dating to 1559, surrounded by a recreated traditional shopping district. The garden's rockeries, pavilions, and koi ponds are stunning despite the tourist crowds. The Grand Rockery, built from thousands of tons of yellow stone, is the garden's centerpiece. The Dragon Wall and the Exquisite Jade Rock (a 3-ton porous stone said to be meant for the emperor) are highlights. The surrounding bazaar recreates a Ming Dynasty commercial street.
📍 Address: 132 Anren Street, Huangpu District
🚇 Metro: Yuyuan Garden (Line 10)
🕐 Hours: 8:30am–5pm (last entry 4:45pm). Bazaar open until 9pm.
🎫 Tickets: Buy at entrance or via WeChat. ¥40 garden entry. Bazaar area is free.
💡 Insider Tip: The garden's hidden gem is the Inner Garden (内园), a smaller but more refined section that most tour groups skip — enter through the east side of the main garden.
Arrive at opening time (8:30am) to avoid tour groups. The surrounding bazaar is touristy but fun for souvenirs. Try xiaolongbao at nearby City God Temple area.
Shanghai Tower Observation Deck
The world's second-tallest building offers 360-degree views from the 118th floor. On clear days, you can see 80km in every direction. The high-speed elevator reaches the top in under a minute. The tower's twisted design reduces wind loads by 24%, and the 180° spiral creates its distinctive silhouette on the Pudong skyline. The observation deck includes interactive exhibits about Shanghai's development and a glass-floor section for the brave.
📍 Address: 501 Yincheng Middle Road, Pudong New Area
🚇 Metro: Lujiazui (Line 2)
🕐 Hours: 8:30am–10pm (last entry 9pm)
🎫 Tickets: Book via WeChat mini-program "上海中心" or official website for ¥180. Walk-in tickets available but may queue on weekends.
💡 Insider Tip: Skip the overpriced SWFC and Oriental Pearl — Shanghai Tower is the highest and newest. Go at 5pm on a clear day to see the city in daylight, sunset, and night all in one visit.
Book online for discounts. Sunset is the best time — watch the city light up. The SWFC (Pearl) is an alternative with its glass-bottomed walkway.
French Concession
Leafy streets lined with plane trees, Art Deco apartments, and some of Shanghai's best cafés, bars, and boutiques. The area around Tianzifang and Xintiandi blends old and new Shanghai. This former French settlement (1849–1946) retains its European character with tree-canopied streets and low-rise villas. Fuxing Park offers a green oasis where locals practice tai chi each morning, while the narrow alleys of Tianzifang hide designer studios and craft shops.
Shanghai Museum
One of China's finest museums, housing 120,000 artifacts including ancient bronzes, ceramics, jade, and calligraphy. The building itself is shaped like an ancient bronze ding vessel. The bronze gallery is world-class, with pieces dating back 3,000 years. The ceramics gallery traces the evolution of Chinese pottery from primitive earthenware to exquisite Ming porcelain. The jade collection includes pieces from the Neolithic period. Plan at least 2 hours, though serious art lovers could spend a full day.
Nanjing Road
China's premier shopping street stretches 5.5km from the Bund to Jing'an Temple. The pedestrian section is a neon-lit spectacle, especially at night. The east pedestrian section is a people-watching paradise, with thousands of shoppers, street performers, and the odd proposal under the neon glow. Historic brands like Shanghai No.1 Department Store sit alongside international flagships. The sightseeing tram runs the length of the pedestrian zone for tired feet.
Zhujiajiao Water Town
A 1,700-year-old water town on Shanghai's outskirts, with stone bridges, canal-side houses, and traditional shops. A peaceful escape from the city's intensity. Thirty-six stone bridges cross the canals, with Fangsheng Bridge (the largest stone bridge in Shanghai) being the most photographed. The town's North Street preserves Ming and Qing Dynasty architecture. It's touristy on weekends but magical on weekday mornings when mist rises off the canals.
Jing'an Temple
A gilded Buddhist temple surrounded by modern skyscrapers — the contrast is quintessentially Shanghai. The 3.5-ton silver Buddha statue is the centerpiece. Originally built in 247 AD, the temple has been destroyed and rebuilt multiple times. The current structure features a gleaming gold roof that catches the afternoon sun. Inside, the main hall houses the massive silver Buddha, while the upper floors contain a collection of Buddhist art and scriptures. Evening prayers are the most atmospheric time to visit.
🔓 5 more attractions in the full guide
Detailed tips, costs, and skip-the-line advice
Must-Eat Foods
Xiaolongbao (Soup Dumplings)
📍 Jia Jia Tang Bao (best value) or Din Tai Fung (consistent quality)
Delicate steamed buns filled with pork and rich broth. Bite a small hole, sip the soup, then eat the dumpling. Shanghai's signature dish. The wrapper must be paper-thin yet strong enough to hold the scalding soup inside. A well-made xiaolongbao has at least 18 pleats at the top. The broth inside is made from pork bone stock that gels when cooled, then melts during steaming — that's the magic.
¥30–60 per person
🍽️ Recommended: Jia Jia Tang Bao (佳家汤包) on Huanghe Road: ¥30/person, local favorite, arrive before 11am. Din Tai Fung (multiple locations): ¥60/person, consistent quality, English menu.
🗣️ How to Order: Say "一笼小笼包" (one basket of xiaolongbao). "猪肉的" (pork) is classic, "蟹粉的" (crab roe) is the premium version.
Shengjianbao
📍 Yang's Dumplings (multiple locations) or Da Hu Chun (traditional)
Pan-fried pork buns with crispy bottoms and soupy filling. The Shanghai street food champion. Unlike xiaolongbao, these are pan-fried, creating a thick crispy crust on the bottom while the top stays soft and sprinkled with sesame seeds and scallions. The filling contains both meat and a generous amount of soup — bite carefully or you'll wear it. They're best eaten fresh from the pan, when the contrast between crispy bottom and soft top is at its peak.
¥15–30
🍽️ Recommended: Da Hu Chun (大壶春): traditional style with thicker skin, less soup, ¥15/person, Sichuan Middle Road location. Yang's Dumplings (小杨生煎): modern style, thinner skin, more soup, ¥20/person, multiple locations.
🗣️ How to Order: Say "一两生煎" (one liang, about 4 pieces). "原味的" (original pork) or "虾仁的" (shrimp).
Hairy Crab
📍 Chenghuang Temple area or upscale restaurants in French Concession
Seasonal delicacy (October–December) from Yangcheng Lake. Sweet, rich roe that's worth the mess and the price. The crabs are prized for their golden roe (in females) and creamy white paste (in males). Eating them is an art — you need a crab pick, scissors, and patience to extract every morsel of meat from the legs and body. Shanghainese pair them with warm Huangjiu (yellow wine) and ginger vinegar.
¥200–500 per person
🍽️ Recommended: Wang Bao He (王宝和): Shanghai's oldest crab restaurant, ¥300–500/person, book weeks ahead in season. Chenghuang Temple area: casual crab spots, ¥200/person.
🗣️ How to Order: Say "大闸蟹" (dàzháxiè). "母蟹" (female, more roe) or "公蟹" (male, more paste). Season is Oct–Dec only — don't accept crabs outside this window.
Red-Braised Pork
Slow-braised pork belly in soy sauce, sugar, and Shaoxing wine. Melt-in-your-mouth tender with a sweet-savory glaze. This is Shanghai's comfort food — the pork belly is cut into thick cubes and braised for hours until the fat becomes silky and the sauce reduces to a glossy, mahogany glaze. The sweetness from caramelized sugar is distinctly Shanghainese. It's rich, so order it with a vegetable dish to balance.
Scallion Oil Noodles
Simple but addictive: noodles tossed in scallion oil with soy sauce. Proof that Shanghai cuisine excels in simplicity. The scallions are slowly fried in oil until deeply caramelized, creating a fragrant, almost nutty oil that coats every strand of noodle. A splash of soy sauce and a pinch of sugar complete the dish. It takes 30 minutes to make the oil and 30 seconds to assemble the bowl — that's Shanghai cooking philosophy in a nutshell.
Lion's Head Meatballs
Massive pork meatballs braised in soy sauce, named for their size. Rich, comforting, and very Shanghainese. Each meatball is the size of a fist, made from hand-chopped (never ground) pork with water chestnuts for crunch. The "red-braised" version cooks in soy sauce and sugar, while the "clear stewed" version simmers in broth with napa cabbage. Both are delicious, but the red-braised is more traditionally Shanghainese.
🔓 5 more restaurants in the full guide
Suggested Itinerary
4 daysDay 1: The Bund → Nanjing Road → Shanghai Tower
Day 2: Yu Garden → Old City → French Concession
Day 3: Shanghai Museum → Xintiandi → Tianzifang
Day 4: Zhujiajiao Water Town or day trip to Suzhou
Getting Around
World-class 20-line system with English signage. ¥3–9 per ride. Covers all major attractions. Runs until 10:30pm.
Extensive network but challenging without Chinese. ¥2 flat rate. Useful for areas not covered by metro.
Abundant and metered. ¥14 starting fare. Most drivers don't speak English — use DiDi or show Chinese address.
Essential. English interface, reliable pricing. Works everywhere in Shanghai. Better than hailing taxis.
💡 Get a Shanghai Public Transport Card at any metro station. The Maglev train from Pudong Airport hits 431km/h — worth the ride even if your hotel isn't on the line. Connect to metro at Longyang Road.
Neighborhood Guide
French Concession
Shanghai's most charming neighborhood, with plane-tree-lined streets, Art Deco apartments, and a concentration of the city's best cafés, bars, and boutiques. Fuxing Park offers a green oasis where locals practice tai chi each morning.
Best for: Café culture seekers, shoppers, and travelers who want to experience Shanghai's cosmopolitan side
Must see: Fuxing Park morning tai chi, Tianzifang alley shops, Yongfu Road bar strip
The Bund & North Bund
The iconic waterfront strip of colonial-era buildings facing Pudong's futuristic skyline. At night, both sides light up in a spectacular display. North Bund offers newer, less crowded viewpoints.
Best for: First-time visitors, photographers, and anyone who wants THE classic Shanghai experience
Must see: Bund at night (8-10pm for full illumination), Peace Hotel lobby, Rockbund Art Museum
Xintiandi
A beautifully restored Shikumen (stone-gate) neighborhood turned upscale dining and entertainment district. The mix of traditional architecture and modern luxury is uniquely Shanghai.
Best for: Diners, shoppers, and travelers who appreciate polished, upscale experiences
Must see: Shikumen Open House Museum, Xintiandi Style shopping, Craft cocktail bars on Madang Road
Jing'an & West Nanjing Road
A bustling commercial district anchored by the stunning Jing'an Temple. The area mixes luxury malls, street food, and traditional markets in a way that captures Shanghai's contrasts perfectly.
Best for: Temple visitors, shoppers, and travelers who want to see old and new Shanghai side by side
Must see: Jing'an Temple evening prayers, Jiuguang Department Store food hall, Wujiang Road food street
Local Tips
The Bund is best at night, but visit during the day too — completely different atmosphere.
Xintiandi is touristy but the Shikumen Open House Museum inside is worth seeing.
Shanghai's taxi apps (DiDi) are essential — street hailing is increasingly difficult.
The French Concession is best explored on foot or by bike — no metro lines through the heart of it.
Avoid the "tea ceremony scam" near People's Square — friendly strangers invite you to an overpriced tea tasting.
Warnings & Common Mistakes
Tea ceremony scam: Friendly "locals" near tourist areas invite you for tea, then present a ¥2,000+ bill. Politely decline any unsolicited invitations.
Fake goods markets (AP Plaza, Qipu Road) sell counterfeit luxury items — quality varies wildly, and customs may confiscate.
Some Bund-area bars add hidden service charges (15–20%) — check your bill carefully.
Useful Phrases
Detailed Restaurant Addresses
Hotel booking codes, neighborhood-by-neighborhood breakdown, 50+ phrases, and monthly event calendar...
📖 Full guide includes:
Detailed restaurant addresses, hotel booking codes, neighborhood-by-neighborhood breakdown, 50+ phrases, and monthly event calendar
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Useful Guides for Your Trip
Shanghai Quick Facts
🔓 Full Guide
Shanghai Complete Guide
- All 8 attractions
- Restaurant details
- Hotel booking tips
- Transport tricks
- Offline phrase cards