Shanghai
About Shanghai
Shanghai is China's 'City of Contrasts.' European stone mansions line the Huangpu River while glass towers twist 600 m into the sky. In the lanes, elderly residents play mahjong under neon signs; at night, jazz drifts out of 1920s shikumen houses turned cocktail bars. Once a fishing village, it became a treaty-port in 1842 and the 'Wall Street of the East' in the 1930s. Today it is the world's third-largest stock exchange and the easiest place on the mainland to glimpse both imperial China and tomorrow's Asia. Local food is sweet, seafood-forward and bite-sized: soup-filled xiaolongbao, crispy-bottomed shengjianbao, autumn hairy crab steamed with ginger, and 'red-cooked' pork belly that melts over rice.
外滩 | The Bund
A 1.5 km riverside gallery of 1920s colonial banks facing the LED skyline of Pudong.
豫园 | Yu Garden
400-year-old Ming-dynasty garden of dragon-lined walls, rockeries and koi ponds in the heart of the Old City.
上海中心大厦观光厅 | Shanghai Tower Observation Deck
World's second-highest indoor lookout, 360° glass floor 546 m above sea level.
武康大楼 | Wukang Building
1924 'ship-shaped' wedge of art-deco apartments; Instagram darling framed by plane trees.
田子坊 | Tianzifang
Narrow 1930s lanes converted to indie boutiques, cafés and open-air studios.
新天地 | Xintiandi
Restored shikumen stone-gate houses reborn as cocktail bars and concept restaurants.
朱家角古镇 | Zhujiajiao Water Town
Venice-like canal village of Ming-Qing bridges, boat rides and rice-wine cellars 40 min from downtown.
上海迪士尼度假区 | Shanghai Disney Resort
The largest Disney castle on Earth plus Tron Lightcycle Power Run—unique to Asia.
上海天文馆 | Shanghai Astronomy Museum
Planetarium the size of five football fields, with a 23 m planet dome and zero-gravity VR.
上海当代艺术博物馆 | Power Station of Art (PSA)
Former coal-fired plant turned China's first state-run contemporary art museum.
复兴公园 | Fuxing Park
French plane-tree avenues where locals ballroom-dance at dawn beside rose gardens.
1933老场坊 | 1933 Old Millfun
Art-deco slaughterhouse of flying concrete bridges now hosting fashion shows & cafés.
中华艺术宫 | China Art Museum (Expo China Pavilion)
Upside-down red pyramid with panoramic digital scrolls of Chinese history.
上海图书馆东馆 | Shanghai Library East
Marble 'floating cloud' of 4.8 million books, robot librarians and river-view reading terraces.
上海动物园 | Shanghai Zoo
Pandas, red pandas and South-China tigers minus the Disney queues.
阿大葱油饼 | A Da Scallion Pancake
Six-layer flaky disk fried in lard; sells out by 4 p.m.
大壶春生煎 | Da Hu Chun Sheng Jian
OG pan-fried pork buns since 1932, crispy bottom, soupy top.
鲜得来排骨年糕 | Xian De Lai Pork Chop & Rice Cakes
Sweet soy-braised pork chop over chewy rice cakes—Shanghai soul food.
阿娘面 | A Niang Noodles
Crab-meat yellow-croaker noodles; taxi-driver canteen with English menu.
小杨生煎 | Yang's Fried Dumplings
Chain but still juicy; try shrimp-roe version.
四如春烧卖 | Si Ru Chun Shao Mai
Hand-chopped pork & shrimp open-top dumplings steamed on bamboo trays.
耳光馄饨 | Er Guang Wontons
Giant wontons in chili-vinegar soup famous for 3 a.m. queues.
聚红尚小龙虾 | Ju Hong Shang Crayfish
Summer riverside feast of 13-spice or garlic-butter crayfish.
万寿斋 | Wan Shou Zhai
Duck-blood & vermicelli soup, locals' hang-over cure since 1984.
阿郭油墩子 | A Guo Radish Fritter
30-year street cart deep-frying radish fritters in lard till golden.
心乐面馆 | Xin Le Noodle House
Springy hand-pulled noodles topped with slow-braised pork belly.
金刚馄饨还有面 | Jin Gang Wonton & Noodle
Old-school wonton soup and 'kai-yang' (opened) noodles in retro tile diner.
富麦小笼 | Fu Mai Xiao Long
Crab-roe soup dumplings folded to order in full view.
老吉士沪菜 | Lao Ji Shi Shanghai Bistro
Family-run Shanghainese classics—lion-head meatballs, drunken crab—no white tablecloths.
绿波廊 | Lu Bo Lang
400-year-old teahouse inside Yu Garden serving sweet lotus root and osmanthus jelly.
High value, low price local experiences
定制篆刻 | Custom Stone Seal Carving
20-minute hand-carving of your Western name into a jade seal.
盲人按摩 | Blind Massage
60-min full-body acupressure by therapists from Shanghai School for the Blind.
旗袍/西装24小时定制 | 24-Hour Qipao or Suit Tailoring
Pick silk, get fitted, collect next day.
外滩日出太极课 | Sunrise Tai-Chi on the Bund
English-speaking master, cotton uniform included.
老茶馆茶艺体验 | Traditional Tea Ceremony
Learn gong-fu ritual in a 150-year-old teahouse.
足疗+采耳 | Foot Reflexology + Ear Picking
Combo rarely found in the West.
黄浦江夜游爵士船 | Jazz River Cruise at Night
90-min open deck with skyline lights and live sax.
6人KTV包房 | 6-Person Karaoke Suite
3-hour room + snacks + BYO drinks.