Top 15 Interesting Places to Visit in Shanghai
Shanghai Skyline
In the past ten years, Shanghai has proven to be a shining example of the
effect of rapidly fast, economic growth. The skyline alone is a testimony of Shanghai's
vast and sprawling development, and overall financial success. Shanghai translates to above or on sea,
and began as a settlement sometime between the
fifth and seventh century. Over time, Shanghai has become an international business and
trading central. It has grown so rapidly that by 2010 its population number was
ranked as the highest in China, as well as in the entire world. It’s only natural that a city
like Shanghai, a city that
has become one of the leaders of the economic driving powers of the East, would
attract more than just business travelers but many
vacation and leisure
travelers as well. Whatever your reasons for your
visit to Shanghai may be, whether an extended business trip or a holiday, you’ll
find more than just the monuments of a modern world.
Shanghai is a modern city just as much as it is an ancient civilization, and
there are examples of things to do in
the following top 15 list that are both modern in nature as well as ancient.
15) Riverside Promenade – Bingjiang Da Dao
On the opposite side of Shanghai’s famous Bund is the 2500 meter long
Riverside Promenade. Across this stretch lies a wide selection of restaurants,
coffee houses and ice cream parlors that can be discovered and tried at your own leisure.
Meanwhile, along the promenade acrobatic and musical performers will try to direct your attention to
them, and entertain you for a little while as you walk along the river bank.
Riverside Promenade
Courtesy of china-travel.me
Or you could stop at one of
the musical fountains, which are especially popular with the children. If your
timing is right and you’re looking for some other things to do, you can partake
in activities or watch tournaments that are sometimes held on the promenade. In
the end, the most important sight the Riverside Promenade offers is on the other
side of the Huangpu River. The best panoramic view of the Bund is from the
promenade and from the distance, you can appreciate the view on the third
tallest TV tower of the world, the 468 meter high Oriental Pearl TV Tower as
well as the second tallest building in mainland China, the Jinmao Tower.
Jinmao Tower and Shanghai Skyline at Night
The Jinmao tower from
certain angles, looks like a very modern interpretation of a pagoda.
14) Fuxing Park
The French style Fuxing Park is unsurprisingly located in the former French
Concession of Shanghai, and is classically European in its layout with a central
lake, several fountains and pavilions and immaculately trimmed flowerbeds. What
makes the Fuxing Park different from its original French counterparts is how it
unfailingly becomes a center of Chinese social life every morning when locales
gather to do tai chi.
By J. Patrick Fischer (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0],
via Wikimedia Commons
People gather
to dance, play cards or mahjong or practice Tai chi. If you’re interested in
joining, you’re more than welcome to any of the groups.
Men Writing Chinese Letters in Fuxing Park
Should you prefer to
watch and perhaps learn a thing or two that way, nobody will mind either.
13) Propaganda Poster Art Center
This hard-to-find little museum located in the basement of an apartment
complex and only has two rooms. But these two rooms are filled with a selection of
5000 propagandist posters from the Maoist period of Communist China, especially
from the time of the Cultural Revolution. The owner of this hidden gem has
collected some of the last existing versions of some posters, and considers them
important historical documents as well as examples of artwork from this time
period.
By Ellywa
via Wikimedia Commons
The
Propaganda Poster Art Center is mainly visited by foreigners, and is in general
not popular among the locals due the little time that has passed since the
Cultural Revolution. Finding historical documents on Communistic China in China
itself can prove to be difficult, since it’s such an uncomfortable topic for the
majority of people, but the Art Center offers a wonderful perspective. If you’re
the type to collect historical documents, original posters can even be
purchased.
12) Shanghai Acrobatic Dome
Beyond China’s shores and borders, the country is not only well-known for
cheap manufactured products and everlasting smiles. Martial Arts performance and
acrobatic troupes are also one of China’s exports, and if you’re looking for
things to do with your family, then visiting the Acrobatic Dome in the Huangpu
district for an evening of entertainment for you and your kids is a great idea.
Acrobatics have a long standing in Chinese history and are an integral part of
traditional Chinese variety art.
A Look at Acrobatic Performance
Courtesy of tour-beijing.com
One of the key elements, beside the astounding
performances, is the traditional clothing in which the troupe is dressed.
Although the West doesn’t clearly distinguish between a circus and a variety art
show, Eastern cultures make clear that they see a difference, mainly in the lack
of clown and animal shows. It’s unclear how far back in history the first
acrobatic show performances go, but they’ve always been popular with the common
people.
Courtesy of china-travel.me
At some point, the courts picked up on it and had acrobats perform in
front of foreign guests, refining the art and changing the status of the
performers. Even if acrobatic performances fell out of preference in court after
a while, they have remained a constant part of Chinese culture and now have
passed international borders. Most notably is the performance of the Lion Dance
to celebrate the Lunar New Year in Chinese communities all around the world.
11) Nanjing Road & People’s Square
Part of the former British concession, Nanjing Road became the center of
import of foreign goods when the American and British concession were brought
together to the International Settlement. This makes Nanjing Road Shanghai’s
earliest shopping district and the place to go to when you’re in Shanghai and
looking to do some plain old window shopping. Just in case your stay in Shanghai
feels like it’s getting too long because of homesickness, which is known to
happen to the best of travelers, go ahead down Nanjing Road.
Nanjing Road
By P.B.
via Wikimedia Commons
The variety of
shops ranges from expensive, like Tiffany’s, down to familiar sights, like
McDonald’s, which might come in handy with picky eaters who would like to taste
something they know every once in a while. With over 600 businesses, you’re sure
to find something you’ll like, be it food, consumer products, or entertainment.
If your holiday is struck with a bad case of weather, Nanjing Road also has a
pedestrian arcade to allow you a full experience without getting wet. To the
south of Nanjing Road is the People’s Square, which is the epicenter of Shanghai city.
Nanjing Road at Night
By taylorandayumi
via Wikimedia Commons
The large plaza that is flanked by two broad green belts was once a racecourse
and now lies in the center of a park in the north, Shanghai Museum in the south,
the large glass construction of the Grand Theater in the northwest and the Urban
Planning Exhibition Hall in the East. Should you feel curious about that last
point, prepare to be astounded. The exhibition has five floors above ground and
two below, and features a gigantic city model in the scale of 1 to 500. You can
also see how Shanghai has developed over the past decades and how it’s planning
to develop even further.
10) The Bund – Wai Tan
Mainly centered on Zhongshan Road within the former International Settlement,
which lies to the north of the old walled city, the Bund describes the area on
Shanghai’s waterfront along the Huangpu River. Specifically, the name refers to
the wharves and buildings along this section of the road. What makes the Bund a
place to visit is the international historical value of the buildings you can
find there. Due to Shanghai’s position as trading center today and in centuries
long before, the city was home to several foreigners who settled in so-called
concessions.
The Bund (Wai Tan) at Night
The former International Settlement is the combination of what were
previously the British and American concessions. As such, the easy accessibility
of the Bund by water made it the location for banks and trading posts from
countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Italy, Russia,
Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Accordingly, the former buildings
of these international banks and posts exist till this day and attract a lot of
people interested in historical architecture. Even after the majority of
foreigners and their companies left the Bund, it remained the financial center
of Asia. Buildings that are still in use by foreign guests are the Russian and
British consulates. An interesting must-see besides the historical landmarks is
the pedestrian transit tunnel that transports people across the Huangpu River on
slow-moving powered vehicles through a tunnel. Light effects are projected onto
the walls, offering an interesting distraction while waiting to arrive on the
other bank.
9) Old French Concession
From 1849 to 1946, an area of Shanghai was the designated French Concession,
which expanded twice in history. Despite recently constructed new buildings and
some redevelopment, the former French area hasn’t lost its European flair.
Several of the buildings have been preserved, even if all around them, streets
and places have been renamed from their original French designation to the
adapted Chinese ones.
Map of Old French Concession
By Jonipoon
via Wikimedia Commons
The French have not only had an impact on Shanghai’s face,
but on all of China, as they brought in plantains as roadside trees for
Shanghai. Now, the so-called French plantains are immensely popular all across
the nation. However, in Shanghai’s former French Concession, the switch from
Eastern country to what feels like urban France can still be felt strongly.
Housing areas feature homes with timber framing, peaked roofs, and classic
avenues, while till this day, the former French Concession is considered to be
the center of Catholicism in Shanghai. Despite the name, the area wasn’t purely
French, as the existence of the American College and two Russian Orthodox
Churches prove.
Most important for local Catholics is St Ignatius Cathedral,
which is the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Diocese in China. The classic
cathedral can hold up to 2500 worshippers, proving just how many members of this
faith were present in Shanghai when the cathedral was built before the
concession was dissolved.
St Ignatius Cathedral
By Pyzhou
via Wikimedia Commons
St Ignatius has made a name for itself on
international level for not only being the center of Catholic faith in Shanghai
and possibly, China, but also for hosting the first mass in Chinese.
8) Shanghai Old Street – Miaoqian Dajie
As an old business street, the Old Street is where the earliest bank, gold
shop, jeweler, wine shop and teahouse of the city can be found. It’s also a
wonderful place to hunt for original handcrafted items, paintings, calligraphy,
and jewelry spread over the 225 stores, of which some go back as far as 100
years. When you’re taking a break from your hunt or want to reward yourself for
an especially good buy, you can visit the Chun Feng De Yi teahouse on the
weekends to not only enjoy a traditional Chinese tea, but also listen to a
performance of the Suzhou Ballads.
Shanghai Old Street
Alternatively, drop in the Old Teahouse and
adore the owner’s collection of 50 cheongsams, traditional female dresses that
date back to the 1930.
7) Longhua Pagoda and Longhua Temple
In the south of the city, on the equally named Longhua Road, are the Longhua
Pagoda and Temple. Both alone are already pretty well known, though the surrounding
complex is also famous for the Evening Bell Striking Ceremony that takes place
in the evening of the 31st of December to welcome the New Year, and for the
temple fair on the 3rd of March. The fair is coordinated specifically on this
date because of the blossoms of the
surrounding peach trees are in full bloom during this time of year. The Longhua Temple is one of
Shanghai’s oldest temples. It is the oldest temple, and even though it went
through several reconstructions after the wars, it’s also the city’s largest
temple that covers an area equal to five acres.
Longhua Temple in Shanghai
Most important possessions of the temple
are the Dazang sutras, gold seals and the Buddhist statues. Away from the main
building is the three story bell tower where, on the top floor, is the heavy and
large copper bell. The Longhua Pagoda nearby has seven floors, of which each one
is smaller than the one below, ending in a final height of 40.4 meters. Each
floor is encircled by a balcony and banisters, allowing those who are brave
enough to scale the old wooden staircases. If you are daring enough to hike up
these ancient stares you are in for a wonderful view of the entire
temple complex.
6) Shanghai Ocean Aquarium
Did you ever want to meet Bruce Lee? You can in the Shanghai Ocean Aquarium,
though you’ll really be meeting his Orando goldfish namesake. As Shanghai is on
the coast of the East Chinese Sea, having an ocean aquarium isn’t a huge leap.
Underwater Shark Tunnel
By Diliff
via Wikimedia Commons
Opened in 2002, it attracts millions of visitors each year and is a great place
to go to get to know Chinese water flora and fauna. Among its most
distinguishing features is the 120 meter long underwater tunnel, which is one of
the longest in the entire world.
Mallard Ducks in the Shanghai Ocean Aquarium
By Aapo Haapanen [CC-BY-SA-2.0],
via Wikimedia Commons
As you are carried along a moving walkway, you
are brought through the sea life of a coastal reef, the open ocean, a kelp cave,
a shark cove, and a coral reef. There are plenty of things to do and see in this
aquarium.
5) Zhujiajiao Ancient Town
Literally translating into the Zhu family corner, the Zhujiajiao Ancient Town
is one of four remaining well-preserved ancient Chinese towns, and is the best in
terms of historical preservation. You can find the ancient town on the outskirts
of Shanghai, and it will feel like you’ve been transported back by 1700 years when
you enter this water town that was economically reliant on the rice industry.
Even though archeological findings date back even further than the
aforementioned 1700 years, the 36 stones bridges and array of left-over
buildings only date back that far. Also called Shanghai’s Venice, the historical
site has recently fallen prey to Shanghai’s modern expansions, one of the most
recent being what was formerly the People’s Square.
A Boat Rental Company in Zhuijiajiao
So if you’re planning on
visiting, make sure to do it as soon as possible, as it is unclear how long and
how much of this historical landmark will continue to exist. When you do visit,
do cross the Fangsheng Bridge, which is the longest, largest and tallest stone
bridge within the town, which is an impressive feat, considering the building
year of 1571.
4) Shanghai Museum
Just off the People’s Square is the modern looking building of the Shanghai
Museum. Actually, the architecture has a historical basis to its design. The building is shaped
like an ancient bronze cooking vessel, which is one of the museum’s exhibits.
Also a rather traditional concept is the Chinese belief of a square earth and a
round heaven, which is why the building’s base is square and the roof is topped
by an arch.
Shanghai Museum
Inside, the Shanghai Museum houses over 120,000 exhibits, mainly of
ancient Chinese origin, and so becomes a definitive place to visit for anyone
interested in more than just the recent developments China has made. The
exhibits are found in various halls, such as the Ancient Chinese Bronze Hall and
the Ancient Chinese Numismatics Hall. In total, there are 11 permanent galleries
and three galleries that display regularly changing exhibitions. Besides the
Chinese exhibits, the museum also displays art created by Chinese minorities and
international level artwork.
3) Jade Buddha Temple
After the destruction of the previous temple on the same site in west
Shanghai during the Revolution, the Jade Buddha Temple was built in 1928 and is
the home of two ornate jade Buddhas.
Exterior of Jade Buddha Temple
By Iamtherealnick
via Wikimedia Commons
Originally brought from Burma by a monk,
the two figurines were lucky to survive the destruction of the wars that plagued
most of mainland China. One of them is a sitting Buddha of 190 cm in height, decorated with
agate and emeralds. The other a reclining Buddha in the so-called lucky repose.
Reclining Buddha at the Jade Buddha Temple
By Steve46814 (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 or GFDL],
via Wikimedia Commons
The lucky repose means that the statue is posed laying on its right side, with
the right hand supporting its head and the left placed upon the left leg.
Besides these two main features, the Jade Buddha Temple has another reclining
Buddha from Singapore. The temple contains various
ancient paintings and scriptures stored within its walls.
2) City God Temple – Chenghuang Miao
In accordance to the Chinese tradition of having city gods for every old
walled city, Shanghai has a temple dedicated to its own three city deities. The temple can be found within the old walled city and encompasses more
than just the temple complex. Chenghuang Miao now not only refers to the temple
complex, but to the surrounding commercial district that consists of stores and
shops, some of which are situated in buildings nearly 100 years old.
The Chenghuang Miao (City God Temple)
By gruntzooki
via Wikimedia Commons
The City
God Temple began as simple temple dedicated to Jishan, who is a spirit of an
equally named island off the Shanghai coast. As the city itself grew, so did the
temple. In 1403 it made the change to the City God Temple as it appears today. The
commercial area around it only began to expand from this point onward due to the
growing popularity of the temple. Today, the temple honors three city gods. The
oldest being Huo Gang, Shanghai’s original city god, who was a chancellor during
the Han Dynasty and is best known for deposing a young emperor and replacing him
with another.
One of the Alters of the City God Temple
By Jakub Hałun
via Wikimedia Commons
Joining him roughly in the 14th century was Qin Yubo, who
fulfilled several roles at the first Ming Dynasty court. Finally, Chen Huacheng,
a general who defended the city during the first Opium Wars and died in a battle
against the British, joined the previous two.
1) Yuyuan Gardens
Located just beyond the City God Temple, northeast of the Old City, is
Shanghai’s most famous collection of gardens. Known by several different names such as
Yu Garden, the Garden of Happiness or the Garden of Peace, it seems to live up
to all of these names. It’s quite impossible to say what the Garden’s best feature is,
but commonly named among the many is the Exquisite Jade Rock. A porous
3.3 meter high boulder weighing an impressive five tons. Since its establishment in 1559, the Yu Garden has received several add-ons and been named
a national monument in 1982. Today it now stretches over a field the size of
two hectare, and does its best to be representative of Chinese styled gardens.
Yuyuan Gardens
Specifically, the Yu Garden is mainly based on the Suzhou gardening design
style. As you might know, the Suzhou gardens have been declared a UNESCO World
Heritage Site. According to this style, Yu Garden consists of six areas, which
are separated by so-called dragon walls. These walls are made of gray tiles made to
look like dragon scales and end in an elaborate dragon’s head at the end of each
wall. The six areas are the Sansui Hall featuring garden designs mainly made of stone.
There is the Wanhua Chamber, which is also known as the Chamber of the Ten Thousand
Flowers, the Dianchen Hall, the Huijing Hall, the Yuhua Hall with its Ming
Dynasty rosewood furniture, and finally, the Inner Garden with an array of
rockeries, ponds, pavilions and towers.
A Detailed Look at the Gardens
If you’re looking for a place to relax and simply enjoy your surroundings,
then the Yu Garden must be on your list of stops during your vacation to
Shanghai.
Conclusion
Whatever you’re planning, a solo trip, one with friends or family, there’s
something for everyone. Take your time to enjoy original
Chinese food in local restaurants, and relax in the many garden and temple
retreats Shanghai has to offer. The city is well aware of its potential for
tourists and offers varying kinds of tour transports that not only carry you
from one sight to the other, but allow you to lean back and take in the entire
splendor of this gigantic growing metropolis before diving right back in. But
remember, the best way to experience a different country and city is to dare and
wander off the worn paths, and go along the same roads as the locals have taken
for thousands of years. Even though
there are more than enough major sites, it’s what you discover on your own what
makes your trip unique and worth remembering.
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