Shanghai
Temperature
29°
Time
10:46 AM
Shanghai
Shanghai is the shiniest gem in modern China’s jewel box. It’s a hip, contemporary city that’s charging into the future with all the energy of its famous Maglev train. Yet if you veer away from the sleek highways and glitzy shopping streets you can still stumble upon a more traditional Shanghai, with all its character and flavour. In the tiny back streets, wet-market vendors peddle their wares - buckets of bright green vegetables, fish flapping in shallow plastic bowls and heaps of crayfish crawling over each other.Find your trip
Shanghai’s best-known attraction is impressive any time of the day, but it’s at its most glam in the evening when floodlighting illuminates the colonial piles and the neon across the river, where Pudong gaudily glitters. Take a stroll along the waterfront walkway and watch the world go by.
Shanghai Disneyland is the 6th Disneyland in the world. It opened in 2016 and covers 91 hectors of land. In line with the company's promise, this Disneyland is "authentically Disney and distinctly Chinese". The park has seven themed areas: Mickey Avenue, Gardens of Imagination, Fantasyland, Treasure Cove, Adventure Isle, Tomorrowland, and Toy Story Land. This is also the only Disneyland where you can see all the Disneyland princesses introduced so far, including Mulan.
This is where the new and old Shanghai meet. In the traditional stone-paved alley lies, perhaps, the artsiest neighbourhood in Shanghai. Modern restaurants and cafés line the street. Take a walk on a cosy afternoon, you can surely discover another side of this international metropolis.
The main shopping street of Shanghai embodies the eclectic nature of the city. Being one of the busiest streets in the world, it features outlets of both well known traditional Chinese and global brands, as well as more than 600 stores, shopping malls and restaurants on both sides of the walkway. It is certainly the place to be to feel the pulse of the city or join the crowds on a shopping spree.
Yu Garden embodies the quintessence of classical ancient Chinese gardens south of the Yangtze River – a creation of maximum out of minimum. While it takes a familiar person only five minutes to walk from the entrance to the exit, most first-time visitors find themselves lost in this little paradise with fish ponds, rockeries, plants, bridges, and buildings of various types arranged along zigzagging paths. The ingenious use of Chinese gardening art in combination with the garden’s 400-plus years history makes Yu Garden one of the most popular tourist attractions in Shanghai.
If you fly into Shanghai’s international airport in Pudong, be sure to take the Maglev into town rather than a taxi or regular metro. The Maglev is China’s futuristic magnetic levitation train and the fastest ride in its technological repertoire. The journey only lasts a few minutes, but during that time the train can reach a top speed of 430 kilometres per hour (although the average is closer to 300 km/h).
It’s the view you’re going for: on a clear day, Jin Mao Tower offers incredible 360-degree panoramas across the city. It’s 88 storeys high and it’s located at number 88 - have you guessed that eight is a lucky number for the Chinese? There are offices up to the 50th floor, then the Grand Hyatt hotel from floors 53 to 87. A public observation deck is located on the top floor. Otherwise, forget the lucky numbers and go for a drink at the Grand Hyatt’s Cloud 9 bar, just one storey below.
If you are looking for a great evening activity, then this might be something for you; in fact, this is one of the most popular forms of evening entertainment in the city. Here you can experience stunning acrobatic performances accompanied by live music.
Shanghai’s best-known attraction is impressive any time of the day, but it’s at its most glam in the evening when floodlighting illuminates the colonial piles and the neon across the river, where Pudong gaudily glitters. Take a stroll along the waterfront walkway and watch the world go by.
Shanghai Disneyland is the 6th Disneyland in the world. It opened in 2016 and covers 91 hectors of land. In line with the company's promise, this Disneyland is "authentically Disney and distinctly Chinese". The park has seven themed areas: Mickey Avenue, Gardens of Imagination, Fantasyland, Treasure Cove, Adventure Isle, Tomorrowland, and Toy Story Land. This is also the only Disneyland where you can see all the Disneyland princesses introduced so far, including Mulan.
With its menu featuring scrumptious dumplings, pork belly and roast meat, this place serves some of the best Shanghainese and Cantonese cuisine. This (originally Singaporean) chain restaurant offers a unique dining experience with exceptional food quality and good service.
Created by Australian restaurateur Michelle Garnaut, M on the Bund serves high-end Asian and Western food in classy surroundings. With its terrace overlooking the Bund, it has one of the best locations in town. The restaurant has been distinguished by multiple awards.
This excellent restaurant is located on the top floor of Hotel Indigo, and, thanks to being perched so high, offers great views and an even better menu selection. Their speciality is meat, but if a juicy steak isn't what you're feeling, seafood and delicious desserts are available as well.
If you are craving Spanish, head over to this authentic Spanish restaurant housed in a 1928 colonial house. The restaurant specialises in modern tapas and prepares all dishes using the best products available. The restaurant has been recognised by multiple culinary awards.
When you walk into Franck, you will immediately notice the private ambience of this French bistro. The attentive staff serve delicious French food, with dishes like foie gras, le poulet rôti" (roast chicken) and la cote de boeuf (imported Australian steak) offered up in a romantic setting. The restaurant also has its own wine cellar with 300 labels.
This is a famous chain of restaurants scattered throughout the city. The restaurant specialises in wontons and shumai (a type of dumpling), and is an ideal choice for some quintessentially local food. Their bamboo shoot shumai is a must-try.
Paradise Dynasty is an innovative Zhejiang cuisine restaurant. They serve high-quality dishes which always have a delightful twist. The most famous dish is undoubtedly the 8 colour Xiao Long Bao which has gone viral on Chinese social media. The dish consists of 8 steamed dumplings in different colours and flavours, which should be eaten in a strict order so that every single flavour can be fully enjoyed. You should start with the original then followed by luffa, foie gras, black truffle, cheese, crab roe, garlic and finish with Szechuan; the flavour goes from light to rich, and following the sequence assures an unforgettable dining experience.
This is another eatery for some Shanghainese dim sum. The restaurant is decorated in a Chinese zen style and serves sophisticated dishes such as sweet and savoury soy milk, different kinds of steamed dumplings, pot-stickers as well as many beautiful Chinese deserts. This is the place to go if you are craving some high-quality local foods.
With its menu featuring scrumptious dumplings, pork belly and roast meat, this place serves some of the best Shanghainese and Cantonese cuisine. This (originally Singaporean) chain restaurant offers a unique dining experience with exceptional food quality and good service.
Created by Australian restaurateur Michelle Garnaut, M on the Bund serves high-end Asian and Western food in classy surroundings. With its terrace overlooking the Bund, it has one of the best locations in town. The restaurant has been distinguished by multiple awards.
Try Three on the Bund for seven floors of glamour, art, culture, cuisine and music, with the Shanghai Gallery of Art located on-site. Hours can easily be spent at this historic building offering up some of the best views of the Bund and Pudong across the river.
The ground level of Tianshan Tea City really is a tea lover's paradise: the variety of teas on offer is seriously impressive, and most shop owners will conduct free-of-charge tastings to help you decide on a variety to purchase. Floors two and three are given over to porcelain and tea-making paraphernalia.
This is the meeting point of the new Shanghai and old Shanghai. In the traditional stone-paved alley lies probably the artsiest neighbourhood in Shanghai. Modern restaurants and cafés line up along the street. Take a walk in a cosy afternoon, you can surely find another side of this international metropolis.
This is the only M&M's World in Asia and the 5th one to open its doors to the celebrated candy lovers. This world famous chocolate bean brand offers much more fun than only delicious chocolates. The shop has the iconic M&M tube wall as well as T-shirts, toys and all other kinds of souvenirs.
This is the most romantic road in Shanghai. Allegedly, if you walk down the 600- metre-long road holding the hand of your beloved one, you will be blessed and all but guaranteed to stay together. Each 20 meters are marked by a framed world-famous love poem (there are 28 in total). There is also a special red mailbox on the street, every letter sent from here will get a seal with the word "love" written on it.
With international brands and more than 40 Chinese brands selling fashion-forward outfits, digital gadgets, and a dazzling sky screen, this spacious place is one of the best places to shop in the area. Exhibitions are held occasionally in the lobby of the shopping mall.
This is the biggest Disney flagship shop in the world. There is a 6 metre tall Disney castle inside the shop, with a 3-minute mini show inside the castle every hour. The shop has Mickey Mouse, Disney Princess, Pixar and Marvel sections. They also have souvenirs that feature Disney and Shanghai, which can be ideal for Disney-fan friends or yourself.
The main shopping street of Shanghai embodies the eclectic nature of the city. Being one of the busiest streets in the world, it features outlets of both well known traditional Chinese and global brands, as well as more than 600 stores, shopping malls and restaurants on both sides of the walkway. It is certainly the place to be to feel the pulse of the city or join the crowds on a shopping spree.
Try Three on the Bund for seven floors of glamour, art, culture, cuisine and music, with the Shanghai Gallery of Art located on-site. Hours can easily be spent at this historic building offering up some of the best views of the Bund and Pudong across the river.
The ground level of Tianshan Tea City really is a tea lover's paradise: the variety of teas on offer is seriously impressive, and most shop owners will conduct free-of-charge tastings to help you decide on a variety to purchase. Floors two and three are given over to porcelain and tea-making paraphernalia.
Most of Shanghai attractions are city sights, so the change of seasons has little impact. However, given the weather, it is recommended to visit in spring or autumn, for winter might get too cold and summer too hot for comfort. There is also the possibility of typhoons during summertime and even early autumn. Try to avoid Chinese public holidays such as between October 1st and 7th, during which the city could be flooded by local tourists.
For citizens of the following countries, a visa is not requested for short term stays: - 90 days: Bosnia and Herzegovina, San Marino - 60 days: Mauritius - 30 days: Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Ecuador, Fiji, Grenada, Qatar, Serbia, Seychelles, Tonga, United Arab Emirates. - 15 days: Brunei, Japan, Singapore. Holders of passports issued by the following 49 countries do not require a visa for a 144-hour stay if they are transiting through Shanghai Airport. However, passengers need to provide a ticket showing their first destination, which should be outside China, nor could it be in the same country as the inbound flight. - All European Union citizens, Albania, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Iceland, Japan, Macedonia, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, New Zealand, Qatar, Russia, South Korea, Switzerland, Ukraine, United States. - Passengers who enter China via Shanghai Airport under transition condition cannot leave the area of Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang.
Due to the Internet policy of China, certain websites and applications are not accessible from the mainland, which includes those very commonly used in the west (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google, Skype and more). Some travellers have been able to gain access to those via a VPN service (installed prior to arrival in China). Make sure you comply with local laws and regulations when deciding on whether or not to employ a VPN, and which one to choose (if you do, only use those explicitly allowed by the Chinese government, and only use them for authorised purposes to avoid any trouble). There have been reports of foreigners in China getting their cell service cut off in response to unauthorised use of VPN being detected; restoring cell service required a trip to the local police station where contents of the device were investigated and certain apps removed. Giving that Google is banned in China, Google Maps might not be the most accurate and reliable source of information. Some local apps such as Baidu Maps and AutoNavi tend to work better than Google Maps.
Shanghai has two airports one of them is the international airport in Pudong, 35 km from the city centre. From the Pudong Airport, the most enthralling way to travel is on the Maglev (the high-speed magnetic-rail train) to Longyang Road in Pudong. Purchasing a round-trip comes with a discount. There are an underground station and a taxi rank at Longyang Road for onward travel. Metro Line 2 is available when departing or arriving at Pudong International Airport. Operating Time 6 am 10 pm and leaves every 8.5 minutes. Hotline: +86 21 6437 0000, www.service.shmetro.com/en A taxi from Pudong Airport to the city centre takes up to an hour. Make sure you have your destination written in Chinese. The airport has regular shuttle buses to many areas in the city and the major hotels have desks at the airport and will arrange the transfer.
Another airport called Hongqiao Airport, which handles domestic flights, lies 15 km from downtown. Both Metro and buses run from this airport. A taxi from Hongquiao Airport will take 30-45 minutes. Make sure you have your destination written in Chinese. Hongqiao Airport has regular shuttle buses to many areas in the city. The major hotels have desks at the airport and will arrange the transfer.
One of the best ways to travel is by the rapidly expanding Metro network, which is reliable, good value and easy to navigate (all directions are in English as well as Chinese). You can buy your ticket at the ticket office at the Metro station or the automatic ticket selling machine.
Buses are usually busy and the network can be complicated to negotiate for non-speakers of Chinese. The 911, which runs along Huaihai Road, can be useful. Keep some loose change when travelling by bus, coins need to be placed in the slot at the entrance.
The traffic in Shanghai can be heavy, but taxis are easy to flag down. Be aware that most taxi drivers only speak Chinese and may not understand English. A great solution comes from a set-up called Guanxi: you text the English name of your destination to 885 074 and back it comes in Chinese characters. Just show your phone to your taxi driver. You can also use taxi cab hailing service with WeChat or Alipay (like the Chinese version of Uber).
Most of Shanghai attractions are city sights, so the change of seasons has little impact. However, given the weather, it is recommended to visit in spring or autumn, for winter might get too cold and summer too hot for comfort. There is also the possibility of typhoons during summertime and even early autumn. Try to avoid Chinese public holidays such as between October 1st and 7th, during which the city could be flooded by local tourists.
For citizens of the following countries, a visa is not requested for short term stays: - 90 days: Bosnia and Herzegovina, San Marino - 60 days: Mauritius - 30 days: Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Ecuador, Fiji, Grenada, Qatar, Serbia, Seychelles, Tonga, United Arab Emirates. - 15 days: Brunei, Japan, Singapore. Holders of passports issued by the following 49 countries do not require a visa for a 144-hour stay if they are transiting through Shanghai Airport. However, passengers need to provide a ticket showing their first destination, which should be outside China, nor could it be in the same country as the inbound flight. - All European Union citizens, Albania, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Iceland, Japan, Macedonia, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, New Zealand, Qatar, Russia, South Korea, Switzerland, Ukraine, United States. - Passengers who enter China via Shanghai Airport under transition condition cannot leave the area of Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang.
