Right before the turn of this century, Shanghai started a transformation that turned it from a faded old glory into China’s main economic powerhouse. Today, it stands as an overwhelming metropolis, where there’s always something new to discover. Trot Op! had the opportunity to visit the city multiple times in the past twelve years and poured all those experiences into a list of the ten main sights for a Shanghai city trip.
East Nanjing Road
Want to indulge yourself in the complete Shanghai experience right after arrival? Get out of the subway at beautiful People’s Park and walk straight towards the Bund. You’ll do so over East Nanjing Road. This is one of the few streets in Shanghai where cars are not allowed, and probably the most famous shopping street in China. Imagine the main shopping stretch in your own city during summer sales, multiply the intensity by a hundred, slam down a fully equipped mall every fifty meters and you’ll get a good idea of what’s happening here. Nanjing Road is loud, hectic and very busy, but once all the lights come on after sunset, it turns into an almost magical place. Dozens of hustlers try selling you fake watches or massages, public karaoke sessions are everywhere, tourist trains try to get through the crowds, and there might even be a massive public tango lesson happening. It’s an assault on the senses, but I love it. This is the ideal place to just sit down, take it all in and watch the spectacle of humanity pass by. There’s often delicious and surprisingly cheap food to be found in the side streets by the way. Don’t fully trust these places and want to order something in a chain restaurant where you can actually understand the menu? Don’t be silly, but if you insist: Ajisen Ramen is completely superior to your average McDonald’s.
Museums in Shanghai
Shanghai may not boast the cultural wealth of Beijing, but for those looking to visit some top museums, the city still offers a plethora of choices. Here are the main ones:
–Shanghai Museum: impressive building in People’s Park, housing one of the world’s largest collections of classical Chinese art and artefacts. Across eleven galleries, you’ll find everything from bronze sculptures and ceramics to calligraphy and traditional costumes.
–Shanghai Science & Technology Museum: colossal and interactive science museum with a strong emphasis on robotics. When I visited a decade ago, there were already robots solving Rubik’s cubes, playing the piano or creating portraits of visitors. Currently closed for renovations until 2025.
–Shanghai Natural History Museum: housed in a fantastic new building since 2015, the Natural History Museum is renowned for its extensive collection of dinosaur skeletons.
–China Art Museum: located in the former Chinese Pavilion of the World Expo 2010. An incredible building and one of the largest museums of modern art in Asia.
–Power Station of Art: museum in an old power station, primarily showcasing contemporary art.
The Bund: one of the world’s great promenades
Nothing in Shanghai is more photogenic than the view from the Bund. This is the famous promenade along the Huangpu River that divides the city in two parts. At your back are the remnants of classic Shanghai: a succession of stately buildings from the time of the concessions. This was the Asian Wall Street of its time. On the other side of the water is the current version: the glitzy skyscrapers of Pudong. The combination of the two makes for one of the world’s most recognizable skylines. Many of the buildings on the Bund date from the early twentieth century and were finished in beautiful Art Deco style. The Fairmont Peace Hotel is one of them: China’s most legendary hotel and a gem of a building. The luxurious entrance hall is located under a massive glass dome; the jazz club exudes a hundred years of atmosphere and the roof terrace is phenomenal. The Peace Hotel is a relic from a bygone era, when Shanghai was a decadent destination where the rich and famous came to drink away their worries in an opium daze.
If you want to experience an echo of those days for yourself and you don’t mind drinking your cocktails in the company of a bunch of wealthy Russians and their girl of the day, you might want to go to Bar Rouge*. This might not sound very appealing, but the view makes up for it. This m’as-tu-vu club is located on the roof of one of the former embassies on the Bund, and the large open roof terrace offers one of the best possible views of Pudong. Dress up a bit, don’t be shocked by the cost of a beer, and don’t expect the world’s friendliest service, but pop in anyway to drink it all in. The last time I was there, I got to go on a free Chinese ambulance ride to take a colleague who had drank it all in a bit too enthusiastically to the ER. Another thing crossed off the bucket list.
The Yuyuan Garden
In the old town of Shanghai lies a place so stereotypically Chinese locals refer to it as Chinatown. The Yuyuan Garden is a perfect example of a traditional Chinese ornamental garden from the Ming dynasty. With its numerous koi ponds, pavilions, stone dragons and rock gardens, you’ll feel like stepping into a different world right in the midst of the bustling city. The garden is ingeniously designed, like a maze with multiple gates and pathways, creating the illusion of being much larger than it actually is. Those who prefer a leisurely visit should come early in the morning on a weekday, as the site is immensely popular among both Chinese tourists and Shanghai locals.
Just outside the garden, in the same style, is the Mid-lake Pavilion Teahouse: one of the most famous tea houses in China. The bridge leading to it zigzags to ward off malevolent spirits. These are apparently not the brightest of the bunch, as they’ll just give up and turn back when they can’t float to their ghostly destination in a straight line. Looking to score some souvenirs? There’s an incredibly busy but highly photogenic bazaar just outside of the garden.
Zhujiajiao: a day trip to Shanghai’s version of Venice
Visiting a huge city is fun and exciting, but sometimes you need a bit of small-scale charm. Thirty kilometres from the centre of Shanghai lies the picturesque canal town of Zhujiajiao. There, you’ll find a delightful mix of old buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasties, no less than 36 picturesque bridges and a multitude of boats reminiscent of Venice’s gondolas. Ideal for a change of pace, visiting the Chinese version of Bruges and getting into the tourists’ way for once instead of the other way around. Zhujiajiao is immensely popular, with its narrow lanes filled with small restaurants and souvenir shops, but it also comes with some beautiful temples and classical gardens to explore. An ideal day trip from Shanghai and perfect for anyone seeking a break from the bustling crowds. Small tip: although my visit is a decade old, I still recall a highly popular restaurant on the main street, selling breakfast dumplings filled with sesame seeds and sugar. Incredibly tasty, but don’t ask me where it is exactly.
