Top Attractions Shanghai

Shanghai Huangpu River Night Cruise

The Huangpu River Cruise is best experienced at night. This is when you’ll truly be able to feel the Shanghai night life. The lights glowing everywhere, giving you the feeling like being in a movie. The best part about the river cruise is the lack of crowds on the cruise, which is a nice escape after being in the busy city for the day. Being on the cruise, you’ll be able to see the Bund which perfectly captures the culture in Shanghai, a mix of ancient and modern influences.

The beautiful architecture of some of Shanghai most well-known buildings are a sight for the eyes. It is unique and unlike anything. The Oriental tower, Financial tower and Shanghai tower are all beautiful landmarks that make Shanghai so special.

The cruise over the Huangpu River splitting Shanghai in half makes the experience much cooler and serene. As the boat slowly crosses the busy city it feels as if you’ve moving through time.

Xintiandi

The highlight of visiting Xintiandi is the abundance of things to do in the area. The combination of influences is also impeccable. Once in Xintiandi, you’ll truly be confused as to where you are because it is a classic feeling of modern and ancient. There’s history in all the buildings around the area. People come here for a memorable shopping, dining and relaxing experience. There are modern western cafes and bars everywhere you go in this area. At the same time it doesn’t lack in more traditional Shanghainese cuisines and tea houses. The ancient buildings also make it a top place to visit in Shanghai. There are many daily tours of this place however for a more authentic experience travel with a local here.

The Bund

 

This is Shanghai’s most popular spot at almost all times and days of the week. Many people will wonder why and this is because it represents Shanghai as a city very well. It is constantly busy with action and it separates the two sides of Shanghai. The longest river flows through Shanghai which makes the bund such a popular place to go as it is filled with busy people everywhere. Along the bund the buildings are all one of a kind. Not one is like the other. Most of the buildings look as if it should be in a movie scene. The night view at the bund is also beautiful. People come here for excersice, dates and experiencing Shanghai at night. It is also really easily accessible. Many visitors who come, never fail to return shortly after.

Yu Garden

Who likes gardens and green filled nature and beautiful architecture? If this screams your name, then Yuyuan Garden is the place for you. This famous enormous garden is rich of history. It has over 400 years of existence in Shanghai. Some fascinating history of this garden is that it was built in 1577 by a government officer of the Ming Dynasty. For those who aren’t history geeks this si from 1368-1644). His name was Pan Yunduan. Hence the name Yuyuan garden. The garden was built for his parents as a relaxing tranquil place for them to enjoy their old age. This is fidelity duty, which is heavily emphasized in Chinese culture. As stated earlier, of the 400 years the garden has existed it has undergone so many changes. In 1760, rich merchants bought it and spent more than 20 years reconstructing the buildings. During the Opium War it was damaged and had to be restored for a total of five years.

Even if you’re not a garden nature person. Visiting Yuyuan garden is a must. You will not experience anything like this anywhere else in the world. It is 20,000 square meters in size. There are siz main scenic areas here which include Sansui Hall, Wanhua Chamber, Dianchun Hall, Huijing Hall, Yuhua Hall and the Inner Garden. The halls, rockeries, ponds and cloisters and pavilions all have distinct unique features.

Something you will not miss upon entering is an enormous rock. It is 14 meters tall approximately 50 feet. Feel free to climb this rock if you’re a true outdoorsmen and explorer. You’ll get a great view of the entire garden which is really cool!

A popular hall in the garden is Sansui Hall which was built originally to entertain guests., which then became a place to hold ceremonies for the gentlemen. It is the largest in the garden Sansui means propitious and lucky.

What makes Yuyan garden so special is the unique jade rock it is one of the three famous rocks in the southern region of Yangtze River. This rock may seem really boring to read about but it is 3.3 meters high and has 72 holes. If you burn a joss stick just below the rock the smoke will come out of the 72 holes and same if you put water.

In my opinion it is definitely worth a visit when in Shanghai because of its rich history and beautiful inside.

If you want to experience true Chinese tradition, then this is the place for you. You will really feel as if you’re in China back in the day. When there was an emperor.

Shanghai Science and Technology Museum

Looking for a fun family day out for the young and old to enjoy? Then visiting the museum of science and technology is an ideal day for everyone to have fun. Not just for families it can be for the people who love learning or for couples who want to seem smart. Whatever your calling is. This is the place for you. You can spend all day here or a couple of hours, just be sure to check out the astounding architecture outside the building.

You can truly spend all day here if you wanted to. There are 14 themed exhibition halls in the museum with noteworthy spots like the Children’s Science Land, World of Robots and a Space Navigation zone and also a World of Animals. The most popular exhibition hall in the museum is the Light of Wisdom. This is the most interactive zone and most catered to children, although anyone can do the interactive activities. It gives you the opportunity to discover like the scientist do and learn about different scientific discoveries such as ionized state of gas and glowing orbs illustrating the ionized state of gas.

In the enormous museum it covers an area of 68,000 square meters, a floor space of 98,000 square meters and an exhibition space of 65,000 square meters if that impresses you, then the four floors will be nothing in comparison.

There are four floors in the museum and a basement giving visitors plenty of time to explore and experience modern science in the building.

Before visiting the museum, make sure you check out the different exhibits you’d die to visit as there is so much to see that you may not have time to see all of them. I opt out of the Spider exhibition but for those who are insect lovers, specifically spiders. This is your crawling.

Once you walk into the museum you’ll get a grasp of the theme of the museum. If you don’t then it is “Nature, Mankind, and technology.

For people who are big movie fans this museum offers an IMAX Dome Theatre, an IMAX 3-D Large Format theatre. It can play dome digital movies and also really cool shows. The screen tilts and almost seems as though it is floating. It can hold 441 viewers.

Upon visiting this museum, it will be really hard to miss it. Just from the outside is a building that stands out. It has a large spherical structure under its ceiling. It is something that is quite a scene.

Pudong Binjina Avenue

On the side of Puxi, this scenic street along the Huangppu River has many gardens and patios only the street. Many people go to the restaurants to enjoy the view of the boats on the water. It also oversee’s the Bund which is really nice.

Shanghai Financial Tower

This impressive building from the outside is as impressive as the indisde. It is 492 meters in hight and it gives visitors a chance to view the city at different points. The Sky Walk inside makes visitors feel like they are walking on clouds. Coming at night is even better because of the lights from the buildings all around, it will be a breath-taking experience.

Grand Hyatt Shanghai

This hotel does not start on the ground floor. Unlike most hotels it starts on the 53^rd floor and rises to the 87^th floor. This is already one of the things that make it stand out amoungst other things in Shanghai. This hotel is an award winning landmark, it has dining and bars that are some of the most innovative resturants in Shanghai. As the hotel is so high up, the view at any of these bars and resturants are amazing. The service at the hotel is also top-notch. They provide spa and sauans for a relaxing experience as well as have great customer service.

Jade Temple

There is no one who goes to China without visiting a temple. It must be an illegal thing. They should stop you if you try getting on a plane without visiting a temple. Or simply exchange your plane ticket. Jade Temple is a popular temple for locals and tourist. It is not just for those who are of Buddhist religion but it has become such a popular tourist attraction that there is no way to not visit this popular place.

The main attraction of this temple is its two famous jade Buddha statues which was brought back from Burma many of thousands of years ago. These main attractions of the temple are extremely rare cultural relics but also porcelain artworks. The two Buddha’s here are called the sitting Buddha and the recumbent Buddha which is carved with whole white jade. These are both comforting to the eye as it sparkles because of the white jade.

The Sitting Buddha is 190 centimeters high and encrusted by emerald. Like the name describes the Buddha is sitting and mediating. Many tourists have made the same pose as the Sitting Buddha and taken pictures for memories. The recumbent Buddha is 96-centimeter-long, lying on the right side with a right hand supporting the head. It is called the “lucky repose”

Many tourist visit this temple for the peaceful and tranquil environment after many long days of sightseeing and exploring the bustling city of Shanghai. It is quite unique to have such a large temple in such a fast past modern city. It is filled with old a unique traditional designs all inside the temple which is refreshing for those who have never been to a traditional Chinese temple. However, beware of the smoke from incents throughout the temple as it may make your clothes smell funny.

Unlike some other popular temples in China the Jade Temple is not an original temple. In 1882 an old temple was built in order to keep the two statues. However, the temple was destroyed during the revolution but luckily the two statues were not.

The recommended time to see this temple is 1.5 hours and will cost 20RMB for both statues.

Henshan Road Bar Street

The largest bar zone in Shanghai. This street is filled with bars all of different styles and sorts. There are trees that are on the street with red-brown sidewalks and buildings replicate a European style. The street at night is less European and become more like a place with neon sides and brightly lit pub feel. Again, this street really blends both Chinese and Western elements with very nice special sidewalks. The bars are all different with different themes which make the street so unique. Foreigners and locals come here on weekends for a more party feel. During the week it is still busy, except with less of the people whom have work.

The Oriental Pearl TV tower

The most stand out tower in Shanghai. When most people think Shanghai, they ask or know about the tower with the 2 balls. It is the third highest tower in the world and scans the cluster of modern buildings in Lujiazui. This tower is 468 meters high and contains 3 massive poles. There are also 3 big spheres. Visitors can choose to see the city from different parts of the tower depending on how high they want to go up on the tower. Even on the outside the pearl tower is a beautiful sight. It lights up in different colors and really stand out among other buildings in Shanghai.

Xujiahui

 

The downtown of the west side of Pudong. Well know for its shopping centers. This area is filled with activities and things to do. Ranging from eating, to exploring to shopping. The shops range from highend to very cheap stores. There are many malls in the area that give you access to almost everything and anything you need. With the first Best Buy in the area and other commercial centers that just sell electronics this area has a lot of offer. Many of the younger crowds will come here after school as it is very close to the university station. The higherend stores include Burberry, Gucci, Armani etc. Of course there is also the famous Ding Tai Fung right at the Orient Shipping Center. This makes this area so popular. Even at night there are always busy people getting off work or couples going on dates there.

Water Towns

 

The many watertowns in Shanghai and around are definitely worth a visit. There are many to choose from like Fengjing, Qibao, Zhujiajiao, Nanxiang, Dianshan Lake, Nanxun, Wuzhen, Xitang, Tongli, Luzhi. They all have their unique aspects and what makes them different. However, one thing that they all have in common is that they are rich and filled with history. There is nothing like them. Going to the water towns is experiencing something completely different than the city life in Shanghai. The locals living here are more peaceful and you’ll be able to experience something more authentic and traditional. Try taking one of the boats on the river and get the real experience of living like a local there.

China Art Museum

 

It is also called the China Art Palace, and it is impressive because it is the largest art museum in Asia. The shape of the museum is also very unique and you get a sense of tradition when looking at the building. Inside the museum the style of art is modern Chinese art. It is located in the China pavilion of 2010 Shanghai World expo. The museum features 27 exhibition halls and takes up 64,000 square meters in the area. For anyone who likes art history, this state-owned art organization will take you through  a journey of how Chinese contemporary and modern art evolved. The museum works with artist all over China to display the best collection of modern art for education, research and leisure purposes. It is definitely worth checking out even for people who don’t like to enjoy art just for the appreciation of the outside.

Shanghai Wild Animal Park

 

This is the true place to be for those who love animals. Coving 153 hectraes of land. This Animal park is filled with over 200 kinda of animals from all over the world. There are special rare animals and animals only found in China. There are giraffes, zebras, antilops, white rhinoceros, and pandas and Chinese Tigers. It is the first national wild park established by the Shanghai Municpal Governemtn. A really family friendly park for a good education visiting and also visiting with friends. The park is really cool, as  it is divided into 2 parts. A bus visiting area and walking area.  The bus and car visiting area gives you a chance to see the giraffes and cheetahs while in your car or bus giving you a more relaxing trip. Which is nice for the elderly or families with small children who don’t like to walk. The walking area of the park is much more interactive as it gives walkers the chance to see the rare animals closer up like a white lion, tiger and Chinese alligator. There is also a small animal garden where anyone can hug the small animal and feed the monkeys. This place is where dreams are made if you truly love animals. Throughout the day there is also animal shows and humans shows which give you an idea of how well trained some of these animals are. Be sure to come on a nice day though especially if you have plans to do the walking tour.

Longhua Temple

Longhua temple is one of the more famous temples in China. Luckily it is located in Shanghai so anyone traveling in Shanghai can easily come to this temple. It is one of the most popular activities to do and see in old Shanghai. At midnight the sounds of the bells will ring and people hearing this sound are suppose to feel refined and refreshed. This temple is also rich in history as it was building in 242 AD during the Three Kingdoms Period. Although after such a long period of time it has been hard to preserve the orginal so after the reconstructing and renovating the temple still has the design of a Song Dynasty monastery. The amazing thing about this temple is that it is the largest complete ancient temple complex the Shanghai . Originally the temple has been surrounded by extensive gardens and orchards. Traditioanlly people would gather around the garden annually to watch the peach bloosom. Today the garden is now a cemetary.

Shanghai Ocean Aquarium

 

If you love water and believe you could have been a fish in your past life then you should go visit the Shanghai Ocean Aquarium. Shanghai is such a hot humid city that on rainy days sometimes you just want to be somewhere in-doors but be somewhere cool. When planning a visit here I would recommend going on a rainy day and save the nice days for outdoor places.

The Shanghai Ocean Aquarium is one of the largest ocean aquariums in the world. It has the world’s longest submarine tunnel that is 155 meters in length. The cool thing about this aquarium is that it is separated into zones by the different parts of the world, some of the zone include: South America Zone, Austraila Zone, Cold water zone, Polar Zone, Asia Zone. Personally I didn’t even know there were more that 300 types of exhibits and I can’t list more than 20 sea creatures. However, this aquarium has 15,00 water creatures and Rae fishes which include poison dart frogs, jellyfishes, and sea dragons! Super impressive!

This super cool aquarium is the only one in the world to have a China zone which makes it a top spot to visit in Shanghai. Many creatures in the zone have to be specially protected like Chinese sturgeon, mullet, and Yangtze alligator and giant salamander.

Getting to the aquarium is really easy, simply get off at Luijiazui Station. Get out at Exit 1 and it is 200 meters from the station.

They also have daily feeding times for visitors to watch which is quite a rare scene.

Spotted seals 9:45- 9:55

Penguins 10:00-10:15

Wide Ocean 10:30-10:45

Shoals of Fish 10:50-11:00

Sharks 10:50-11:10

The outside of the aquarium is also quite unique. It is shaped like two pyramids where the main building sits and an annexe sits there as well. The aquatic organisms at the zoo seems pretty cool and it is creatures in the zone that are most visited which is really cool.

Maglev Train

 

This is the world’s fastest commercial train service running at 431 kilometers/hour. If you plan to travel from the Pudong International airport to the city center, consider taking this train as a time saver but also as an experience. It isn’t everyday you’re in a city with the world’s fasters train! Instead of taking the subway for 1.5 hours this train will get you downtown in 8 mins.