Shanghai Attractions
Jinmao Tower
With a height of 420.5 meters, this is the world’s 4th tallest building. The building has hotels, restaurants, office buildings and much more. Take the “fastest lift in the world” to the top and get a view you will not forget immediately. The address is Shiji Dadao in the Pudong area.
Oriental Pearl Tower
This is the TV Tower in Shanghai. The tower, or more correctly the top of the tower spire, is 468 meters above the ground. The TV tower was built in 1994. It has a fantastic Gaudi-inspired architecture. Tourists have the opportunity to reach halfway up the tower (to 263 meters) to get a view of the city.
Shanghai Art Museum
The main art museum for different types of Chinese visual arts is the Shanghai Art Museum. Known for its beautiful architecture, the building is located on Nanjing Xilu 325 Street.
ShangArt
If you want to take a closer look at modern Chinese art, ShangArt is the place to visit. The address is Gaolan Lu 2a near Fuxing Park.
Shanghai Botanical Garden
At Longwu Lu 1111 you will find a large area dedicated to the Shanghai Botanical Garden, where there is a huge collection of plants, including a separate collection of orchids. Here you can relax and enjoy the scents of nature in the big city jungle.
Jade Buddha Temple
This temple was built between 1910 and 1920 and is in honor of a two meter high and white jade Buddha. There are many other Buddha figures here as well. You can find the temple in Anyuan Lu Street. The temple is one of five active Buddha temples in Shanghai.
Shanghai Museum
This museum, located just off Remlin Square in Renmin Dadao Street, was built as late as 1994 as a symbol of the city’s changes. Here you will find one of China’s best collections of Chinese art. There are Ming collections, jade art, calligraphy, Chinese paintings and much more. You can buy English-language guide at the museum.
Yuyan Garden
In the old town (Chinatown) is the Yuyan Garden, built during the Ming Dynasty in the middle of the 16th century. The garden and buildings were destroyed during the 19th century opium war, but are restored. The rebuilt facility is great. Here you also have the opportunity to buy souvenirs and take a snack.
Maglev Train
It may be a bit special to set up the train as an attraction, but it’s not every day that you get the chance to drive faster than 430 km / h on land. You pay five times more than on the airport bus, but then you also arrive faster. A journey that takes more than 30 minutes by car is done in seven minutes. And the feeling of speed is special. When the train slows down and travels at 200 km / h you will think that it is almost ahead. The train leaves from Pudong Airport to the Pudong area of Shanghai.
Shanghai Tourist
First and foremost, Shanghai is the city of amazing skyscrapers, rich shopping and lively people. Here you can take in the big city pulse and experience new, exciting smells and sounds. The traffic is solid and the roads wide. The cars do not drive as fast, but the driving patterns and the duty of the bay are not complied with, so be careful!
Day 1 in Shanghai
Start the morning at The Bund. The Bund means original “clay”, for example, camp grounds against water. The Bund has long been known as Shanghai Wall Street and is today visited by most visitors. Stroll along the river and enjoy the view. There are many landmarks near The Bund. Several of the tallest buildings are landmarks that you can clearly see from here. You will benefit from these buildings to orient yourself in the city later. After a little relaxation and enjoyment of the “skyline of Shanghai”, you should look more at traditional and historical China. One suggestion is a visit to Jade Buddha Temple, which is a major tourist attraction in Shanghai. You can find the temple in Anyuan Lu Street. It was built in the years between 1910 and 1920 and has a two meter high jade Buddha. Jade is a highly valued stone in China. The temple has many other Buddha figures in addition to other statues. You can easily reach the temple by taxi. The address is Anyuan Lu 170.
After visiting the Jade Buddha Temple, it might be time for a lunch. There is a vegetarian restaurant at the temple. Otherwise, you can take a taxi to Nanjing Lu Street, China’s perhaps most famous shopping street. Here you will find many restaurants and cafes.
After lunch it’s time for shopping. In China and Shanghai, shopping is compulsory and a tourist experience in itself.
After visiting the famous fashion shops in Nanjing Lu and getting plenty of shopping malls, it might be time to visit one of the many markets in Shanghai. Perhaps the most famous is the Xiang-yang market. It has long been a requirement of other countries’ authorities that Shanghai closes this market, because there is a large turnover of copied brands there. The market is known for selling brand jeans to approx. 100 Norwegian kroner. The Xiang-yang market is located between Xiangyang Lu and Huaihai Lu streets. Cash is traded here and people are buzzing.
Try to get a visit to a silk factory. There are several shops that also have guided tours of such a factory. There is a larger silk market in Dong Jia Du Lu Street, but it is not easy to find, so take a taxi. In the market they have silk products of all types and qualities. Remember to bargain!
Day 2 in Shanghai
We recommend that you visit Yuyuan garden, a park built by senior representatives of the Ming Dynasty in the middle of the 16th century. The park is very well visited, so if you come to Yuyuan garden this weekend, you should be out early (opens at 0830). In the park you will find magnificent trees, flowers and buildings. The houses are beautifully restored. The park is in the middle of Chinatown, so after your visit to Yuyuan, you have the perfect opportunity to spend a few hours hiking around this neighborhood. Here you will find many shops and all kinds of goods. The whole area is full of life. Chinatown is really worth a visit as a contrast to modern Shanghai. Feel free to take your lunch here.
After visiting Chinatown, we recommend a trip to the Pudong area and Jinmao tower. The tower is among the tallest buildings in the world and it has a great architecture. For a reasonable price you can take the elevator to the top. The views are breathtaking and there are good opportunities for photography. After the visit you can go to the TV tower and enjoy the surroundings there. When returning to the Puxi area across the river, we recommend taking the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel. Here you are transported in a train system under the water. The two stations / ticket outlets are at the Oriental Pearl TV tower on the Pudong side and at the Peace Hotel on the other side of the river.
End your day at Renmin Square. This place is located just next to the people’s park, Renmin Park. You will find the Shanghai Museum at this place, among other places (open from 0900 to 1700 every day and until 2000 on Saturdays). The museum has one of the finest art collections in all of China.
After dinner we recommend a visit to a tea house. Tea houses are an important part of Chinese culture and it is well worth a visit. We suggest Huxinting Tea House located next to Yuyan Gardens (read more about this place under Shanghai attractions). Another option is Donghai Cafe which is near the Bund. This place is more like a cafe than a traditional tea house. Also, remember to make time for a stroll downtown to see the city in the evening. The neon lights and laser lights make the city almost futuristic.