Shanghai is extremely popular with tourists who want to delve into and explore the urban attractions that China has to offer.
The restaurants, skyscrapers and shopping districts showcase the contemporary Chinese lifestyle and allow tourists to enjoy the vibrancy that exists within the larger cities within China. You may also find a few glimpses of the older and more traditional cultures amongst all this modernisation.
Top Attractions in Shanghai
The Bund
The Bund is a waterfront lined with architectural wonders. The styles range between Gothic, Classicism and Renaissance, meaning there is something to suit all tastes. The river’s flood wall is known as ‘the lover’s wall’, as it is considered to be the most romantic spot in all of Shanghai.
The area becomes even more breathtaking during the evenings as the lights from buildings and lamp posts glitter upon the waters.
Nanjing Road
Nanjing Road is Shanghai’s top shopping district. The one street spans for 3.4 miles, so be prepared for a lot of retail therapy! This street was the first place to display imported foreign goods and it still sells a diverse mix of products.
There are modern shopping malls, western outlets and restaurants – you are also likely to find high end European designers. However there are also traditional stores that sell silks, jade and embroidered pieces; these trinkets act as great souvenirs as they will continually remind you of your Shanghai experience.
Traditional Attractions
Jade Buddha Temple
The traditional Jade Buddha Temple is nestled in the midst of this urban city. In 1882, the temple was built to preserve 2 jade Buddha statues.
The statues remained safe until the building was destroyed a few years later. A new site was built in 1928 and now contains many pieces of Chinese artwork; you can marvel at the intricate decor and the traditional architecture that is so unique within this urban city.
Yu Garden or Yuyuan Garden
The Yuyuan Garden was built during the Ming Dynasty in 1577 and is a traditional outside space. The place has undergone some serious changes over the past 400 years; it has been damaged, rebuilt and reconstructed numerous times.
There is plenty to explore within the area – you can stroll through the pavilions and rockeries as well as peer into the ponds and look at their underwater life. The garden contains the largest and oldest rockery within Southern China. If you stand on top of this feature, you can enjoy breathtaking views across the rest of the garden.
Shanghai Cuisine
Shanghai dishes are a blend of the most delicious and appealing aspects of China’s cuisine.
There are two styles for you to try. Firstly Benbang dishes are traditional family meals which use fish, chicken, pork and vegetables as their main ingredients. The bright colours of this local cuisine come from lashings of oil and soybean sauce.
Haipai Cuisine
The Haipai Cuisine, meaning ‘all-embracing cuisine’, epitomises Shanghai’s cosmopolitan atmosphere as it mixes a range of ingredients from different cultures. You may also want to try the local snacks that are sold by street vendors. These serve such foods as fried stuffed buns, rice cakes and Leisha dumplings.
Image by Joachim Engel from pixabay.com
