Glamorous, efficient and endlessly walkable, Shanghai is the easiest soft landing for first-time visitors — colonial-era riverfront on one bank, a futuristic skyline on the other.
History & culture
A small fishing town that exploded into a treaty port in the 19th century, Shanghai blended Chinese and European influence into the Art Deco Bund and the leafy lanes of the former French Concession.
What to see & do
- ◆The Bund at night facing the Pudong skyline
- ◆Former French Concession cafes and plane-tree streets
- ◆Yu Garden and the old town bazaar
- ◆Power Station of Art and the West Bund museums
- ◆A day trip to the Zhujiajiao water town
What to eat
- ●Xiaolongbao (soup dumplings)
- ●Shengjianbao (pan-fried pork buns)
- ●Hairy crab in autumn
Getting there
Two airports (Pudong PVG, Hongqiao SHA); the Maglev whisks you in from PVG. Superb metro and the national high-speed rail hub at Hongqiao.
Avoid the pitfalls
- Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay before arriving — cash is rarely used.
- Skip overpriced 'art student' gallery tours near tourist spots.
- Nanjing Road has aggressive touts for fake goods and bars; politely ignore.
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