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Shanghai has great historical appeal and is a lively and interesting Chinese metropolis. Shanghai is one of China’s financial locomotives, and it has so many sights and modern landmarks, which is a showcase for the entire world of Chinese progress and prosperity in the global economy.
Enjoy the view of all the high-rise buildings and exciting works of modern architects, not least along the city’s port, where the district of Pudong rises impressively towards the old center. Skyscrapers stand beautifully next to each other, and from several of them you can enjoy a magnificent panoramic view of Shanghai.
Shanghai is not only made of modern glass and steel, on the contrary, it has buildings and cultural influence from both ancient China and from the colonial powers that have traded there. Some of Asia’s best-known European-style buildings at The Bund provide a fine perspective on the city’s history.
You will also find Chinese temples that complete the impression of new and old from different cultures being close together. And if you fly to Shanghai Airport you can take a Maglev train ride to the city center at up to 431 kilometers per hour/267 miles per hour. That is unforgettable as well.
The Bund is a unique street in the whole of Southeast Asia because of the more than 50 European-style buildings, mainly from the beginning of the 20th century, that lie like pearls on a string. The street is located along the Huangpu River and stretches for more than a kilometer. The boundary of The Bund runs in the south from Yan’an Street, which in English times was called Edward VII Avenue, to the Waibaidu Bridge in the north.
With buildings in such different styles as Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Neoclassicism and Art Deco, it is not without reason that The Bund is also called an international architecture museum, but even if you are not interested in architecture, The Bund is still a must during a visit to Shanghai. The promenade along the river is a tributary and an exhibition of historic Shanghai on The Bund and the new Shanghai in the Pudong district, which sits on the opposite bank of the Huangpu. In the evening there is a special atmosphere when the buildings on both sides of the river are illuminated.
The Bund’s history started as an English settlement, and the big boom for the economy and construction at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century made the place an important financial center in East Asia.
The many houses mainly housed trading houses and banks from many countries, e.g. England, France, Russia, Germany, Japan and the USA. In addition, both an English and a Russian consulate were located here. After the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, most buildings came to house new functions, but the Peace Hotel, for example, was run as before.
There are a number of interesting houses on The Bund, some of the highlights being the Hong Kong & Shanghai Bank, Custom House and the Peace Hotel. To the north of The Bund is a small park facing the Huangpu River. At the far end is the Monument for Folkets Helte, a 24 meter high monument erected to the martyrs of the revolution and to people who have lost their lives in natural disasters.
North of the Waibaidu Bridge you can see the large building from 1934, originally called Broadway Mansions. It is not located on The Bund, but belongs to the series of European-looking constructions. Today it is set up as a hotel.
Driving at 431 kilometers per hour is not common anywhere in the world, with the exception of the stretch from Shanghai’s airport in Pudong towards the city centre. This is the only place in the world where the Maglev magnetic railway runs in normal operation. The track was built as part of the city’s regular transport network, but with the dizzying speed, a trip has also become a tourist experience.
The 30-kilometer trip between the airport and the Maglev station on the metro network takes 7 minutes, and the best experience of the trip is when two trains pass each other. You have to remember to look carefully, it goes so quickly.
The Yu Garden was laid out in the 16th century during the Ming Dynasty, and it is considered among the region’s finest Chinese gardens. It started in 1559, when Pan Yunduan wanted to establish a private garden for his father, Pan En, who was a high-ranking official. The garden fell into disrepair for almost two hundred years, and several times in the 1800s and 1900s it was destroyed. In the years 1956-1961, the garden was renovated and made a national monument in 1982.
The Yu Garden incorporates all the elements of historic Sozhou-style gardens; artificial hills, rocks, carp ponds, dragon paintings, zigzag bridges and pavilions.
The garden is located in the middle of the old Chinese area of Shanghai, and in modern Shanghai’s hectic life and many opportunities, it is like stepping into another world with room for contemplation.
Immediately outside the garden is the large historic Chinese-style market area, New Old Street (上海老街), created as a tourist magnet with a flavor of ancient China. It is almost a must during a visit to Shanghai. There are many shops, restaurants and stalls here, but also beautiful buildings and details such as the Huxingting tea house, located in the area’s small lake.
The oldest buildings of the Jing’an Temple were erected as early as the year 247. It was located in another location in Shanghai until 1216, but was moved here to its current position.
The current buildings were built during the Qing Dynasty in the southern Chinese style, and they are very beautifully well-maintained after a major restoration in 1983. Not least the various temple halls are impressive. In the Guanyin Hall, there is a statue made of camphor wood. The statue, which weighs five tons, is an impressive sight with its height of just over six meters. In the temple you can also see China’s largest jade Buddha statue. It is 3.8 meters high.
Other interesting effects include the 3.5-ton Hongwu Bell from the Ming Dynasty and a collection of stone Buddhas from around the 5th century Northern and Southern Dynasties.
When you look at Pudong’s skyline from, for example, The Bund, there are rows and rows of skyscrapers, and among them is the Shanghai Tower, which was built between 2008 and 2015. With it, the three tall skyscrapers, Jin Mao Building, Shanghai World Financial Center and Shanghai Tower, which were planned in 1993, were completed.
The Shanghai Tower is 632 meters high and was therefore completed as the tallest building in China and the second tallest in the world. In the tower, there is an observation deck where, at a height of just over 550 metres, you can enjoy the view of Shanghai and the surrounding area.
The building design is twisted from the outside with a facade that turns 120 degrees on the way up, and inside Shanghai Tower is divided into nine cylindrical buildings that are stacked on top of each other. Each of the nine has its own atrium.
The zoo in Shanghai has a lot of animals from all over the world, but the biggest attraction is certainly the giant panda, which quite calmly eats bamboo, while the numerous tourists walk by and look at the animal, which only lives in central China.
In addition to the giant panda, there are various shows here, lots of big cats, animals from the African savannas and, of course, a rich selection from the Chinese fauna; e.g. the Chinese alligator.
The Temple of the City God is located in Shanghai’s Old Town, and together with the stunningly beautiful garden, Yuyuan (豫园), is a fine example of a classical Chinese garden and temple complex.
The temple was converted to the Temple of the City God in 1403, and with the dedication to the city’s protector, it became a popular place in what was then Chinatown. In 1951, the Taoist congregation got the temple, and after a few decades with other purposes in the buildings, since 1994 they have run the place as a temple again.
Nanshi is a historic and exciting neighborhood in Shanghai that long consisted of four separate districts, the three of which were ruled by the French, the English and the Americans respectively.
The Chinese district was under Chinese rule until 1949, and it was thus here that there was a real Chinese atmosphere. Today, you can still experience some of the narrow and densely built-up streets that give an impression of the Shanghai of yesteryear, but like everywhere else in the rapidly developing modern city, you must have a certain imagination. The district lies within the two streets Zhonghua and Renmin, both of which were laid out on the filled-in moats and now form a ring road, clearly visible as an oval on a city map.
The Peace Hotel was built by Victor Sassoon 1926-1929 as Shanghai’s most glamorous hotel under the name Cathay Hotel. At 77 meters it was Shanghai’s tallest building until 1934, when the Park Hotel opened and took over that status.
Today, the Peace Hotel consists of two separate buildings located on either side of Nanjing Lu; both have facades towards The Bund. The northernmost one is the original Cathay Hotel from 1929 (The Bund 20), while the southern one (The Bund 19) dates from 1908. The Palace Hotel was originally set up here.
The northern part is called Sassoon House as a building, and there were a number of different tenants here in the beginning. The Cathay Hotel was one of them, but here were also banks, restaurants and Victor Sassoon’s private apartment, which was set up on the 10th floor. In the pyramid on the roof facing The Bund, there was a dining room.
The hotel was taken over and continued by the Chinese in 1949, and it reopened as a hotel in 1956. The hotel is known for good jazz music, a lovely roof terrace and an atmosphere reminiscent of the 1930s.
On the site of the southern part was the Central Hotel from the 1850s, which was changed to the Palace Hotel with the opening of the current building in 1908. It was Shanghai’s first with elevators. Since 1965 it has belonged to the Peace Hotel.
The Bund Sightseeing Tunnel is a tunnel experience where modern high technology is used to provide a unique audio and visual experience for guests who are taken through the tunnel in small driverless carriages.
The Bund Sightseeing Tunnel itself connects the central part of The Bund with the area of the Oriental Pearl Tower. It is 646 meters long and with its connection under the Huangpu River, it can be used for sightseeing or as practical transportation.
Along The Bund, off Jinling Lu Street, you can take boat trips on the Huangpu River and the smaller Wusong north of The Bund. The ride on the busy waters is very atmospheric and an excellent way to see both The Bund and the Pudong district.
A standard tour lasts one hour, but longer tours out to the Yangtze River can also be purchased. A special experience is taking a boat trip when darkness falls and all the lights in Pudong and the rest of Shanghai come on.
If you just want to try a sailing trip, you can choose the ferry that departs from The Bund. It costs a fraction of the tour boats, but then the trip is not designed according to tourists’ wishes either, but the fastest possible transport from The Bund to Pudong.
The Pudong district, located on the eastern bank of the Huangpu River, is Shanghai’s modern district, characterized by high-rise office buildings and several of the city’s new attractions. It has shot up from almost nothing as recently as 1990.
The many glass and steel skyscrapers give the city a distinctive skyline. Pudong is the commercial and financial heart of the city, one of Asia’s powerhouses – and the district is a stark contrast to The Bund, which lies on the opposite bank of the Huangpu River. Between The Bund and Pudong there is, among other things, The Bund Sightseeing Tunnel, and there is also a passenger ferry.
The Oriental Pearl Tower is Shanghai’s television tower, and it is located as one of the city’s landmarks opposite The Bund and down towards the Huangpu River. The tower was built in the years 1991-1995 in the business district of Lujiazui in the district of Pudong. Until 2007, it was China’s tallest building; that was until the construction of the Shanghai World Financial Center, which sits not far from the TV tower.
The Oriental Pearl Tower is 468 meters high and offers three observation decks located at 90, 263 and 350 meters respectively; the tallest with the name Space Module. With its location in the heart of Shanghai, there is of course a fantastic view from the tower, which you can also enjoy in a revolving restaurant 267 meters up.
The Shanghai World Financial Center, or just SWFC, opened after eleven years of construction in 2008. At 492 meters to the top, it was the world’s tallest building, excluding various antennas or towers.
It is also in SWFC that you will find an observation deck at a height of 474 metres. It is on the second-highest floor, the 100th floor, and you can also visit viewing points on the 94th floor and 97th floor. SWFC is one of the most distinctive buildings in the Pudong district; partly because of the height and partly because there is a large trapezoidal hole close to the top.
Nanjing Lu is Shanghai’s main thoroughfare. It is one of the world’s busiest, and you understand that when you take a stroll here. Nanjing Lu is packed with shops and shopping malls, and there are always a lot of people here. The street is also interesting to see in the evening, when the many neon signs and advertisements illuminate the entire long street.
Nanjing Lu today consists of two parts, an eastern and a western part, located on opposite sides of People’s Park. It is the eastern part that is the original Nanjing Lu and therefore also especially this one that is interesting to visit. A good part of the stretch is a pedestrian street.
The Shanghai Museum’s collection consists of more than 120,000 effects within the categories of, among others: bronze works, ceramics, calligraphy, furniture, jade objects, coins, paintings, seals, sculptures and minority art.
Particularly interesting is the bronze collection, which is considered among the world’s finest. The museum’s many objects on display give a refined impression of much of Chinese cultural history, which is, for example, depicted through furniture from the various dynasties, not least the Ming and Qing dynasties.
The museum was originally founded in 1952. The current, modern museum building in an exciting architectural style was built in 1993-1996. It contains approximately 40,000 m2 spread over the five floors.
Hangzhou is one of China’s seven ancient capitals, it was founded more than 2,000 years ago during the Qin Dynasty. In the first centuries, the city was a small settlement, but after the construction of the city walls in 591, development took off. The city was thus very prosperous in the subsequent Tang dynasty from the 600s to the 900s, not least because of its fortifications and strategically good location at the southern end of the Grand Canal.
Hangzhou’s population exploded to nearly half a million in the 12th century, making it one of the world’s largest cities. Marco Polo visited Hangzhou in the 13th century, and he described it as undoubtedly the most beautiful in the world. Large parts of the city’s historic buildings were destroyed in the 19th century, but the sights are still so fine that the city is one of the most visited in China.
Various buildings were constructed over time, including the dam at the famous Vestsø, which is today one of the city’s major excursion destinations. Many Chinese cities have a West Lake, but the one in Hangzhou is the “real” and most famous one. It was also the inspiration for the construction of Kunming Lake at the Imperial Summer Palace in Beijing.
The West Lake is quite large, and it is divided by two larger dams, which are named after the poets Su Dongpo and Bai Juyi, who served as mandarins in Hangzhou. The dams are Su Di (Sū Dī/苏堤) and Bai Di (Bái Dī/白堤). The lake is 3.2 kilometers from north to south and 2.8 kilometers from east to west. It stretches from the city itself out to wooded hills, which are often shrouded in an evocative haze.
The most characteristic structure at the West Lake is the 45 meter high Baochu Pagoda (bǎochùtǎ/保俶塔), which is built high up on a hill, but everywhere around the lake there are beautiful and interesting places and facilities.
In Hangzhou you can also see the Pagoda of the Six Harmonies, considered by many to be China’s most impressive. It was originally built in 970, when it had a height of over 100 meters. The pagoda collapsed in 1121, after which the pagoda was rebuilt at the beautiful site on the north bank of the Qiantang River. This time the height was the current 60 metres. The pagoda appears externally to have thirteen floors, but internally there are seven. In addition to the pagoda itself, you can see a number of exciting effects from Chinese cultural history.
The relatively small town of Zhouzhuang is much visited for its many lakes and canals, as well as the preserved historic residential houses and neighborhoods that line the canals through the city center. The city’s biggest attractions are the atmosphere by the water, and you can also see the city best from one of the sailing trips that are offered.
There are 14 stone bridges in the city; they cross canals and rivers. The Shide and Yongan Twin Bridges are the most famous and are the landmarks of Zhouzhuang. The bridges were built around the year 1600. Somewhat older is the Fuan Bridge, built in 1355 during the Yuan Dynasty. At the Fuan Bridge is the Shen House from 1742. The entire house complex is approximately 2,000m2, and it gives a good impression of the distinguished style that prevailed under the Qing emperors.
When visiting Zhouzhuang, you should also visit the Taoist Chengxu Temple, which was built in 1086-1093 during the Song Dynasty.
The city of Nanjing has been the capital of China several times throughout history. The name then also means “The Southern Capital” in contrast to Beijing, which means “The Northern Capital”. Nanjing is one of the four most important capitals of ancient Chinese society, and today there are many exciting sights to see between the many high-rise buildings in the modern city; only some of the most important ones are described here.
Nanjing’s old center lay within the long and high city wall, from which you can still see some gates and wall sections. The imperial court also had its palaces, gardens and other buildings here. In the center is the large lake Xuanwu, and around it and on the islands in the middle is like a lovely oasis in the big city.
There are several major attractions in Nanjing. These are, for example, the Bell Tower/Zhonglou (钟楼) and the Drum Tower/Gulou (鼓楼), both of which date from the 1380s Ming Dynasty. The towers were used to mark sunrise and sunset, and such buildings are also known from, for example, Xi’an and Beijing.
You can also see the Presidential Palace, which was the residence of the President of the Republic of China until 1949. Originally, there were two princely palaces from the Ming Dynasty on the site, but during the Taiping Rebellion in 1853 they were destroyed. Subsequently, the new palace was built, and today it is set up as a museum.
Suzhou’s history goes back more than 2,500 years, and its location on the Grand Canal has contributed to the city’s development over many centuries. Suzhou was already in 495 BC. connected to the Yangtze River via the canal, and then the city developed into a center for trade in, among other things, silk.
The Ming and Qing dynasties became Suzhou’s golden period, when the city became very prosperous. It was during this time that Suzhou’s many lovely gardens were laid out. The approximately 150 gardens are spread throughout the city center and attract many tourists who want to see the small universes that the gardens form.
A trip to Suzhou is a very peaceful and breathtaking experience. You can see several of the beautiful gardens, the cozy houses and the neighborhoods around the city’s many small canals and, of course, the Grand Canal, which makes a circle around Suzhou’s old town.
Nanjing Dong Lu 328
Huaihai Zhonglu 918
Zhaojiabang Lu 1000
Pudong
Tianping Lu 139
Sichuanbei Lu 521
Nanjing Lu, Huaihai zhong Lu, Sichuan bei Lu, Xujiahui, Yu Yuan
Dino Beach/上海 熱 帯 風暴 水上 園
Xin Zhen Lu 78
dinobeach.com.cn
Jin Jiang Amusement Park/錦江 樂園
Hongmei Lu 201
Shanghai Zoo/上海 動物園
Hongqiao Lu 2831
Shanghai Ocean Aquarium/上海 海洋馆
Yincheng Bei Lu 158/银 城 北路 158 号
aquarium.sh.cn
Shanghai’s history goes far back, and before the actual urban development, the area was part of Songjiang Province, which was ruled from nearby Suzhou. With the Song Dynasty (960-1279), the development of the area began into a small town that primarily played a role as a port.
in 1553 is considered to be Shanghai’s beginnings as a real city. It was here that city walls were built that created a structure in the scattered settlements. The city continued to play an important role as a port, but it was not until the 19th century that a major development of the city took place. Despite Shanghai’s size today, it is a relatively young city where there are not many old traditional Chinese buildings, such as Beijing and Nanjing.
In the 19th century, Shanghai’s commercial significance increased due to its favorable location close to the mouth of the Yangze River. In particular, this was attractive to Western countries that would otherwise not have access to the closed ports of China.
The first opium war ended with the signing of the Nanjing Treaty in 1842. Here, China had to relinquish Hong Kong to the British as well as open some ports for Western trade access, including Shanghai, which was perhaps the most interesting of them all. Other agreements in the following years expanded the foreign rights of the city and the port.
The national Taiping rebellion started in 1850 and lasted until 1864. It became one of the bloodiest times in Chinese history, where defeat to foreign powers and natural disasters occurred repeatedly, in the rebels’ opinion, without the proper reactions of the Manchurian Qing- dynasty. Shanghai’s territories under foreign rule remained out of conflict and were therefore targets of many refugees from the many battles in China.
After some fighting in Shanghai’s area in 1853, a city government was established the following year. The overseas territories were intended to be coordinated, not least by the increasing number of Chinese migrants.
During the war against Japan in 1894-1895, China had to renounce Formosa, present-day Taiwan, and Japan, alongside England, France, Russia and the United States, became one of the foreign nations with dominion in part of Shanghai.
The Japanese were the first to build factories in the city, and soon after, others of the foreign powers also followed. It became the starting point for Shanghai’s major industrialization, which over time made Shanghai the absolute economic powerhouse in the country, based on more than just the major port and financial sector, which was the largest and most developed in the Far East.
The growth also led to an expansion, where in the early 1900s the city’s old defense walls were demolished.
Shanghai’s great importance to China eventually required a special establishment of the political organization in the city. In the period until 1927, Shanghai was part of Jiangsu Province, whose main city was Nanjing, but now the city was established as a special administrative zone that was equated with China’s provinces. In 1930, Shanghai formally became its own municipality, its own province, allowing for even better structuring and planning of the city’s future.
At the beginning of the 1930s, there was a growing need for independence among the Chinese in the partly foreign city. Japan carried out bombings in the city in 1932, and after a few years of fighting and rebellion, the city was conquered by Japan in 1937. The Japanese era lasted until 1945.
During World War II, Shanghai became a refuge for Jews, among others. The historical role of the city as a very international and tolerant city was thereby maintained.
In May 1949, the Chinese Communist Party seized power in the city, which meant the relocation of many foreign companies and trade offices that instead chose British Hong Kong as the seat of the Far East.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Shanghai again experienced a great industrial growth period. In the People’s Republic of China, Shanghai was the center of production and trade throughout the years. With modern China’s new economic boom initiated in Guangdong Province in 1980, Shanghai came to the fore as one of Asia’s economic mastodoners.
Developments really took off after 1991, when new initiatives to achieve both Chinese and foreign investment were implemented. The People’s Republic leader, Jiang Zemin, was former mayor of Shanghai, and he led the establishment of the new and impressive city you meet today.
With some of the world’s tallest skyscrapers, the district of Pudong is the best example of what has shot up in recent decades. One of the crowns of the work was Shanghai’s status as host of the 2010 world exhibition, Expo2010.
Overview of Shanghai
Shanghai has great historical appeal and is a lively and interesting Chinese metropolis. Shanghai is one of China’s financial locomotives, and it has so many sights and modern landmarks, which is a showcase for the entire world of Chinese progress and prosperity in the global economy.
Enjoy the view of all the high-rise buildings and exciting works of modern architects, not least along the city’s port, where the district of Pudong rises impressively towards the old center. Skyscrapers stand beautifully next to each other, and from several of them you can enjoy a magnificent panoramic view of Shanghai.
About the upcoming Shanghai travel guide
About the travel guide
The Shanghai travel guide gives you an overview of the sights and activities of the Chinese city. Read about top sights and other sights, and get a tour guide with tour suggestions and detailed descriptions of all the city’s most important churches, monuments, mansions, museums, etc.
Shanghai is waiting for you, and at vamados.com you can also find cheap flights and great deals on hotels for your trip. You just select your travel dates and then you get flight and accommodation suggestions in and around the city.
Read more about Shanghai and China
Buy the travel guide
Click the “Add to Cart” button to purchase the travel guide. After that you will come to the payment, where you enter the purchase and payment information. Upon payment of the travel guide, you will immediately receive a receipt with a link to download your purchase. You can download the travel guide immediately or use the download link in the email later.
Use the travel guide
When you buy the travel guide to Shanghai you get the book online so you can have it on your phone, tablet or computer – and of course you can choose to print it. Use the maps and tour suggestions and you will have a good and content-rich journey.
The Bund • Oriental Pearl Tower • Maglev • Lovely Gardens • Temples
Overview of Shanghai
Shanghai has great historical appeal and is a lively and interesting Chinese metropolis. Shanghai is one of China’s financial locomotives, and it has so many sights and modern landmarks, which is a showcase for the entire world of Chinese progress and prosperity in the global economy.
Enjoy the view of all the high-rise buildings and exciting works of modern architects, not least along the city’s port, where the district of Pudong rises impressively towards the old center. Skyscrapers stand beautifully next to each other, and from several of them you can enjoy a magnificent panoramic view of Shanghai.
About the upcoming Shanghai travel guide
About the travel guide
The Shanghai travel guide gives you an overview of the sights and activities of the Chinese city. Read about top sights and other sights, and get a tour guide with tour suggestions and detailed descriptions of all the city’s most important churches, monuments, mansions, museums, etc.
Shanghai is waiting for you, and at vamados.com you can also find cheap flights and great deals on hotels for your trip. You just select your travel dates and then you get flight and accommodation suggestions in and around the city.
Read more about Shanghai and China
Buy the travel guide
Click the “Add to Cart” button to purchase the travel guide. After that you will come to the payment, where you enter the purchase and payment information. Upon payment of the travel guide, you will immediately receive a receipt with a link to download your purchase. You can download the travel guide immediately or use the download link in the email later.
Use the travel guide
When you buy the travel guide to Shanghai you get the book online so you can have it on your phone, tablet or computer – and of course you can choose to print it. Use the maps and tour suggestions and you will have a good and content-rich journey.
The Temple of the City God is located in Shanghai’s Old Town, and together with the stunningly beautiful garden, Yuyuan (豫园), is a fine example of a classical Chinese garden and temple complex.
The temple was converted to the Temple of the City God in 1403, and with the dedication to the city’s protector, it became a popular place in what was then Chinatown. In 1951, the Taoist congregation got the temple, and after a few decades with other purposes in the buildings, since 1994 they have run the place as a temple again.
Nanshi is a historic and exciting neighborhood in Shanghai that long consisted of four separate districts, the three of which were ruled by the French, the English and the Americans respectively.
The Chinese district was under Chinese rule until 1949, and it was thus here that there was a real Chinese atmosphere. Today, you can still experience some of the narrow and densely built-up streets that give an impression of the Shanghai of yesteryear, but like everywhere else in the rapidly developing modern city, you must have a certain imagination. The district lies within the two streets Zhonghua and Renmin, both of which were laid out on the filled-in moats and now form a ring road, clearly visible as an oval on a city map.
The Peace Hotel was built by Victor Sassoon 1926-1929 as Shanghai’s most glamorous hotel under the name Cathay Hotel. At 77 meters it was Shanghai’s tallest building until 1934, when the Park Hotel opened and took over that status.
Today, the Peace Hotel consists of two separate buildings located on either side of Nanjing Lu; both have facades towards The Bund. The northernmost one is the original Cathay Hotel from 1929 (The Bund 20), while the southern one (The Bund 19) dates from 1908. The Palace Hotel was originally set up here.
The northern part is called Sassoon House as a building, and there were a number of different tenants here in the beginning. The Cathay Hotel was one of them, but here were also banks, restaurants and Victor Sassoon’s private apartment, which was set up on the 10th floor. In the pyramid on the roof facing The Bund, there was a dining room.
The hotel was taken over and continued by the Chinese in 1949, and it reopened as a hotel in 1956. The hotel is known for good jazz music, a lovely roof terrace and an atmosphere reminiscent of the 1930s.
On the site of the southern part was the Central Hotel from the 1850s, which was changed to the Palace Hotel with the opening of the current building in 1908. It was Shanghai’s first with elevators. Since 1965 it has belonged to the Peace Hotel.
The Bund Sightseeing Tunnel is a tunnel experience where modern high technology is used to provide a unique audio and visual experience for guests who are taken through the tunnel in small driverless carriages.
The Bund Sightseeing Tunnel itself connects the central part of The Bund with the area of the Oriental Pearl Tower. It is 646 meters long and with its connection under the Huangpu River, it can be used for sightseeing or as practical transportation.
Along The Bund, off Jinling Lu Street, you can take boat trips on the Huangpu River and the smaller Wusong north of The Bund. The ride on the busy waters is very atmospheric and an excellent way to see both The Bund and the Pudong district.
A standard tour lasts one hour, but longer tours out to the Yangtze River can also be purchased. A special experience is taking a boat trip when darkness falls and all the lights in Pudong and the rest of Shanghai come on.
If you just want to try a sailing trip, you can choose the ferry that departs from The Bund. It costs a fraction of the tour boats, but then the trip is not designed according to tourists’ wishes either, but the fastest possible transport from The Bund to Pudong.
The Pudong district, located on the eastern bank of the Huangpu River, is Shanghai’s modern district, characterized by high-rise office buildings and several of the city’s new attractions. It has shot up from almost nothing as recently as 1990.
The many glass and steel skyscrapers give the city a distinctive skyline. Pudong is the commercial and financial heart of the city, one of Asia’s powerhouses – and the district is a stark contrast to The Bund, which lies on the opposite bank of the Huangpu River. Between The Bund and Pudong there is, among other things, The Bund Sightseeing Tunnel, and there is also a passenger ferry.
The Oriental Pearl Tower is Shanghai’s television tower, and it is located as one of the city’s landmarks opposite The Bund and down towards the Huangpu River. The tower was built in the years 1991-1995 in the business district of Lujiazui in the district of Pudong. Until 2007, it was China’s tallest building; that was until the construction of the Shanghai World Financial Center, which sits not far from the TV tower.
The Oriental Pearl Tower is 468 meters high and offers three observation decks located at 90, 263 and 350 meters respectively; the tallest with the name Space Module. With its location in the heart of Shanghai, there is of course a fantastic view from the tower, which you can also enjoy in a revolving restaurant 267 meters up.
The Shanghai World Financial Center, or just SWFC, opened after eleven years of construction in 2008. At 492 meters to the top, it was the world’s tallest building, excluding various antennas or towers.
It is also in SWFC that you will find an observation deck at a height of 474 metres. It is on the second-highest floor, the 100th floor, and you can also visit viewing points on the 94th floor and 97th floor. SWFC is one of the most distinctive buildings in the Pudong district; partly because of the height and partly because there is a large trapezoidal hole close to the top.
Nanjing Lu is Shanghai’s main thoroughfare. It is one of the world’s busiest, and you understand that when you take a stroll here. Nanjing Lu is packed with shops and shopping malls, and there are always a lot of people here. The street is also interesting to see in the evening, when the many neon signs and advertisements illuminate the entire long street.
Nanjing Lu today consists of two parts, an eastern and a western part, located on opposite sides of People’s Park. It is the eastern part that is the original Nanjing Lu and therefore also especially this one that is interesting to visit. A good part of the stretch is a pedestrian street.
The Shanghai Museum’s collection consists of more than 120,000 effects within the categories of, among others: bronze works, ceramics, calligraphy, furniture, jade objects, coins, paintings, seals, sculptures and minority art.
Particularly interesting is the bronze collection, which is considered among the world’s finest. The museum’s many objects on display give a refined impression of much of Chinese cultural history, which is, for example, depicted through furniture from the various dynasties, not least the Ming and Qing dynasties.
The museum was originally founded in 1952. The current, modern museum building in an exciting architectural style was built in 1993-1996. It contains approximately 40,000 m2 spread over the five floors.
Similar to Shanghai Travel Guide
