This is my hometown, but it’s still a mystery to outsiders. So today I want to introduce you to some of the iconic places here to help you have a good time when you come. Let’s check out these places together and see if they match your image of this city.
If you ask where the most people are in Shanghai, there’s no doubt: The Bund. It’s packed with tourists day or night, on weekdays or holidays.
Whether you’re coming from Hongqiao Airport, Hongqiao Railway Station, or Pudong Airport, out-of-town visitors can take Metro Line 2 to Nanjing East Road Station and walk east 500 meters to reach The Bund. You can also take Line 12 to Tiantong Road Station and stroll along Suzhou Creek to The Bund. Take Line 10 to Yu Garden Station and walk from the City God Temple along the Ancient City Park to The Bund.
There are buses nearby, of course, and you can also take Shanghai’s double-decker sightseeing bus to explore the local culture and customs.
Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street
When it comes to shopping paradise in China, many girls might think of Hong Kong. If you’re talking about shopping paradise in mainland China, then you might think of Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street in Shanghai. Located in Huangpu District, it stretches 1,033 meters from West Tibet Middle Road to East Henan Middle Road. There’s a marble screen at both ends of the street with the six characters “Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street” inscribed by former Chinese President Jiang Zemin.
The pedestrian street is crowded with people during the day, and at night the street is full of twinkling lights. Here, you can see many old Shanghai-style light box displays and the Shanghai night view under the neon lights. Walking along the pedestrian street under the night sky, you’ll pass by sightseeing miniature trains, relaxing and leisurely.
Take Metro Lines 1, 2, or 8 to People’s Square Station. Take Lines 2 or 10 to Nanjing East Road Station to reach Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street. Bus routes 15, 17, 18, 20, 21, 37, 23, 55, and 921 can also take you there.
Old Shanghai 1930s Style Street
I found this street quite magical the first time I saw it. It’s an underground shopping plaza located in the heart of Shanghai’s most bustling district, People’s Square. It’s a nostalgic pedestrian street for citizens to relax. On this street, there are Shanghai tea houses, tiger stoves, cafes, Shikumen guest halls, and 1:1 replicas of old-style fire hydrants, along with a changing sky backdrop, as if taking visitors back to the urban areas of old Shanghai in the 1930s, leaving a lasting impression.
Take Metro Lines 1, 2, or 8 to People’s Square Station and exit at Exit 1 or 2, which will lead you to the entrance of the 1930s Style Street. Since it’s an underground shopping mall, it’s not very prominent. You can check Baidu Maps or ask a passerby.
Huaihai Road
Out-of-town visitors know that Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street is the most bustling street in Shanghai, but there’s another street that’s just as impressive. Its cozy and elegant shopping environment, numerous high-end dining, entertainment, and branded stores, and excellent hotel services add to the charm of the Huaihai Middle Road business district. Known for its elegance and romance, the century-old Huaihai Road is a shopping paradise in the eyes of many, exuding a sense of luxury and grandeur.
Luxury brands abound here, including IAPM, K11 Art & Shopping Mall, Hong Kong Plaza, and Shanghai Lane Crawford. Mid-range department stores include Paris Spring, Parkson, and Huaihai 755. Huaihai Road is also home to large and small flagship stores. IAPM houses Gucci flagship store, Prada and Miu Miu flagship stores, Dolce&Gabbana flagship store, Valentino flagship store, Versace and Hugo Boss flagship stores, as well as the only GUCCI restaurant in the world. So, if you don’t stroll along Huaihai Middle Road at night, you wouldn’t know the real level of prosperity in this city.
Take Metro Line 1 and get off at Shanxi South Road or Huangpo South Road stations.
Xintiandi
Shanghai Xintiandi is a urban tourist attraction that combines Shanghai’s historical and cultural features with a blend of Eastern and Western styles. It’s a leisure pedestrian street built on the basis of the old Shikumen architectural district, a hallmark of Shanghai’s modern architecture, and transformed into a place featuring dining, shopping, entertainment, and culture.
On the south side of Shanghai Xintiandi is a shopping, entertainment, and leisure center with a total floor area of 25,000 square meters, including SOHO commercial street, which is owned by renowned real estate developer Pan Shiyi. There are also Kumamon food stores and Brown Bear cafes, which are super popular with girls.
Xujiahui
If Pedestrian Street is the most bustling place in Shanghai, Jing’an Temple is the most expensive area, and Xujiahui is the most developed area in Shanghai. Xujiahui is one of Shanghai’s four urban sub-centers and one of its top ten business centers. Planning began in 1988, covering an area of 40,400 square kilometers. As one of Shanghai’s top ten business centers, Xujiahui is on par with Wujiaochang, Nanjing East Road, Nanjing West Road, Huaihai Middle Road, Sichuan North Road, Yu Garden, Non-Stop City, Pudong New Shanghai Shopping Mall, and Zhongshan Park. Xujiahui’s name comes from Xu Guangqi, a scholar of the Ming Dynasty.
Take Metro Lines 1, 9, or 11 to Xujiahui Station and you’ll arrive.
Shanghai City God Temple
Every city in ancient times had a City God Temple, used for worshipping and offering sacrifices to the City God deity. Shanghai’s City God Temple is located in the most bustling and prestigious Yu Garden tourist area. It’s an important Taoist temple in the Shanghai area, built during the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, with a history of nearly 600 years. It has experienced ups and downs through the changes of time and dynasties.
Out-of-town visitors can take Metro Line 10 to Yu Garden Station. You can then tour this bustling temple and Yu Garden, Shanghai’s ancient garden.
Jing’an Temple
In a place like Shanghai, where every inch of land is valuable, the most central point is actually a temple. Jing’an Temple is located on Nanjing West Road, one of Shanghai’s top ten business centers. It’s said to date back to the Three Kingdoms period, originally named Hulddu Chongxuan Temple.
Jing’an Temple covers a total area of 22,000 square meters. The entire temple is arranged with the temple in front and the pagoda behind, consisting of three main buildings: the Great Hall of Buddha, the Heavenly King Hall, and the Three Saints Hall. It’s the oldest Buddhist temple in Shanghai. The entire exterior is magnificent and particularly grand. It makes sense that it’s able to stand in the most central area of Shanghai’s Jing’an District. The name Jing’an District is also derived from Jing’an Temple, which shows how prominent Jing’an Temple is among Shanghai’s iconic landmarks.
The gates of Jing’an Temple are closed at night, but the lights illuminate the golden temple, which is still beautiful. Take Metro Lines 2 or 7 to Jing’an Temple Station to see this magical temple and shop along Nanjing West Road.
Binjiang Park
Along the Huangpu River in Lujiazui, there’s a 2,500-meter-long Binjiang Park, a park that combines sightseeing, green space, transportation, and service facilities. The park houses many food shops for tourists to relax and have fun.
At six o’clock in the evening, the lights on the Bund’s group of buildings across the river begin to illuminate. Looking out at the elegant buildings on the Bund bathed in sparkling lights, and the modern high-rises behind you in Pudong, you’ll understand what it truly means for Shanghai to be prosperous.
Shanghai Lujiazui Financial Trade Zone
On March 12, 2016, Shanghai Tower, China’s tallest building, was officially completed. On April 26, the 118th-floor observation deck was officially opened. I was fortunate to be one of the trial visitors who climbed to the top of Shanghai, on the 118th floor, to gaze at the magnificent scenery of Shanghai’s West Bund.
Whether it’s Shanghai Tower, Jin Mao Tower, World Financial Center, or the Oriental Pearl Tower, you can purchase tickets to go to the top of any of them and experience the bustling atmosphere of Greater Shanghai.
Take Metro Line 2 to Lujiazui Station and then stroll among the buildings in Lujiazui, slowly savoring the progress of human leaps in development.
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