The Bund
Though vastly inferior in height, Shanghai’s historic waterfront still holds authority over the city’s upstart Skyscraper district across the river. Known as the Wall Street of Asia during the early part of the 20th century, today its neoclassical and art deco treasures draw the attention more from tourists than financiers.
Yu Garden
Built in 1577 by a governor of the Ming Dynasty for his parents, Yu Gardens is a study in horticultural beauty. The pavilions interspersed between the ever-renewed rockeries, pools and flora offer an intriguing insight into the life and times of China of the distant past.
French Concession
The low-rise leafy lanes of the city’s former French quarter exist in stark contrast with both the modern financial district’s colossal towers and the British Empire’s authoritative architecture on The Bund. The French Concession’s cafes, boutiques and patio bars offer the perfect escape from Shanghai’s frenetic atmosphere.
Oriental Pearl Tower
From the ground the Oriental Pearl Tower has the look of a futuristic spacecraft waiting for blastoff. Not, then, the image of pearls dropping onto a dish the architects envisaged. Climb aboard the spaceship’s bridge – the viewing deck at the top – for stomach-dropping views across the city.
Xintiandi
Since the day it declared consumption was no longer the source of all evil, China’s love for fashion has grown exponentially. Shopping, posing and preening down Xintiandi’s lanes, Shanghai’s young and beautiful more than match their New York and Parisian counterparts.
Written by insider city guide series Hg2 | A Hedonist’s guide to…
