02/01/2020
Things to do in Shanghai!
Shanghai is a sprawling metropolis with hundreds of different things to see, to do, and to go to. With events on every single day and cultural sights to experience and see, it’s hard to be bored here! This is only a teeny tiny fraction of what to see and do in Shanghai (think 0.1%). A great app for foreigners to have when they move is SnartShanghai. Here you can find discounts to events, restaurants etc and a list of all events in Shanghai for the upcoming week.
1. The Bund
While it might be a common sight for residents of Shanghai, for new visitors it may be one of the first sights you’ll go to see once you land.
On the left bank of the Bund are old colonial European-style buildings and on the right side are massive skyscrapers with dazzling lights. Try to avoid the Bund at weekends when it an get incredibly busy but for sure it’s worth your time to view the most recognizable scene in Shanghai!
2. Any of Shanghai’s public parks
Although busy a massive city with almost 25 million residents, Shanghai has a huge number of public parks which offers the tranquility and peace that you need to refresh yourself from the bustle of the city. My top picks of my favourite parks to go to are People’s Park at People’s Square, Fuxing Park in the French Concession, and Zhongshan Park. You will find greenery, trees, families flying kites and skateboarding together, old men playing board games and smoking ci******es and a place to sit down and enjoy the Chinese tunes being played faintly throughout the park.
3. Yuyuan Gardens
On the topic of green spaces, a must-see is Yuyuan Gardens. Completed at the end of the Ming Dynasty, Yuyuan Gardens offers traditional Chinese-style architectures, man-made ponds/rivers, picture-worthy scenery and a time travel into a different world off the streets of busy Shanghai. The area surrounding the gardens is full of old-timey Chinese bazaars and shops selling cheap and interesting shoes, bags, clothes, food and knick-knacks, not to mention the traditional Chinese architecture that house these buildings!
4. Xintiandi
Located in the central Huangpu area, Xintiandi is an affluent, car-free shopping zone. However, besides the shopping opportunities, it also offers a multitude of outdoor seating (rare to come by in Shanghai where most of these are located in shopping malls or underground) cafes, bars, and restaurants where one can eat or drink while watching the hustle and bustle of the Shanghai streets while relaxing. Xintiandi is also home to the building which housed the Chinese Communist Party’s first meeting. Entry is free and it is definitely worth it to pay a visit if you’re in the area!
5. Shanghai Urban Planning Museum
Located off exit 2 at Peoples Square metro station, walk down the exit walkway to the museum while being transported back into 1930s Shanghai with redesigned walls, old trams, and life-size figures of past Shanghai residents. The Urban Planning Museum is an interesting visit; it’s exhibitions inform you on the ever-expanding city of Shanghai, a city that has changed so rapidly over the course of its history, most recently in the past 30 years, and which continues to grow and expand today. Entrance is 30¥ (6€) and it’s easy to spend 2+ hours inside there. If anything, visit for the 3D display of Shanghai which covers the entirety of the third floor!
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