by 13 people |
Shanghai - the Paris of the East, the Pearl of the Orient, the Whore of Asia - in the first half of the 20th century, Shanghai was the playground for a globe-trotting elite. But after the Second World War and China's Revolution, Shanghai's glory faded, and it became a city stored in mothballs, dusty and preserved.
But no longer. Shanghai has burst upon the world stage, looking to reclaim its place as a World City - it is without doubt the world's most ambitious city - and attracting streams of new visitors.
Whether you are in town for a one-day business trip, or on a weeklong holiday, check out the best of Shanghai.
Useful Shanghai Links
- Lonely Planet - Shanghai
- The Shanghai destination guide from the folks at Lonely Planet.
- Time Out Shanghai
- Information on Shanghai from the wonderful Time Out guides.
- Wikipedia - Shanghai
- Read all about Shanghai in the Wikipedia. (Not accessible from Mainland China.)
- Economist: Shanghai
- The Economist magazine's City Guide to Shanghai. Travel tips, upcoming events and related news stories. Ideal source for the busy executive with a day or two to kill in town.
- Concierge.com - Shanghai
- Concierge.com has lots of helpful travel information, with content from Conde Naste Traveller.
- Departures - Shanghai
- The low down on some of Shanghai's best kept secrets, from American Express's departures.com.
- superfuture - Shanghai
- Annotated maps of Shanghai from superfuture.
- Shanghai Travel Guide - The New York Times Travel Section
- A travel guide for Shanghai from The New York Times and Fodor's. Some good links to backgrounder articles from the Times.
- Dwell magazine "Suddenly Shanghai"
- Dwell magazine interview with Henry Lee, developer of Three On The Bund.
Eat & Drink - Shanghai Glamour
- If you've heard anything about restaurants in Shanghai, you've most likely heard of M On the Bund, the favourite international dining destination in Shanghai. The dining room drips with retro glamour and the rooftop terrace with sweeping views around the curve of the Bund and across the post-modern metropolis of Pudong is one of the most iconic sights in China, if not Asia. Like M's restaurant in HK, the cuisine is "Contemporary Australian", sometimes said to be overrated, but for a Shanghai dining experience, M is hard to beat. (7/F, 5 The Bund, corner of Guangdong Rd; 6350 9988)
- M is now slightly overshadowed by her new neighbour, Jean Georges at Three On The Bund. The modern French restaurant is everything you'd expect from celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and even if you don't want to dine there, the Three On The Bund building is a destination in its own right, with a collection of designer stores, galleries and restaurants. (No. 3, The Bund, corner of Guangdong Rd; 6321 7733)
- Another classy redevelopment on The Bund, Bund 18 has a number of bars and restaurants including the slick Bar Rouge.
- Likened with distaste by some to a sort of Disney "Shanghai-Land", Xintiandi is a pedestrianised area of renovated traditional Shanghainese "shikumen" homes housing boutiques, restaurants and cafes. Disney or not, the area is certainly popular with visitors and locals alike, and is thronging with people in the evenings and on weekends. Of the many Xintiandi eateries, contemporary Asian-Mediterranean fusion restaurant T8 is among the best. With a modern interior and creative food, T8 has been widely-praised, including a listing as one of the world's top restaurants in Conde Naste magazine. (No. 8 Xintiandi North; 6355 8999)
- The newest addition to Shanghai's glam dining destinations is Jade On 36, which offers gastronomic pyrotechnics atop the new tower of the Shangri-La Hotel in Pudong, with view back over The Bund.
Eat - Colonial Charm
- Set in a charming old French concession home, Le Garcon Chinois does western cuisine downstairs and Chinese cuisine upstairs. (No. 3, Lane 9, Hengshan Road (between Dongping Rd and Wulumuqi Rd); 6445 7970)
- La Villa Rouge is housed in the former Pathe Records studio (the stars of Pathe's glory days feature on the Shanghai Lounge Divas CD - see Shanghai Music, below). On the edge of Xu Jia Hui Park with a cosy bar and outdoor courtyard seating downstairs, and a French restaurant upstairs, it makes for a romantic destination. (811 Hengshan Rd on Xu Jia Hui Park; 6431 6639)
- Yongfoo Elite Club in the former British consulate building, was formerly a private club and may become so again soon. In the meantime, while the building is beautiful, the Shanghainese cuisine can be variable. (After all, it is Shanghainese cuisine...) (200 Yongfu Rd; 5466 2727)
Eat - Other Top Spots
- Fuxing Park is nestled in the midst of a French concession residential area - you can almost picture the colonial-era ladies strolling with their parasols while the nannies dragged the children along behind. The park is now home to a number of bars and restaurants known as Park 97, run by Hong Kong's Lan Kwai Fong Group. Baci downstairs does good Italian food, while the Upstairs bar is a glam Shanghai party destination. (Fuxing Park, 2 Gao Lan Rd, corner of Si Nan Rd; 6318 0785)
- One of the favourite Chinese restaurants among the foreign community in Shanghai, 1221 does good Chinese food in a clean, foreigner-friendly environment. The only drawback is its difficult-to-find location (down an alley under the entrance ramp to an elevated road) which ironically will often require a Chinese speaker to give directions to the cab driver. (1221 Yan'An Rd West (opposite Fan Yu Rd); 6213 6585)
- One of a chain of hip restaurants and bars in Shanghai and Taipei, Shintori is a huge open warehouse-style space with modern minimalist style, serving great Japanese food. Highly recommended. (803 Julu Lu (near Fumin Lu); 5404 5252) Next door, Shintori's sister restaurant People's serves contemporary Chinese/fusion food. If you can navigate your way past the puzzle entrance, you will find yourself in a mysteriously under-lit bar/restaurant with sci-fi decor, where the puzzle theme continues - the staff wear badges which are Chinese riddles, and the badges can be won by guests if you guess the riddle correctly. (805 Julu Rd (near Fumin Rd); 5404 0707)
Further down the road, Mesa is a popular restaurant serving fusion cuisine in a converted factory. (748 Julu Rd (near Fumin Rd); 6289 9108) - Simply Thai features a cosy, split-level wooden interior (although the low ceilings are slightly perilous for taller guests) and serves good Thai food. (5C Dong Ping Rd, off Hengshan Rd; 6445 9551)
- A traditional wooden Balinese style building perched on stilts above a lake in Jing An park houses Bali Laguna. Good for a relaxing weekend afternoon, with views across the lake of couples being photographed in their wedding finery. Balinese/Indonesian cuisine is reasonably authentic, although servings are small. (Jing'An Park, 189 Huashan Rd (Yan'An Zhong Rd); 6248 6970)
- Sometimes you just want to go for something horribly unhealthy: a decent burger and fries or a breakfast consisting largely of fried foods. That's where Malone's comes in. The American fare is good, and it becomes a lively sports bar in the evening, popular with American expats and the local girls who pursue them. (255 Tongren Rd, off Nanjing Rd West; 6247 2400)
- Or, if you would prefer a healthy, fresh-food alternative for your Sunday morning recovery, try the brunch on the see-and-be-seen terrace at Element Fresh at the Portman Centre. (Shanghai Centre, 1376 Nanjing Rd West; 6279 8682)
Drink
For a more upbeat party destination, Latin/salsa bar Zapatta's is packed on weekends. (Corner Hengshan Rd and Dongping Rd)
Jazz and blues bar Cotton Club has some of the city's best live music. (1428 Huai Hai Zhong Rd (corner of Fu Xing Zhong Rd); 6437 7110)
Irish pub O'Malleys is hard to go past, with a friendly crowd, a shady beer garden, a good pool table, decent pub grub and Guinness on tap. (42 Taojiang Rd (near Changshu Rd); 6437 0667)
Mao Ming Rd and Julu Rd, formerly the most lively bar streets in Shanghai (and notorious for bad behaviour) have now been "cleaned up" and are much less popular as a result. In a courtyard behind the bars on Julu Rd there is an open courtyard area where the bars have outdoor seating.
Further down Julu Road past the intersection with Fumin Road, Manifesto is a slick bar with good cocktails and a hip crowd.
The Cloud 9 bar at the top of the Grand Hyatt in Pudong is billed as "the highest bar in the world".
A number of the "Eat" locations are also popular nightlife destinations in particular Park 97, the Glamour Bar at M on the Bund, Bar Rouge at Bund 18, Malones, People's bar and the Xintiandi area.
Sleep - Modern Luxury
- Grand Hyatt Shanghai
- In the luxury bracket, the Grand Hyatt Shanghai in the Jinmao Tower is hard to beat, with its spectacular atrium and views over the Bund from Shanghai's tallest building (and, incidentally, the world's 4th tallest, behind Taipei 101, Petronas Tower in Kuala Lumpur and Sears Tower Chicago).
- JW Marriott
- The JW Marriot in the distinctively pyramid-roofed and futuristic "Tomorrow Square" offers a good central location on Nanjing Road with great views and very comfortable rooms. Highly recommended.
- St Regis Shanghai
- The St Regis lives up to its usual high standards of service and comfort, the rooms are generously sized and the Herman Miller Aeron chairs are much appreciated by business guests. Unfortunately, its location in the middle of Pudong is not convenient to anything except the Pudong Airport.
- Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai
- The Four Seasons is a popular choice for business travellers and other people who have a peculiar predilection for staying only at Four Seasons hotels, but beyond the usual comforts this hotel does not offer much to excite.
- Portman Ritz Calrton
- The Portman Ritz Carlton was once the only Western luxury hotel in Shanghai, and although its Nanjing Road location is a plus, the hotel itself is now well past its prime and in need of renovation.
Sleep - Old World
- Peace Hotel
- Shanghai offers a number of alternatives in its old colonial hotels, most with a distinct air of faded glory. The Peace Hotel on the corner of the Bund and Nanjing Road is probably Shanghai's most famous, and rumours persist that Mandarin Oriental or some other luxury Western hotel group may soon take over management.
- Hengshan Moller Villa
- The Hengshan Moller Villa is a small boutique hotel located in a heritage villa, right in the heart of the French concession.
- Astor House Hotel
- Favourite budget hotel is the historic the Astor House Hotel (also known by its Chinese name, the Pujiang Hotel) and for a time home to the Shanghai Stock Exchange. The Huangpu has dormitory beds available as well as rooms at very reasonable prices, and its location at the top of the Bund is fantastic.
- Inn Shanghai
- If staying for 2 weeks or more, consider a stay at one of the heritage French Concession boutique apartments operated by Inn Shanghai.
- Mansion Hotel
- Located in a magnifcent French Concession mansion, the former home of gangster Du Yuesheng in the 1930s, this is one of Shanghai's hottest new boutique hotels.
Shanghai in One Day
Only one day to spare in Shanghai? Try the following tour. (Could fill 2 days if you take your time!)
Start with a stroll up and down The Bund, Shanghai's old colonial riverfront. On the Bund side of the Huangpu River, admire the grand old colonial architecture, while on the other side of the river, the glittering new Pudong District - Shanghai reborn - rises before you.At the Peace Hotel, begin your stroll down Nanjing Road, one of Shanghai's main shopping streets, which is mostly pedestrianised.
When you reach the People's Park, turn left and head towards the People's Square, and spend some time in the Shanghai Museum, easily the best museum in China and a must-visit for anyone interested in Chinese culture.
From People's Square, head through the Old City of Shanghai to the Yu Gardens, a classical Chinese garden and tea house surrounded by lively shops selling souvenirs.
End your day with a stroll down Huaihai Road, once the main thoroughfare of the old French Concession, and now a bustling shopping district.
Finish off with dinner and drinks at Xin Tian Di, a new development which has converted traditional old Shanghai shikumen houses into a trendy nightlife district.
Recommended Travel Guides for Shanghai
Lonely Planet Shanghai
Lonely Planet guides are widely regarded as the "bible" for travel in China. Their comprehensive Shanghai guide will cover the field quite thoroughly.
Amazon Price: (as of 07/12/2009) 
Lonely Planet Best of Shanghai (Lonely Planet Best of Series)
The condensed version of the Lonely Planet guide, suitable for short stays.
Amazon Price: (as of 07/12/2009)
Time Out Shanghai (Time Out Guides)
Time Out produce the hippest and savviest city guides.
Amazon Price: $15.56 (as of 07/12/2009)
LUXE City Guides: Shanghai
No maps, no tourist sights - just a list of the coolest places to sleep, eat, dine and shop.
Amazon Price: (as of 07/12/2009)
Zagat Shanghai Restaurants: Including Top Hotels (Zagat Survey)
The popular Zagat guides are produced based on readers votes - this slim new edition covers Shanghai restaurants and hotels.
Amazon Price: $5.95 (as of 07/12/2009)
Shanghai - History and Background
Life and Death in Shanghai
A classic tale of hardship during the Cultural Revolution - one of the first books of the "genre".
Amazon Price: $10.88 (as of 07/12/2009)
Shanghai : The Rise and Fall of a Decadent City 1842-1949
Another history that captures the excitement and glamour of pre-revolutionary Shanghai.
Amazon Price: $12.75 (as of 07/12/2009)
In Search of Old Shanghai
A tour of the hidden (and rapidly disappearing!) gems of old colonial architecture in Shanghai.
Amazon Price: (as of 07/12/2009)
Shanghai in fiction
The Blue Lotus (The Adventures of Tintin)
Everybody's favourite spiky-haired hero and his white dog have an adventure in pre-War Shanghai.
Amazon Price: $8.79 (as of 07/12/2009)
Shanghai Baby: A Novel
A contemporary novel about the exploits and adventures of a young woman in modern Shanghai, caused quite a sensation when it was published.
Amazon Price: $13.30 (as of 07/12/2009)
Empire of the Sun
J.G. Ballard's story of a boy separated from his parents in wartime Shanghai - subsequently made into a well-known film.
Amazon Price: $10.19 (as of 07/12/2009)
When We Were Orphans: A Novel
A complex multi-layered work set in pre-war Shanghai.
Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 07/12/2009)
Shanghai On Film
Some pre-trip viewing to get you in the mood for your visit to Shanghai. (Or, pirate DVDs to look out for while you are there!)
Empire of the Sun
Steven Spielberg's film of the JG Ballard book, telling the story of a young English boy separated from is parents in Shanghai during the Japanese invasion.
Amazon Price: $9.49 (as of 07/12/2009)
The White Countess
Set in 1930s Shanghai, this is the last film from the Merchan/Ivory team. Ralph Fiennes stars.
Amazon Price: $11.49 (as of 07/12/2009)
Shanghai Triad
A film by renowned Chinese director Zhang Yimou.
Amazon Price: $26.99 (as of 07/12/2009)
Shanghai Ghetto
Fascinating story of the Jews who sought refuge in Japanese-occupied Shanghai during World War II.
Amazon Price: $24.49 (as of 07/12/2009)
Shanghai Music
Stoke up your iPod for your trip to Shanghai!
Shanghai Lounge Divas
Old-time Shanghai crooners, remixed to house beats. Not everyone's cup of tea, but quite unique nonetheless.
Amazon Price: (as of 07/12/2009)
Rough Guide to the Music of China
A good sampler of Chinese music from the past to the present day.
Amazon Price: $14.98 (as of 07/12/2009)
Here Be Monsters
Ok, this is a random one, but: track 10 on this CD is entitled "Shanghai", and is a very catchy tune with the hook, "We're going to Shanghai!" - which, if you do happen to be going to Shanghai, makes a fun trip theme song!
Amazon Price: (as of 07/12/2009)
What's the weather in Shanghai right now?
Weather updates from Yahoo! Weather
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byShanghai news from the Shanghai Daily
Shanghai-related news stories Shanghai's official daily newspaper
Fetching RSS feed... please stand by
