Shanghai
The Pearl of the Orient
The BundPudong SkylineFrench ConcessionYu GardenStreet Food
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Pages2026 Edition
The Pearl of the Orient
Shanghai
China’s largest city and financial capital, Shanghai sits at the mouth of the Yangtze River. A sleepy fishing village turned treaty port turned communist industrial center turned global financial hub, its trajectory is one of history’s most dramatic urban transformations. The Pudong skyline literally did not exist 30 years ago.
The essential sights and experiences
A 1.5 km waterfront promenade of 52 Art Deco and neoclassical buildings facing Pudong’s futuristic skyline. Best at night.
The iconic trio: Oriental Pearl Tower, Jin Mao Tower, and Shanghai Tower (632m). The world’s most photographed skyline.
Exquisite Ming dynasty (1559) garden with rockeries, pavilions, and koi ponds amid the bustling bazaar area.
Plane tree-lined streets with colonial villas, boutique cafes, cocktail bars, and vintage shops. Shanghai’s most charming area.
China’s tallest building (632m) with the world’s highest observation deck at 561m. Breathtaking on clear days.
China’s busiest shopping street (5.5 km). Pedestrianized eastern section is a neon spectacle at night.
Labyrinthine shikumen (stone-gate lane house) neighborhood converted into art galleries, studios, and cafes.
Venice of Shanghai with 400-year-old bridges, canal gondolas, and rice wine shops. The closest water town to the city.
World-class museum of ancient Chinese art: bronzes, ceramics, calligraphy, and jade. Free entry, 2–3 hours.
Active Buddhist temple (1882) housing two jade Buddha statues brought from Burma. Peaceful amid the city noise.
Shanghai's premier contemporary art zone in converted industrial buildings. ShanghART Gallery is the anchor.
Gleaming golden temple (247 AD origins) surrounded by skyscrapers. A stunning visual contrast.
When to go and what to expect
Pleasant spring weather (12–25°C). Cherry blossoms in March–April. Clear skies for skyline photos.
Hot and humid (28–38°C). Plum rain season (meiyu) in June. Air conditioning essential.
The best season. Comfortable weather (15–28°C), clear skies, and the best air quality of the year.
Cold and damp (0–10°C). No central heating in most buildings. Christmas illuminations along Nanjing Road.
Shanghai — best experienced in March–May, September–November
The Bund is Shanghai’s defining image: a sweeping promenade of 52 Art Deco, neoclassical, and Beaux-Arts buildings that once housed the most powerful banks and trading houses in Asia. Walking the Bund at dawn is one of the world’s great urban experiences — the colonial facades glow gold while across the river, Pudong’s impossible skyline catches the first light. At night, both sides illuminate in a spectacular display.
Behind the Bund, Huangpu district holds the old Chinese city with Yu Garden, the City God Temple bazaar, and some of Shanghai’s best street food. Nanjing Road East, starting from the Bund, is China’s busiest shopping street. The area also houses the excellent Shanghai Museum and the newly renovated Rockbund Art Museum. This is ground zero for Shanghai history and the best starting point for any visit.
The French Concession is Shanghai’s most charming neighborhood — a leafy enclave of plane tree-lined boulevards, 1930s Art Deco villas, and a cafe culture that feels more Parisian than Chinese. Wukang Road, Yongfu Road, and Anfu Road are the prettiest streets, lined with independent boutiques, craft coffee shops, and some of Shanghai’s best restaurants. The Wukang Mansion, a 1924 Normandie-style apartment building at a fork in the road, is one of Shanghai’s most photographed structures.
The French Concession is also Shanghai’s best neighborhood for nightlife. Speak Low (hidden speakeasy, ranked among Asia’s best bars), Senator Saloon (whiskey bar), and El Coctel (Latin cocktails) are clustered within walking distance. By day, the area’s lanes hide Tianzifang — a preserved shikumen neighborhood now filled with galleries, design studios, and artisan workshops. This is where Shanghai’s creative class lives, works, and drinks excellent coffee.
Pudong is Shanghai’s ultimate symbol of ambition. In 1990, this was farmland. Today, it hosts three of the world’s tallest buildings: Shanghai Tower (632m), Shanghai World Financial Center (492m), and Jin Mao Tower (421m), alongside the retro-futuristic Oriental Pearl Tower (468m). Lujiazui’s skyline is arguably the most dramatic in the world, and the observation decks at Shanghai Tower (561m) offer views that stretch to the curve of the earth.
Beyond the towers, Pudong has the excellent Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, the Shanghai Disney Resort (China’s most visited theme park), and the Century Park — Shanghai’s largest. The waterfront promenade opposite the Bund offers stunning photo opportunities, especially at dawn when the colonial buildings glow. The Maglev train to Pudong Airport is both practical transport and a 431 km/h thrill ride.
The Pearl of the Orient