Admittedly, Shanghai is not the city to visit if you want to see the “real” China, but some of the best Shanghai attractions are the modern sites. Shanghai is best explored on foot or by train. In a city so massive, there’s bound to be something of interest in the bustling city of Shanghai.
Modern Shanghai Attractions: Where to Start
If you’re arriving at the Shanghai Pudong International Airport, you can catch the Shanghai Maglev train. The train drops passengers off at the Longyang Road metro station. Shanghai’s Maglev is a magnetic levitation train and moving at 430 kilometres an hour, is the fastest commercial high-speed electric train in the world. The journey takes just over seven minutes and is the quickest option to get into the city. Tickets can be purchased at the Pudong Airport, and make sure to keep your boarding pass to show at the counter.
A good place to start exploring is Nanjing Road East. This pedestrian-only street is known as one of the busiest shopping streets in the world. Many international retailers have set up shop here. Nanjing Road is the perfect place to people watch or to sample the famous Xiao Long Bao. For more information, check out this Shanghai Foodie’s Guide.
To really understand how the city has evolved and where it’s heading, a visit to the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall is a must. Located in the People’s Square, this six-story building displays Shanghai’s history and planned development. The highlight is the scale model of the city which is updated twice a year.
Shanghai Skyscrapers
Visiting The Bund of Shanghai is a must. Along the waterfront area of the Bund, visitors get the best views of the modern skyscrapers of the Pudong area of Shanghai city. Of particular note are the Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai Tower, Shanghai World Financial Center, and the Jin Mao Tower.
Shanghai Disneyland
The Shanghai Disney Resort opened on June 16th, 2016 and is the first Disney park in mainland China. The resort has multiple themed lands, a shopping area, and a Disneyland Park. The Enchanted Storybook Castle located in the middle of the park is the largest of all Disney castles. The resort is also complete with two themed hotels: The Shanghai Disneyland Hotel and the Toy Story Hotel which has 800 rooms. For more information on tickets, go to their website.
Traditional Shanghai Attractions
To get a sense of what life used to be like in Shanghai, we recommend a trip to the Yuyuan Gardens. First built in 1559, the garden only became open to the public in 1961. Besides that, it is one of the best examples of a traditional Chinese Ming Dynasty-style private garden.
Connected to the Yu Garden is the City God Temple, a well-known Taoist temple that is also a traditional example of Chinese architecture. Yu Garden and City God Temple are located in the Old City which sits inside the recreated ancient walled city of Shanghai. These days the area mainly attracts tourists, but most importantly these two sites give visitors a unique look at what life in Shanghai used to be.
Find Cheap Flights to Shanghai
The Best of Shanghai Attractions
The Jade Buddha Temple is another one of Shanghai’s most famous sites. The main attraction here is the large reclining Buddha made of marble which was donated from Singapore. Other areas of interest here include the Grand Hall and Chamber of Four Heavenly Kings which both house many statues.
With a collection of more than 120,000 pieces of ancient Chinese art, the Shanghai Museum is considered one of China’s few world-class museums. The museum is known for its bronze collection with artefacts dating from 18th century BC to the 3rd century BC. Admission is free, so there’s no excuse to miss this site.
Shanghai Travel Guides
Looking for more travel inspiration and ideas for what to do in Shanghai? Check out these guides for other Shanghai attractions, created by our travel experts at Skyscanner.
Off the Beaten Path Shanghai
Offbeat Shanghai
