Shanghai – The Oriental Paris

Feel like to dine at fantastic restaurant, visit cultural museums and look at stunning modern and traditional architecture? Or perhaps shop among one of the top fashion hot spots in the world?

If so, Shanghai which sits on the estuary of the Yangtze River, and the largest industrial city in China, should be one of the places to visit in your travel plan. To many people surprised, Shanghai is in fact a fascinating, frenetic city in which the best of traditional and modern China combine.

The Bund

Whether you are interested in modern skyline, world-class shopping and food, the culture or traditional buildings, many who has visited those places of interest there would agree that it is among the finest in China. Think that is the reason why it is also known as ‘Hu’ or ‘The Oriental Paris.’

For sightseeing and shopping, the areas around People's Square and along the Huangpu River have much to offer. However, Nanjing Road and Huaihai Road are where the best fashion shops are to be found. But if you are looking for antique shops, cafés or the marvelous old French Concession area, I would suggest you to go straight to Huaihai Road. For foot-weary shoppers, a toy train is available to transport them from one end to the other while shopping on Nanjing Road, sound great right? But not sure do you need to pay for it at the time of this writing.

Yu Yuan Garden

If you wish to admire the historical buildings and for great views across the river to Pudong, then don’t miss to wander along The Bund, a tourist attractions and a major financial hub today where it was once home to American, British, French, Japanese and Russian banks and trading houses. You will be able to see locals gathering on the promenade at dawn to practice qi gong, tai chi, kung fu as well as ballroom dancing. In fact, tourist will usually queue up on the docks for scenic riverboat tours.

If you want to break from the frantic pace in Shanghai, and looking for a serene and calming atmosphere, one of the places to visit is Yu Yuan Garden (‘Yu’ means ‘peace and health’ to Chinese). Although it may not be a great tourist attractions to some, but it is beautiful, and a tranquil area, with bamboos, stone bridges over waterways, ponds with koi and rock gardens all in one.

Shanghai Acrobatics Troupe

Among the old buildings and places to see in Shanghai are the Longhua Pagoda, the Jade Buddha Temple and the Tomb of Lu Xun. Before I forget, Chongming Island, Zhujajiao Water Town and Qibao Ancient Town are also places of interest that are worth visiting. How about cultural highlights and performance? Head on to the world-renowned Shanghai Museum and the performances in the Shanghai Grand Theatre, both are just amazing!

You may want to know that Shanghai offers culinary delights focusing on the traditions of Beijing, Yangzhou, Sichuan and Guangzhou plus its own local dishes. In fact, those went there commented that its restaurants are among the finest in China and that cutting-edge international cuisine can be enjoyed in a stylish surrounding! Whatever it is, don’t miss the steaming hot Shanghai dumplings!

When is the best time to visit those interesting places? Although it is a year-round destination, but summer is its peak travel season and also that air pollution can be a problem too, hence, spring or early autumn would be most ideal. Be aware that the number of road fatalities is incredibly high in Shanghai and the driving there might make your hair-raising!

Other tourist attractions, places of interest and places to see that you might not want to miss:

• The residences of Sun Yat-Sen and Chiang Kai-Shek; 
• The Shanghai Acrobatics Troupe; 
• The Art Deco Sassoon House; 
• The vast and fascinating antiques market in the French Concession; and  
• The glittering view of Pudong at night.

Some local customs that you might want to take note of:

• The Chinese aren’t very touchy feely, meaning that you should opt for greeting with handshakes over European-style cheek kissing, and limit public displays of affection to hand holding.
   
• The Chinese like to order dishes for several around a table when eating together, instead of ordering individual main dishes. For example, five people eating together might order a whole or half chicken, a fish dish, vegetable, fried rice, fried noodles, or some type of meat so that everyone can reach for it.
   
• Noisily slurping up soup and noodles, as is belching and to hold the bowl close to your mouth and shovel in contents without any qualms is a norm. In fact, covering the tablecloth in crumbs, drips and even spat-out bones is a sign that shows you enjoy your meal.
   
• Never point or play with your chopsticks while eating, or to place them on top of your rice bowl, or leaving your chopsticks standing up in a bowl of rice, these acts are considered bad manners. 

However, if you want to gain an insight into Chinese culture and traditions, I suggest you wander down the side streets where you will have the chance to gain the best insights of it as inhabitants go about their daily lives.

Hope you enjoy your trips to these tourist attractions and places of interest in Shanghai, and want to explore many other places to visit, places to see in other parts of China too.