Shanghai Nightlife and Drinking Guide: Best Bars & Clubs

Being a busy commercial center during day time, Shanghai transforms into a sparkling seductress after dark. Welcome to Shanghai, Pearl of Orient and Paris of the East .

Shanghai has the reputation as the city that never sleeps, as mainland China’s nightlife capital, Shanghai transforms after dark into a sparkling seductress. This is a party town from way back. Yesterday’s opium joints and gambling dens are today’s private members clubs and Giorgio Armani’s. Shanghai has returned to its rightful place as one of the world’s great sin cities – and one gets the feeling that the party has only just begun. Barflies now have a choice of everything from glamorous Art Deco lounges to the seediest watering hole; live rock and jazz can be heard into the wee hours and the dance club scene now employs DJs , foreign and local, to keeping the younger set raving. Welcome to Shanghai by night.

• The Bund and the beautiful

After a half-century of neglect, Shanghai’s iconic Bund waterfront is being dug up and transformed into a luxurious after hours destination. Shanghai nightlife mavens can trawl posh restaurants, cocktail lounges, jazz clubs, boutique hotels, day spas and the fashion flagships dotted between old banking headquarters along the main stretch of Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, as well as in the atmospheric backstreets. More dilapidated heritage gems are set to be gussied up by top global brands in the years to come. The thoroughfare itself is undergoing renovation for the 2010 World Expo that will see traffic diverted underground and new landscaping along the famed riverbank.

It’s a far cry from a decade ago when restaurateur Michelle Garnaut opened Shanghai’s first independent international restaurant in the old Nissin Shipping Building on the waterfront. Back then, the Bund was a long shot – but M on the Bund proved to be a very popular pioneer. This eminently stylish institution is still one of the Bund’s best, serving contemporary European fare such as its signature slow-baked, salt-encased leg of lamb, accompanied by an excellent seasonal wine list. Downstairs, the pink-tinged Glamour Bar has a sophisticated 1930s vibe and excellent straight-up martinis. It also plays host to a diverse collection of artists, panel discussions, musical recitals and an annual writers’ festival (tel: [86-21] 6350-9988, 7/F, 20 Guangdong Lu).

Five years after M, Three on the Bund opened right across the alley (tel: 6323-3355, www.threeonthebund.com, 3 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu). The Michael Graves-designed beauty is home to some of the city’s top tables, an Armani flagship boutique and the first Evian spa outside France. This building is where the local cognoscenti start or, perhaps end, their Shanghai nightlife carouse, casually tousled yet immaculately chic. On the top floor, New Heights (tel: 6321-0909) serves Western food with a nod to Southeast Asia. It’s the most casual and affordable option and boasts the best view in the house from the wraparound terrace.

On the fourth floor, Jean Georges (tel: 6321-7733) is the three-star Michelin chef’s only signature restaurant outside New York. Inspired by old Shanghai grandeur, the moody lounge is filled with pony-hair club chairs and eel-skin benches leading through to a luxurious burnished copper and cobalt blue dining room. If you’re not dining on an expense account, try the Nougatine experience nightly from 6-11pm. Seated at white-clothed tables in the more relaxed bar area, you can sample a selection of JG favourites starting at just Rmb58. We recommend the black truffle and fontina pizza. This is Shanghai dining at its best.

The Gothic castle at 6 Bund (6 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu) is also home to several upscale restaurants and a couple of fun lounges. Our pick is Japanese Sun with Aqua on the second floor (tel: 6339-2779), which is remarkably good value for the Bund. Its adjoining Aquarium Bar has a cool underwater vibe, curtained beds – and sharks. The bijou Dolce & Gabbana Martini Bar (tel: 6323-2277) between the men’s and women’s D&G boutiques on the ground floor is a fashionable spot for a restorative espresso or ‘tini between shopping.

Bund 18 (tel: 6323-7066, www.bund18.com, 18 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu), in the powder-grey neoclassical former Macquarie Bank Tower, features Hong Kong chef To Chi Hoi’s trendy Cantonese cuisine at Tai Wan Lou (tel: 6339-1188) on the fifth floor.One floor up, Mr and Mrs Bund (tel: 6323-9898) is a show-stopping Shanghai restaurant. Taking a break from the molecular cuisine that made his name at Shangri-La’s Jade on 36, French chefs Paul Pairet returns to his roots offering modern French bistro fare – some rustic, some glammed-up – with over 200 dishes meant for sharing. It is open for dinner nightly and continues as a supperclub until 4am five nights a week. Be sure to book a window seat and save room for the excellent desserts.

Bund 18’s top-floor Bar Rouge (tel: 6339-1199) is party – and promiscuity – central. Designed by Imaad Rahmouni, a protege of Starck, the bar features 33 hand-blown Venetian chandeliers, Sino sirens splashed across the walls and a scenic terrace. Between show-off bottle juggling and setting fire to the bar, the bartenders may deign to make you one of their signature ginger melon martinis. Downstairs, Lounge 18 (tel: 6323-8399) attracts a similar crowd.

M1NT Club’s venues in Hong Kong, Cannes and Shanghai are owned by shareholding members and come with an exclusive members-only door policy. The macho Shanghai club sprawls across a 2,000sqm, 24th-floor penthouse, offering 360-degree views from behind the Bund. It also features a 17-metre shark tank, raunchy pop art murals and shareholders-only hot tubs on the rooftop terrace. A good concierge should be able to get you in. (tel: 6391-3191, 24/F, 318 Fuzhou Lu) an

LAN Club (tel: 6323-8029, 102 Guangdong Lu), which occupies an entire four-storey neoclassical mansion near the Westin hotel, is another highly ambitious mega-venue offering Chinese, French and seafood restaurants, multiple lounges and a small nightclub. Down the road, at the glorious intersection of Fuzhou and Jiangxi Lu, Hamilton House (tel: 6321-0586, 137 Fuzhou Lu) is a trendy French brasserie and cocktail lounge in a soaring 1934 Art Deco mansion. Their marmalade-laced Breakfast Martini is a good choice – at any time of the day.

Just past the Bund, in the historic Hongkou district formerly home to the Japanese concession and Jewish Ghetto, Gosney & Kallman’s Chinatown (tel: 6258-2078, 471 Zhapu Lu) brilliantly references Shanghai’s 1930s “Sin City” days. The burlesque club transforms a heritage Shinto shrine with theatre boxes, hard-hitting cocktails and high-kicking show girls. Open Wednesdays to Saturdays, it’s a bit off the beaten track but there is no cover charge and shows feature New York crooner Frank Brae, Shanghai acrobats and a six-strong chorus line. Good fun.

• Highs and lows in Pudong

Pudong has perked up considerably and some of the Shanghai nightlife throb has moved here. It is steadily becoming a viable option for a good night out. Park Hyatt’s 100 Century Avenue (tel: 6888-1234, 91-93F, Shanghai World Financial Centre, 100 Century Ave, Pudong) is the highest restaurant and bar on the planet, stretching from the 91^st to 93^rd floors of the 101-storey Shanghai World Financial Centre. Despite its high profile, it’s not the least bit highfaluting. Filling the 91^st floor is a very cool and convivial tavern with Western, Chinese and Japanese show kitchens and a 750-label cellar. The à la carte menu here allows you to mix-and-match different cuisines, and highlights top quality produce including seven types of US oysters, Australian Wagyu beef and fresh fish from Tokyo’s Tsujiki Market. The 92^nd floor hosts a jazz bar and quieter Oriental lounge with a small dance floor and ballroom dancing four nights a week, while the uppermost level is a private dining space for 100 people adorned in mod-Nordic style and lorded over by mischievous ceramic mooseheads.

In the basement of the Shanghai World Financial Centre (2/B, 100 Century Ave, Pudong), celebrity chef Salvatore Cuomo’s 3,000sqm upmarket food hall incorporates eight different restaurants including an Italian Restaurant and Grill, Japanese Yakiniku, Crystal Jade dim sum counter and a relaxing lounge bar. Gourmet European grocer Bottega is a great place to pick up picnic supplies.

Perched on the 87th floor of the Jin Mao Tower, Cloud 9, the Grand Hyatt’s hotel bar, offers one of the best views in Asia. Make sure you get a table facing west for views of the Bund, Pearl Tower, and the lights of Puxi; windowscapes of its new, taller neighbor, the Shanghai World Financial Center, are to the southeast. Drinks at Cloud 9 aren’t as expensive as you might think, with prices starting at around ¥75 for a small draught Tiger, while cocktails start at about ¥90. There’s a two drink minimum after 8pm and a 15% service charge.

Tucked away by the riverside behind the Oriental Pearl Tower is Salvatore Cuomo’s original Pudong location, The Kitchen (tel: 5054-1265, Unit D, 2967 Lujiazui Xi Lu), another Shanghai dining favorite. The airy Italian is a great place for sundowner drinks looking across the water to Puxi, and its woodfired oven turns out arguably the city’s best pizza.

Jade on 36 is a restaurant that must be experienced to be believed. Perched on the 36th floor of the Pudong Shangri-La Hotel tower, the Jade lounge/restaurant is simply beautiful. Drinks don’t come cheap but neither does real glamour.. Downstairs, the Japanese institution Nadaman serves teppanyaki and yakitori in a Zen-like setting with sleek granite surfaces and big paper lanterns. Yi Café is buffet brilliance, with 10 show kitchens presenting cuisines from China, Japan, India, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America. (tel: 6882-8888, Pudong Shangri-La, 33 Fucheng Lu, Pudong).

For laid-back happy hour drinks, head to Blue Frog alongside the enormous Super Brand Mall. This popular Shanghai chain offers 2-for-1 house pours daily from 4-8pm, good burgers, free Wi-Fi and a pleasant terrace surrounded by skyscrapers.

Located within People's Park, Barbarossa is a chic bar & restaurant with a Moroccan theme.

• Playtime in People’s Park

Constructing an Arabian palace on historic green space in the heart of the city was a questionable move by Shanghai’s town planners – but the party people aren’t complaining. Deep in People’s Park, on the edge of a still lake, candlelit Barbarossa (tel: 6318-0220, 231 Nanjing Lu) glimmers like a mirage. Step inside to find three storeys of maharajah chic filled with North African antiques and the European trip-hop beats. Food and service can be lacklustre but you won’t much care after a cappuccino-flavoured sheesha pipe on the terracotta rooftop.

The same group has also opened a sprawling club next door to the Four Seasons. Sin (tel: 6267 7779, 23/F, 211 Shimen Yi Lu) lives up to its name with a suitably decadent design incorporating a dance floor, hot pink cushiony nooks and city views from the 23^rd floor.

On the rooftop of the old British Racing Club, now the Shanghai Art Museum, Kathleen’s 5 (tel: 6327-2221, 5/F, Shanghai Art Museum, 325 Nanjing Xi Lu) is an elegant restaurant in a glassed-encased terrace beneath the original clock tower. The food plays second fiddle to the ambience. The Backroom Bar is a charming place for cocktails and the occasional tango milonga.

Also on People’s Square, JW Marriott’s 40th-floor Champagne Bar (tel: 5359-4969, 399 Nanjing Xi Lu) is a top spot to kick back in style and drink in the vertiginous views of the Square (which is actually round) and the city radiating beyond. It’s a good spot to contemplate your Shanghai nightlife options.

Great drinks, design, décor and dining - T8 in the ultra-hip shopping and dining district of Xintiandi is a don't miss.

• Shikumen chic – Xintiandi bars and clubs

Site of the Communist Party’s first clandestine meeting in 1921, the 19th century shikumen neighbourhood of Xintiandi (Lane 181, Taicang Lu) is now a hub for all manner of glamorous delights. If you have the cash, you can’t really go wrong with the venues here – there are more Shanghai dining options here than you can shake a stick at – but some are more memorable than others.

T8 Restaurant & Bar (tel: 6355-8999, No 8, North Block Xintiandi, www.t8shanghai.com) serves global cuisine in a lacquered Zen setting, with an impressive list of boutique wines. If you’re craving Chinese, Xintiandi has two worth trying: Crystal Jade (tel: 6385-8752) and Din Tai Fung (tel: 6385-8378). Casual American bistro KABB has a faithful following and great hangover brunches on weekends.

Fans of Liuligongfang will love Taiwanese owner Yang Hui Shan’s showcase restaurant TMSK (tel: 6326-2227, www.tmsk.com, Unit 2, House 11, North Block).

Perch on a crystal stool at the bar or head up the carved staircase to a sumptuous dining room complete with musicians playing traditional Chinese instruments on a small stage.

The dark, sultry DR Bar (tel: 6326 8008, House 15, North Block) next door is owned by the architects of the Xintiandi development, Ben Wood and Carlos Zapata.

Their minimalist venue showcases design materials sourced in China, from the ink stone slabs to the trio of vodka shooters served in a Chinese “cricket jar”.

Cotton's is popular with many expats for its friendly vibe and quintessential Shanghai setting in a romantic French Concession mansion.

• To the manor born in the former French Concession

Shanghai bars and restaurants have made full use of the city’s rich architectural heritage and many of the city’s finest old villas are now atmospheric tippling grounds.

Private members club KEE Shanghai (tel: 3395-0888, 3/F, 796 Huaihai Lu) occupies the upper floors of twin 1920s French Concession villas just off Huaihai Lu. The club is part of Richemont Group’s luxury headquarters, and sits above flagship ‘homes’ of Alfred Dunhill and Vacheron Constantin. Its classic European restaurant and luxe scarlet lounge adorned with art and antiques, lead out to a colonnaded balcony overlooking a quiet garden. A good concierge should be able to get you in to this posh Shanghai dining venue.

Sasha’s (tel: 6474-66289, Dongping Lu) has been the long-time resident of a big red villa formerly home to the infamous Soong family. The bar offers a relaxed, colonial vibe, pool table, reasonable happy hours and an expansive courtyard with comfy wicker chairs. Steakhouse, Prime, sits on the second floor. Sharing the garden, Mexican cantina Zapata’s (tel: 6474-6166, 5 Hengshan Lu) is still the place to be on Wednesdays – free margaritas for the girls, ’80s house music and dancing on the bartop assured.

Cocktail gem Constellation II (tel: 5465 5993, 1-2/F, 33 Yongjia Lu) is a more refined affair. Taking its interior cues from the roaring 1930s its two floors joined by a spiral staircase are filled with quiet nooks and leather armchairs bathed in the glow of antique lampshades. Immaculate cocktails are shaken by Japanese-trained barman/owner, Kin.  Down the road in a two-storey heritage villa on quiet Anting Lu, Cotton’s exudes warmth, with four open fireplaces, a large garden terrace and  genuinely friendly vibe (tel: 6433-7995, 132 Anting Lu).

A Future Perfect has the style and ambience, and most importantly, good food.

Another alfresco Shanghai dining option is A Future Perfect in the popular B&B, Old House (tel: 6248-8020, No 16, Lane 351 Huashan Lu). A wholesome, organic approach is evident in the recycled decor and a healthy menu of steaks, salads and smoothies. Best of all is the spacious walled garden under a leafy canopy where Panton-inspired cantilevered chairs and a futuristic outdoor bar are strikingly juxtaposed against the original 1930s facade.

South Beauty 881 (tel: 6247-6682; 881 Yan’an Zhong Lu) combines artfully presented Sichuan and Cantonese dishes and cutting-edge designs by Japanese architects SuperPotato. But the real gem is the property’s original 1930s mansion, home to 19 dramatically decorated private dining rooms around a lipstick-red bar. Rooms seat from two to fifty people and there’s a lovely rooftop terrace.

Another excellent option with an Asean kick is Lost Heaven (tel: 6433-5126, 38 Gaoyou Lu). Tracing the folk cuisines of the Dai, Bai and Miao ethnic hill tribes through China’s Yunnan province and into Burma and Laos, the richly spiced curries are served in a suitably exotic villa setting.

Casa 13 (tel: 5238-2782, Rm 13, 1100 Huashan Lu) is a dash of Mediterranean in the courtyard of a heritage Spanish villa. This warm, romantic venue with chandeliers strung from high ceilings serves hearty seafood, roasted meats, risottos and pasta, accompanied by an impressive wine list. The Casa’s owner Eduardo Vargas, is a Shanghai dining powerhouse – among his other popular Shanghai restaurants are Vargas Grill (tel: 6437-0136, 3/F, 18 Dongping Lu), Bistro Burger (tel: 6170-1315, 1/F, Mansion, 291 Fumin Lu) and Osteria (tel: 6256-8998, 226 Jinxian Lu), where the excellent Rmb198 Italian prix fixe menu is complemented by a well-priced wine list.

Catalan chef Willy Trullàs Moreno helms delightful villa restaurant, El Willy (tel: 5404-5757, 1/F, Diage, 20 Donghu Lu). Innovative dishes on the menu here include scallop with ceviche, avocado and crispy shallots, and chocolate coulant with green tea ice cream and tomato cardamom jam. A tucked-away garden hosts alfresco seating and occasional organic farmers markets.

Designer Wang Xingzheng has a passion for Chinese culture and his three bars should not be missed. Yongfoo Elite (tel: 5466-2727, www.yongfooelite.com, 200 Yongfu Lu) is a rarefied members club in the old British consulate evoking the Shanghai of popular imagination rendered in mahogany, old leather, crystal chandeliers and Chinese lanterns. The Shanghainese cuisine is nothing to write home about, but an evening spent draped across a canopy bed in the garden sipping gin-and-tonic and listening to Beijing opera in the background certainly is. The Door, way out in Hongqiao (tel: 6295-3737, 4/F, 1468 Hongqiao Lu), and Xian Qiang Fang (tel: 6351-5757, 5/F, 600 Jiujiang Lu), located in an old theatre near People’s Square, are similarly decadent.

Big Bamboo is Shanghai's best sports bar. Malone's, which attracts a similar if slightly older clientele, is just around the corner.

• A walk on the wild side –  Julu Lu and Tongren Lu

Time to dive into the seed or, at any rate, skirt past it. That’s right. The cheap lipstick heart of Shanghai nightlife, Julu Lu caters to all tastes. Near the junction of Changshu Lu is a row of down-at-heel girlie bars with names like Goodfellas and Badlands and propositions by the yard. However, the Fumin Lu end is infinitely classier. For its jaw-dropping industrial-chic interior and nouvelle Japanese cuisine, book one of the mezzanine tables at Shintori Null II (tel: 5404 5252, 803 Julu Lu). The same group also owns bar/restaurant People 7 (tel: 5404-0707) next door, known for its fun password-protected entrance and trick toilets.

Nearby, an old electronics factory retains its buzz as the well-heeled watering hole Manifesto (tel: 6289-9108, 748 Julu Lu). Be sure to try one of their creative cocktails like the Belgian white chocolate martini. The downstairs restaurant, Mesa, has a good modern Australian menu and fabulous weekend brunches.

For booze, babes and beats, the seedy masses head to Tongren Lu bar street. The most sophisticated of the bunch, Blue Frog (tel: 6247-0320, 86 Tongren Lu) wins points for its slick but super-casual ambience, daily happy hours (4-8pm) and famous 100 shooters. Within stumbling distance, Malone’s (tel: 6247-2400, 255 Tongren Lu) is a beefy American bar popular with the beer-swilling masses for its super burgers, sports and Filipino house band. The top floor of this massive bar has been refitted as a slightly more sophisticated chill-out zone, complete with a country-western crooner. Big Bamboo (tel: 6256-2265, 132 Nanyang Lu) and The Spot (tel: 6247-3579, 331 Tongren Lu) kick on until late with a variety of sports on big screens, bar sports and beer swilling.

Also on Tongren Lu, City Diner (6289-3699, 2/F, 146 Tongren Lu) is open 24 hours. Their hearty portions of all-American comfort food go down a treat after a long night of drinking.

Babyface: Probably the best nightspot to hit up for some Chinese-style clubbing complete with loud thumping music and patrons playing table-side dice games.

• Shanghai clubbing – dance until dawn

Packed to the gills and reeking of parfum and pretension, the enormously popular Baby Face (tel: 6375-6667, Unit 101, 138 Huaihai Zhong Lu) consists of two separate dance areas, a central bar that you’ll be lucky to get to and exclusive mezzanine lounges requiring a Rmb2,500-Rmb3,500 minimum order. There’s a cover charge on weekends, brutish bouncers manning the door and floor, and a largely local crowd.

In Fuxing Park (2 Gaolan Lu), Muse at Park 97 (tel: 5383-2328) and club Guandii (tel: 3308-0725) attract a glittery Chinese crowd – don’t forget your dice and aviator specs. Velvet Lounge (tel: 5403-2976, Bldg 3-4, 913 Julu Lu) is a favourite late-night lounge for expats and locals alike with curtained enclaves, a DJ, dance floor and great thin-crust gourmet pizzas.

MAO Livehouse Shanghai (tel: 138160-95660, 46 Yueyang Lu, www.maoshanghai.com) stands for Music Art Oasis, and features a recycled chrome and concrete interior, all-natural cocktails and a grassy backyard chill-out zone. At the end of the night head to the tiny Dragon Club (tel: 5404-4592, 156 Fengyang Lu), which kicks on until 7am at weekends.

When it's all about the jazz, man, the gimmick-free sublte charms of JZ club can't be beaten.

• Mellow mood – all that jazz

Shanghai and jazz are synonymous and two of the city’s best-loved live jazz clubs are within a stone’s throw of each other on Fuxing Lu. The plush JZ Club (tel: 6431-0269, 46 Fuxing Xi Lu) hosts a varied weekly line-up of vocal jazz, Big Band, Latin and Shanghai jazz, headlined by popular Shanghai-based musicians, such as flamboyant Chinese vocalist Coco Zhao and guitarist Lawrence Ku, while the long-running Cotton Club (tel: 6437-71108, Fuxing Xi Lu) is a much rawer venue with a dark, smoky interior and righteous blues.

In a heritage villa behind the Bund, House of Blues & Jazz (tel: 6323-2779, 60 Fuzhou Lu) revives the golden Shanghai Jazz Age, complete with wood-panelled walls, art deco furnishings, fat cigars and stiff G&Ts. The musical roster brings top jazz and blues bands from the international circuit for three-month stints, along with ‘mellow Monday’ gigs by local performers, and jam sessions on Sundays.

Shanghai nightlife waits for nobody, so strap on your beer goggles and enjoy the ride.

• What to See & Do in Shanghai
  

Top Ten Shanghai Must-See Attractions

Visitor’s Guide to The Bund: Shanghai’s Newly Opened Waterfront Landmark

Modern Architectural Wonders of Shanghai

Exploring the Water Villages – Excursions from Shanghai

• Where to Dine in Shanghai
  

Taste of Shanghai – A Guide to Shanghai’s Best Food

• Where to Shop in Shanghai

Shop till you drop – Shanghai Shopping Guide

• Where to Stay in Shanghai
  

Top Ten Ritziest Hotels in Shanghai

Shop till you drop – Shanghai Shopping Guide

Shanghai is often touted as a shoppers’ paradise – however you can expect hours of pavement pounding, foraging and bargaining before reaching true retail Nirvana. The good news for those who persist is that the local markets and boutiques can reward the dedicated shopper with awesome finds at prices to suit any wallet.

Like many fashion capitals, the city’s two main boulevards – Nanjing West Road and Huaihai Road – are lined with some of the best Shanghai shopping malls brimming with luxury brand stores and high street labels. Due to heavy import tariffs, the few found fondling the inflated price tags here are usually wealthy domestic customers. For your Dior, Chanel and Armani – best head to Hong Kong. If you don’t mind Pardas and Calvin Keins, there’s always rip-off Qipu Road Clothing Wholesale Market (168 Qipu Rd) or the back alleys surrounding Shaanxi Road (recommended only for the stout of heart).

Of more interest, are the retail enclaves scattered around the vibrant streets of the former French Concession and behind the Bund. Here, local designers present their wares – everything from handmade silk slippers and modern ceramics to organic cotton baby kimonos – offering trendy updates on classic Chinese styles. Other good buys in Shanghai include Oriental rosewood antiques, freshwater pearls and custom-made garments from the city’s legendary tailors.

Shanghai's top street to shop has always been Nanjing Road (Nanjing Lu). Evern more popular among locals, however, is Huaihai Middle Road (Huaihai Zhong Lu).

• Shanghai shopping – Nanjing West Road and Huaihai Road

High end Shanghai shopping and the glossiest malls are clustered along Nanjing West Road, between Jing’an Temple and Shimen No. 1 Road. Next door to the working Buddhist temple, Jiuguang City Plaza (久光百货 in Chinese, 1618 Nanjing Road) houses Tiffany & Co, Omega and Kate Spade, as well as excellent Japanese supermarket Freshmart in the basement. Opposite this, rising above the interchange of three metro lines, Park Place (越洋广场in Chinese) opened in 2009 offers seven levels of international designer boutique shopping and dining.

Plaza 66 (恒隆广场 in Chinese, 1266 Nanjing Xi Lu, metro line 2 Nanjing Xi Lu Station) is chock full of luxury brands – Louis Vuitton, Dior, Prada, Cartier – on five marble-clad levels. Next door, Citic Square (Zhongxin Taifu guangchang, 中信泰富广场 in Chinese, 1168 Nanjing Road) includes Armani, Bally and Marc Jacobs, while neighboring Westgate Mall (Meilongzhen guangchang, 梅龙镇广场 in Chinese, 1038 Nanjing Road) features Burberry, Ermenegildo Zegna, Coach and an Isetan department store. Between these are more moderately priced fashion outlets, such as Zara, Promod and Marks & Spencer.

Running parallel to Nanjing West Road through the former French Concession, Huaihai Middle Road is populated with European fast fashion flagships H&M, Zara and Mango along with clothing brands from China, Korea and Japan.

In the southern part of the French Concession, Taikang Lu, home to a bunch of art galleries and trendy clubs, also has some fashionable boutiques selling everything from designer handbags to pricey silks.

• Funky shopping around Taikang Road

What started with a few artists and design agencies moving in to abandoned factory warehouses on quiet Taikang Road, has become Shanghai’s funkiest shopping district. The rabbit-warren of cobbled Shanghai ‘longtang’ (lanes) are flanked by traditional stone-gated residences housing an eclectic collection of fashion, furniture and lifestyle boutiques, craft workshops, jewelers, photography galleries and alfresco cafes. Amongst all this, elderly residents of the alleyways steadfastly go about their daily life, which presents eye-popping contrasts often as fun to observe as the goods on offer in bohemian shop windows. Most of the top Shanghai local brands now have a presence here – following are several good ones not to miss.

Nuo Mi (Lane 274, 12 Taikang Road) by young Chinese-American designer Lin Wen creates cross-culture women and children’s fashions in eco-friendly bamboo, cotton, soya and raw silk that feel as soft and slinky against the skin as they look. Urban Tribe (Number 14, Lane 248 Taikang Road) is a rustic-chic collection of fashion, pottery tea sets, handmade silver jewellery and black-and-white photography inspired by China’s hinterlands, Burma and India.

Japanese model turned designer Maki Hayazono’s two-story boutique  Rou Rou (Number 19, 155 Jianguo Middle Road) fuses contemporary streetwear with European tailoring and Asian detailing. The store’s two labels – Rou Rou basics and the high-end Lotus Room – are frequently updated.

Deke Erh Art Center, owned by local photographer and author Deke Erh, Tibetan-themed oils as well as occasional photo exhibits and musical recitals.

Several photography studios include one of the street’s original tenants, photographic historian Deke Erh. The sprawling Deke Erh Art Centre (Number 2, Lane 210 Taikang Lu) presents his images snapped around Shanghai and rural China, as well as books he has published on the city’s fading architectural heritage. Gang of One is a tribute to the rags-to-riches tale of Wang Gangfeng, a former factory worker whose wonderful portraits of characters and street life around China now hang in the Musee de l’Elysee in Switzerland.

The small Duke Gallery (Number 8, 274 Taikang Road) presents a fun collection of contemporary Chinese art and sculpture. Stealing the show is Mongolian artist Guo Qipeng’s ‘Boy Scout’ series of chubby lipstick-red ceramic kid soldiers playing different instruments.

INSH (200 Taikang Road) carries the hip, streetwise fashions of designer Helen Lee,

Two of Shanghai’s most promising young designers, Jenny Ji and Helen Lee, also have boutiques at Taikang Rd. La Vie (Number 7, Lane 210 Taikang Lu), stocks the heavily tailored and deconstructed fashions of Jenny Ji, who studied fashion in Milan before returning to her hometown. INSH (200 Taikang Road, 021-6466-5249, www.insh.com.cn) carries the hip, streetwise fashions of designer Helen Lee, while her namesake boutique, further down the alley (Number 3, Lane 210 Taikang Road) showcases a more mature line.

If your Shanghai shopping diary includes sparkling accessories and baubles, three interesting jewelery stores worth checking out are Marion Carsten (Suite 106, Bldg 3, Lane 210 Taikang Road) by a Shanghai-based German jeweler whose striking contemporary designs use bold combinations of sterling silver, leather and pearls. Red Dawn (Suite 105, Bldg 3, Lane 210 Taikang Road) showcases beautiful baubles by homespun talent Dawn Zhu made of jade, pearl, coral and carved woods. For men, JIP’s smart collection of industrial-style accessories combining edgy tungsten, titanium and carbon fibre are designed by an international team of artists but manufactured in southern China, which keeps the line surprisingly affordable (Number 51, Lane 210 Taikang Road).

In the building that started it all – the International Artist Factory – Nest occupies an airy loft space where nine locally based clothing, home wares and product design companies have formed an eco design collective, championing cutting-edge design, sustainable materials and responsible manufacturing. For cottage industry in action, visit Harvest Studio downstairs (Suite 18, Bldg 3, Lane 210 Taikang Road). Here, Miao minority women from southern China gossip as they hand embroider ethnic-styled cushions and clothing. Also in the building, Cosmos Design (Unit 112, Bldg 3, Lane 210 Taikang Road) features contemporary home accessories by Cosmo Chan made from rich brown zisha ceramics, popular in the Ming dynasty.

When your Shanghai shopping binge gets too much for you, release you own creative energy with easel and acrylic paints at Jam Art Space or grab some excellent pho noodles at Pho No.1 Vietnamese Cuisine (Number 13, Lane 248 Taikang Lu).

About as classy and pricey as you can get in Shanghai shopping, this ritzy development "Three on the Bund" has a Georgio Armani flagship store and other not-too-shabby mouthfuls such as Ann Demeulemeester, Bottega Veneta, Vivienne Tam, Yves Saint Laurent.

• Prime Shanghai shopping – The Bund

The gentrification of Shanghai’s iconic riverfront Bund has seen luxury brands – Giorgio Armani at Three on the Bund, Dolce & Gabbana at 6 Bund and Cartier, Patek Philippe, Ermenegildo Zegna and Boucheron at Bund 18 – move into the former colonial banking HQs.

These are interspersed with local designer boutiques in the side streets, including Suzhou Cobblers (Room 101, 17 Fuzhou Road, 021-6321-7087, www.suzhou-cobblers.com), selling handcrafted silk slippers and shoes in updated colors and patterns, and Annabel Lee (Number 1, Lane 8, East No. 1 Zhongshan Road, 021-6445-8218, www.anabel-lee.com), whose range of embroidered silk decor and accessories are displayed in a museum-like flagship behind a large red door.

Design Republic’s retail showroom founded by Shanghai-based architects Lyndon Neri and Rossana Hu showcases contemporary furnishings from top international designers, along with their own pieces that are currently all in the rage in many of the city’s high-end restaurants (G/F, 5 Zhongshan Road E1). Meanwhile, on the second floor of Bund 18, Gabbiani (2/F, Bund 18, 18 Zhongshan Road E1), sells hand-blown glassware by the designer of those iconic red Venetian chandeliers hanging in the Bund 18 lobby.

• Shanghai boutique shops in the French Concession

For more Shanghai designer brands and eye candy, cruise the leafy streets of the former French Concession that are lined with tiny boutiques by aspiring local talent. The best stretches lie along Changle Road (between Rujin Number 1 Road and Chengdu Road) and Xinle Road (between Donghu Road and Maoming Road). Julu Road and Jinxian Road contain a smattering of interesting boutiques, while Shaanxi Road is shoe heaven if you fit a size 37.

Streetwear fans will love Source (158 Xinle Road), The Thing (60 Xinle Road), Fly (704 Changle Road) and Eno (139-23 Changle Road). Hong Kong designer Joel Chen’s Pursue by Joel (142 Xinle Rd) offers trendy tailored menswear and women’s evening dresses using quality materials. Pursue’s larger location behind Xintiandi (365 Zizhong Lu) has a fitting studio on the second floor that can whip up custom pieces in around three weeks. Also on Zizhong Lu, is an outlet of Studio PI (Post Industrial), where European-trained designer Lu Min creates recycled daywear and unique party pieces with an almost-gothic feel (347 Zizhong Lu).

Shanghai Tang, the oh-so-hip store from Hong Kong fashion maven David Tang, has spawned several branches worldwide since it first opened in Shanghai in 2003. Besides his signature and pricey traditional Chinese shirts and qipao, you can also pick up elegant scarves, photo frames, bags, and candles.

• Shopping in Xintiandi lanes

The refashioned traditional lanes and shikumen houses of Xintiandi, on the corner of Huangpi Road and Madang Road, are very popular with travelers on account of the wide array of high-end shopping, dining and entertainment options. Luxurious fashion brand Shanghai Tang (Unit 15, Xintiandi North Blk, Lane 181 Taicang Road, two other branches: 59 Mao Ming Road; Shangri-La Hotel, 33 Fu Cheng Road, Pudong) features men’s, ladies and children’s apparel, home furnishings, accessories and novelty gift items with a colorful nod to Chinese culture. Exquisite cutting and inspired design are reflected in the high-end prices.

The massive flagship store of homegrown label Simply Life (Unit 101, 159 Madang Road), stocks pan-Asia furniture and house ware, including an exclusive range of hand-painted fine bone china from luxury local brand Asianera. Delightful Shanghai Trio (Number 1, Unit 5, Xintiandi North Blk, 181 Taicang Road) blends Chinese motifs with classic French styling in its range of adorable baby wear, bags and accessories.

Shanghai South Bund Fabric Market has all of Shanghai's best tailors all under one roof. Bargain hard to get a fair price.

• Shanghai tailors for Western-size fits

For those frustrated with the search for Western-size clothing – Shanghai’s legendary tailors can whip up a custom-made wardrobe in a matter of days. Start with a trip to the South Bund Fabric Market (399 Lujiabang Road), where three air-conditioned levels offer vast reams of fabric and trimmings at bargain prices. Bring your favorite pieces and have the onsite tailors sew made-to-measure replicas. Expect to pay approximately Rmb600 for a suit including material and workmanship.

Dongtai Lu Antiques Market, not far from Xin Tian Di, is Shanghai's answer to Beijing's Panjiayuan Market. Dealers specialize in antiques, curios, porcelain, furniture, jewelry, and wood carvings, birds, and nostalgic bric-a-brac from colonial and revolutionary days (especially Mao memorabilia).

• Shanghai shopping – pearls and antiques

Shanghai is close to China’s freshwater pearling areas of Jiangsu province and is therefore a great place to buy these precious gems. Mark this down in your Shanghai shopping diary. Shanghai Hongqiao International Pearl City (3721 Hongmei Lu) is a multi-level pearl emporium. Most of the action is found on the third floor, where vendors sell a wide array of fresh water pearls and semi-precious stones, along with inexpensive crystal and plastic beads. Buy readymade jewelery or create your own custom designs, which can be strung on the spot.

The five-storey wholesale antique market at Cang Bao Lou (457 Fangbang Middle Road) and charming outdoor Dongtai Road Antique Market (Dongtai Road, by Tibet Road) are good places to scavenge for Cultural Revolution memorabilia, Buddhist statuary, art deco furniture and even opium pipes. Although many of the wares are ersatz, this is still great souvenir territory and keen eyes will occasionally spot a genuine antique prize. Bargain hard.

For antique rosewood furniture head to the warehouse showroom of Hu & Hu Antiques in far-flung Hongqiao (1685 Wuzhong Lu). The sisters-in-law Hu have a massive collection of well-restored Chinese antiques and customised reproductions, delivered fuss-free thanks to their fixed-pricing policy and international shipping.

And if all this frantic Shanghai shopping hasn’t left you with an anorexic wallet and swollen feet, then strap on your (probably new) dancing shoes and head on out for a night on the tiles.

• What to See & Do in Shanghai
  

Top Ten Shanghai Must-See Attractions

Visitor’s Guide to The Bund: Shanghai’s Newly Opened Waterfront Landmark

Modern Architectural Wonders of Shanghai

• Where to Dine in Shanghai
  

Taste of Shanghai – A Guide to Shanghai’s Best Food

• Where to Stay in Shanghai
  

Top Ten Ritziest Hotels in Shanghai

Visitor’s Guide to The Bund: Shanghai’s Newly Opened Waterfront Landmark

Children fly the balloons during the completion ceremony of bund renovation project to welcome the 2010 World Expoin Shanghai, March 28, 2010.

The Bund, Shanghai’s landmark waterfront district and once known as the “Wall Street of Asia”, reopens Sunday after a major facelift as Shanghai attempts to relaunch itself as one of the world’s great financial centers.

Its three-year $415 million restoration, including the building of a six-lane underground tunnel for through traffic, revamping the pedestrian riverfront promenade and adding green space, is a key part of the city’s $45 billion investment for the Shanghai World Expo 2010, the giant international trade fair that will open on the opposite side of the Huangpu River on May 1st.

The 1.8-kilometre, newly marbled walkway along the Huangpu River will offer the best views of the city of Shanghai – past and future. Turn one way to see Shanghai’s 21^st Century Bund – Pudong’s new skyscrapers and modern towers across the river. Turn the other, and the graceful neo-classical and art nouveau buildings along the Bund that once inspired people to call Shanghai the Paris of the East are at your feet.

The Peace Hotel, which once hosted Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford, has had a full refurbishment, while the Peninsula hotel chain, which was founded in Shanghai in 1866 and once operated four hotels here, the last closing in 1949, has reopened.

The long bar of the Shanghai Club, once the watering hole of the city’s elite, is also to reopen next year, now managed by Waldorf Astoria.

• Highlights of the new Bund

Promenade

The famous 2,000-meter-long promenade is said by city planners to be “as charming and friendly to tourists as the Champs Elysee in Paris.?

The promenade was once a quite place for lovers to walk, hold hands or nuzzle along the banks of the Huangpu River. Today it’s wider, and still friendly to couples. Around 2,000 seats have been installed around the squares for tourists. Baby-changing rooms have been set up.

Parks and Squares

A 2,600-square-meter waterfront platform in the Huangpu Park Square is designed for viewing both sides of the Huangpu River.

A bronze bull sculpture, like the one on Wall Street, will be set in the Financial Square. Information screens will broadcast financial news. Two other squares are Chen Yi Square and Observatory Square, all connected by walkways, the riverside promenade and large areas of greenery.

Waibaidu Bridge

The bridge, which is known as Garden Bridge, at the north end of the Bund area was dismantled and moved away to make room for underground tunneling work. The restored Waibaidu Bridge made its return last year.

It offers a spectacular view of the Bund and Huangpu River.

Three levels

The new Bund has three levels ?the waterfront platform, squares and Zhongshan Road. Before the renovation, visitors had to use the tunnel or the overpass to cross Zhongshan Road.

Shiliupu Dock

The Shiliupu area at the southern end of the Bund has been transformed into a business venue, connected with a traffic hub, which is a terminal for four city bus routes and tourist buses.

The dock is also a cruise-ship terminal with 12 berths for river sightseeing vessels.

• Street smart: The Bund, Shanghai

Much of 1930s Shanghai has disappeared but here on the Bund you can still glimpse the pre-war decadence and sophistication at a host of reinvented glamour bars, restaurants and shops.

THREE ON THE BUND

Designed by American architect Michael Graves, Three on the Bund houses, inter alia, four of the city's top eateries, a spa with rivers of flowing Evian, and the city's flagship Armani store.

Start your exploring at Three on the Bund, a buzzy, multi-floor reincarnation of an elegant post-Renaissance building. Here you’ll find an exciting melting pot of art, culture, food, fashion, pampering and music. Four original restaurants cover most palates, including nouveau French by Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and Mod Oz by Greek-Australian David Laris. New Heights cafe on the top floor is less fancy (and less pricey) than the others, making it a popular spot for a drink under the stars. On the floors below you’ll find the impressive Shanghai Gallery of Art, the chi-chi Evian Spa and enough high-end stores to rattle the strongest of wills (Armani recently opened its China flagship store here, the first major fashion house to take up residence on the Bund).

No. 3 The Bund, entrance at 17 Guang Dong Road; +86 (21) 6323 3355; threeonthebund.com.

HUANGPU PARK

Monument to the People's Heroes at Huangpu Park, Shanghai

Greenis always gold in Shanghai, where high-rises and 24-7 construction are the norm. Huangpu Park is the oldest and smallest park in the city, sitting pretty at the northern end of the Bund. Here you’ll find the impressive Monument to the People’s Heroes, a 24-metre concrete monolith honoring those who helped to free China from foreign occupation. Drop by at dawn to witness legions of elderly Chinese practicing tai chi and qigong. Also in the park is the small but well-formed Bund Historical Museum, showing the history of the Bund in old black-and-white photographs.

The Bund, near the intersection with Beijing East Road.

THE HSBC BUILDING

The HSBC building completed in 1923, was the second largest bank building in the world at that time, after the Bank of Scotland building in UK

Architecture buffs won’t want to miss a peek into the vast lobby area of the renovated HSBC Building. Built in 1923, it’s one of the best examples of neo-classicism in China. In its heyday it was called “the most luxurious building from the Suez Canal to the Bering Strait”. It was renovated a decade ago, with the work revealing exquisite mosaic murals of world cities. A quick-thinking architect had the mosaics covered over in paint to save them from destruction by the Red Guards.

No. 12 the Bund.

M ON THE BUND

M's signature pavlova dessert

Australian Michelle Garnaut is a visionary. When she created her signature restaurants and bar on the Bund a dozen years ago, the area was derelict and unpopular. Today, the roll-call of guests who have eaten at M on the Bund includes Kevin Rudd, Henry Kissinger, Richard Branson, Kate Moss, Kylie Minogue, Bette Midler and John Galliano. The adjoining Glamour Bar is the most popular bar in Shanghai, a luxe, grown-up establishment with excellent views where bankers from Paris mix with starlets from Hollywood. The epic cocktail list includes terrific martinis. Sunday afternoon tea is also a treat.

No. 5 the Bund (corner of Guangdong Lu); +86 (21) 6350 9988; m-restaurantgroup.com.

THE PEACE HOTEL

The Peace Hotel is also the former Sasson House, a 13-story building that was the tallest in Shanghai at that time.The Sasson family gained incredible wealth through opium smuggling.

If these walls could talk … the Peace Hotel (originally the Cathay) stands proud and legendary along the Bund, a keeper of glamorous secrets from the 1930s, old Shanghai’s most decadent period. Back then, every night was an excuse for diplomats and celebrities to dress up and play. On March 28, after a three-year renovation and millions of dollars spent, the fabled hotel reopens as the Fairmont Peace Hotel. The new owners have promised the art deco ambience won’t be lost in the swanky makeover.

The Bund (enter from Nanjing Road East); fairmont.com.

• The History of The Bund

1843

THE Bund opened as the Treaty of Nanjing went into effect, opening Shanghai for trade with the Western world.

1845

Shanghai Land Regulation was signed by Britain and Shanghai. It established the residential area for Britons in Shanghai as the region west of the Huangpu River and north of Yangjingbang River (today where Yan’an Road E. goes). It established the Lijiachang area (south of Beijing Road E.) where British businessmen could rent and build residences.

1848

Huangputan Road was open at the Bund area with foreign businessmen’s requests. The customs of the
Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) moved to the Bund.

1856

Waiyangjingbang Bridge was built on the Yangjingbang River (today’s Yan’an Road E.) at the Bund. Wills Bridge was built at the north part of the Bund.

1857

The British concession area expanded continuously, overseas capital flooded in. More than 40 foreign fi rms were set up along the Bund.

1864

More than 61 foreign firms were operating on the Bund, which became the biggest finance and trade
center in the Far East.

1865

Gas street lamps were installed on the Bund. Foreign firms used gas lamps for lighting.

1868

The Municipal Committee built the Public Garden (now Huangpu Park) at the south Bund.

1882

Shanghai Electric Construction Co began operation. Arc lights replaced gas light on the Bund.

1924

The first public bus line opened at the Bund.

1937

The Bank of China, Shanghai Branch, opened on the Bund. There were 167 foreign- and China-invested banks and fi nancial institutions on the Bund. The Bund architectural complex was mostly complete.

1949

Shanghai was liberated. All of the Bund architectural complexes were nationalized.

1989

The lighting project for the Bund architectural complex began. Flood-lighting technology was used to perfect the Bund night scene.

1993

Two flood control retaining walls, one for Huangpu Park and one for the Bund, were completed.

1994

Monument to the People’s Heroes was unveiled. Renovated Bund featured a 1,820- meter-long viewing platform.

Some foreigninvested banks, foreign-invested insurance companies and domestic financial institutions returned to the Bund.

The city decided to illuminate the Bund every night. In 1995 the lighting for more than 40 buildings was remote-controlled.

2000

The Bund Sightseeing Tunnel linking the Bund and Pudong New Area opened on National Day. The tunnel was 647 meters long and the distance could be traveled in a few minutes.

• What to See & Do

Top Ten Shanghai Must-See Attractions
Modern Architectural Wonders of Shanghai

• Where to Dine

Taste of Shanghai – A Guide to Shanghai’s Best Food

• Where to Shop

Shop ’til you drop – Shanghai Shopping Guide

• Where to Stay

Top Ten Ritziest Hotels in Shanghai

Best of Shanghai in a nutshell – Top Ten Shanghai Attractions

Shanghai Pudong Skyline at Sunset

The most westernized city in the world’s fastest growing country, Shanghai (literally “above the sea”) is an exhilarating, ever-morphing metropolis that isn’t just living China’s dream, but is setting the pace for the rest of the world. In just a little more than a decade, Shanghai has transformed itself into the model for 21st century China. As Shanghai is gearing up for its role as China’s showcase for the May 1-Oct. 31 World Expo, whose theme is “Better City, Better Life,” by remaking itself into the country’s most chic and modern city, expect to see constant changes as record numbers of foreigners and Chinese flock here to stake out their share of the ever-expanding pie.

Shanghai is much more Hong Kong than Beijing; there are no grand monuments and imperial palaces here. Instead, European-style cityscapes and tempting, tree-lined neighborhoods rub shoulders with the sci-fi skyline of Pudong. Shanghai was where China first met the West and it’s still a frontier town, obsessed with the latest fads, fashions and technology. This blend of old and new offers tourists a wide variety of experiences that are sure to be memorable.

Here are Shanghai’s top 10 must-see sights and attractions.

• The Bund

(Wai Tan, Chinese: 外滩)

The Bund - Shanghai's famous waterfront boulevard

A spectacular, dazzling waterfront esplanade with a wide range of colonial architecture. Particularly striking at night, when brilliantly illuminated. One of the most famous streets in China, and an absolute necessity to visit. Over the past few years, the buildings have started to be inhabited by shopping arcades and restaurants. The most impressive are 3 on the Bund and Bund 18, which have some of Shanghai’s most glamorous restaurants (M on the Bund, Laris, Jean-Georges and Whampoa Club) and bars as well as high-end glitzy international boutiques. The bund is also where you’ll get that postcard view of the futuristic skyline in Pudong.

Transportation: Subway Line 2 at East Nanjing Road, about a five minute walk to The Bund. Bus Line 145, 311, 316, 320 and 71 also have stops near The Bund.
For taxi drivers:  请带我去外滩 (Qing dai wo qu wai tan) Please take me to The Bund.

• Oriental Pearl TV Tower

(Dong Fang Ming Zhu Dian Shi Ta, Chinese: 东方明珠电视塔)

As the first architectural wonder of New China, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, built in 1994, was a foremost symbol of the country’s potential as it began to flirt with free enterprise ideals. The 468-meter (1,536 feet) tower, located in Pudong Lujiazui area along the Huangpu River, is the 4^th tallest TV and radio tower in the world after  the Guangzhou TV & Sightseeing Tower in Guangzhou, China and the CN Tower in Toronto, Canada and the Ostankino Tower in Moscow, Russia.  The undeniable tower soars above the Pudong skyline and features fifteen observation levels, a small hotel, shops, a museum and a restaurant that of course, revolves. Over 3 million people visit the Oriental Pearl every year. The 263-meter (863 feet) high observatory level is one of the best places to get a bird’s-eye view of the city.

Address: 1 Century Avenue (Shiji Dadao), Pudong District, Shanghai
Transportation: Take Metro Line 2 and get off at Lujiazui Stop. It is right outside of the station. Buses 81, 82, 85, 870 also take you to the nearby area.
For taxi drivers: 请带我去东方明珠电视塔 浦东新区世纪大道1号 (Qing dai wo qu dong fang ming zhu dian shi ta, pu dong xin qu shi ji da dao yi hao)
Please take me to Oriental Pearl TV Tower, 1 Century Avenue (Shiji Dadao)
Opening hours: Daily 8:00-21:00
Admission Fee: 263 m sphere: CNY70 per person; 90 m sphere + 263 m sphere + Shanghai History Exhibition: CNY85 per person; 90 m sphere + 263 m sphere + 350 m sphere: CNY100 per person

• Jin Mao Tower

(Jinmao Dasha, Chinese: 金茂大厦)

Gazing down on the atrium of the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Jin Mao Tower

Now the second tallest building in Shanghai, the Jin Mao Tower stands at 88 floors. Its remarkable architecture is recognizable on a clear day from all over the city. There’s an observation deck on the 88th floor (access 50rmb, US$6) where you have spectacular views of the neighboring skyscrapers and the sprawling city. Enjoy similar views with a cocktail in hand at the Cloud 9 bar on the 87th floor of the Grand Hyatt hotel. Note, access to the observation deck and Cloud 9 are separate. Follow signs at ground level to the observation deck, follow Grand Hyatt signs to get to the hotel elevators and Cloud 9.

Address: 2 Century Avenue (Shiji Dadao), (3 blocks southeast of Oriental Pearl TV Tower), Pudong District, Shanghai
Transportation: Take Metro Line 2 and get off at Lujiazui Stop. It is right outside of the station. Buses 81, 82, 85, 870 also take you to the nearby area.
For taxi drivers: 请带我去东方明珠电视塔 浦东新区世纪大道1号 (Qing dai wo qu dong fang ming zhu dian shi ta, pu dong xin qu shi ji da dao yi hao)  Please take me to Oriental Pearl TV Tower, 1 Century Avenue (Shiji Dadao)
Opening hours: Daily 8:30am-9:30pm (last ticket sold 9pm)
Prices: Admission ¥70 ($10/£5); ¥60 ($8.55/£4.30) seniors over 70

• Shanghai World Financial Center

(Shanghai Huanqiu Jinrong Zhongxin, Chinese: 上海环球金融中心)

China's tallest buildings: Shanghai World Financial Center (left ) and Jin Mao Tower (right)

Resembling a giant bottle opener in shape, the new skyscraper king of the sky in China and indeed, save for Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the world, is a beast at 492.0 meters (1,614.2 ft) with 101 floors. Open since 2008 next to Jin Mao Tower, the design of Shanghai World Financial Center has already become a premier icon of the city. This tapering glass tower with a trapezoidal aperture at the peak, featureing the world’s highest public observation deck at 474.2 m (1,556 ft) and world’s highest hotel, Park Hyatt Shanghai, will likely make this skyscraper the new “must visit” spot in town.

Address: 100 Shiji Dadao, Pudong District, Shanghai
Transportation: Subway Line 2 at Lujiazui
Phone: 021-5878-0101
Website: www.swfc-observatory.com
Prices: 94th floor only ¥100 ($14/£7); 94th to 97th floors ¥110 ($16/£8); 94th to 100th floors ¥150 ($21/£11)

• Former French Concession

(Fa Zu jie, Chinese: 法租界)

The French imported plane trees in the early 1900s still line both sides of every street in the Former French Concession

Shanghai’s most charming district, was administered by the French from the mid 1800’s to the mid 1900’s. The streets are tree-lined, with few high rises, and colonial villas dot the landscape; it has become an elite district of the city. Try wandering around the FFC on foot. Scenic bits include such small streets as Yuqing Lu and Kangping Lu. For a nice walk, try Fuxing Xi Lu, near Yongfu Lu or Wukang Lu. Dongping Lu has many good small restaurants such as Simply Thai and Azul.
Transportation: Take Metro Line 1. There are three metro stops you can get off to visit different parts of the former French Concession—South Shanxi Road, Hengshan Road and Changshu Road.
For taxi drivers:
请带我去淮海路陕西南路 (Please take me to the cross junction of Huaihai Lu and South Shanxi Lu)
请带我去衡山路高安路 (Please take me to the cross junction of Hengshan Lu and Gao An Lu)
请带我去复兴路乌鲁木齐路 (Please take me to the cross junction of Fuxing Lu and Wulumuqi Lu)

• Yu Gardens

(Yu Yuan, Chinese: 豫园)

Yu Garden offers an atmosphere of peace and beauty amid the clamor of the city

In the center of Old Town, just southwest of the Bund, the Garden of Peace and Comfort offers an escape from the fast pace of the surrounding city. The 16th century Yuyuan Garden, one of the best-preserved gardens in China, represents the height of Suzhou-style garden art which makes use of craftily structured pavilions, corridors, and bridges together with exquisitely set rocks, ponds, and floras to create charming and pleasant views. Of the many temples and halls, the Grand Rockery is the most popular. Two thousand tons of rare yellow stones are combined with rice glue to form a massive sculpture that stands 46 feet high. Wander through the lanes and alleys and find everything you might want to take home as souvenirs from silk pajamas to chopsticks. A trip to a genuine teahouse is cultural experience one must try in China. For Shanghai, Huxingting Teahouse is the place and still floats on a lake in the Old Town as it has since 1784.
Insider tips: While you are at Yuyuan Garden, try some delicious Shanghai local snacks such as steamed buns (xiao long man tou or xiao long bao ).

Address: 218 Anren Street
How to get to Yuyuan Gardens: From The Bund: Walk south along The Bund then turn right at Jinling Dong Lu. The Old City is the area to the south.
Bus Line 11, 24, 26, 64, 581, 715, 736, 801, 920, 926, 930, 945 have stops in Yuyuan area.
For taxi drivers: 请带我去豫园 安仁街218号 (Qing dai wo qu yu yuan, an ren jie er bai shi ba hao) Please take me to Yuyuan Garden, 218 Anren Street)
Opening hours: Daily 8:30 am – 5:00 pm
Admission Fee: CNY30 per person

• Nanjing Road

(Nan Jing Lu, Chinese: 南京路)

People come from all over China to shop on what is China's premier shopping street - Nanjing Lu

A visit to Nanjing Lu, the “Number One Shopping Street in China” is practically required, if only for a chance to marvel (or shudder) at the sheer numbers of people, people, people everywhere! Nanjing Road consists of two sections: East Nanjing Road and West Nanjing Road. The term “Nanjing Lu” in many cases refers only to the eastern section from The Bund to the People’s Square. The pedestrian-only East Nanjing Road boosts trendy designer boutiques alongside a cluster of Shanghai’s oldest department stores and traditional eateries, some of which have a century-long history. With hundreds of shops and restaurants there is something for everyone.
Transportation: Subway  Line 2  at East Nanjing Lu Stop.
For taxi drivers: 请带我去南京东路步行街 (Qing dai wo qu nan jing dong lu bu xing jie)  Please take me to Nanjing Lu Pedestrian Street.

• Xintiandi

(New Heaven and Earth， Chinese: 新天地)

Xin Tian Di is a restaurant, bar, club development that utilizes Shanghai's traditional shikumen architecture

A must-see on any tourist’s itinerary. This outdoor section of “shikumen”  (1920’s – 1930’s Shanghai style stone gate houses) was completely rebuilt in 2000 -1 and is a great example of the success of the urban renewal effort.. Xin Tian Di is divided into the North and South Blocks. The South Block is the more modern of the two and is home to one of China’s first major shopping centers as well as boutiques, restaurants and nightclubs. Shikumen architecture lines the streets in the North Block providing a contrast to the modernity of the South Block. Xintiandi is often packed with tourists and is home to some of Shanghai’s best restaurants. We like: Ye Shanghai, Crystal Jade, Kabb, Va Bene, Simply Thai and T8.

Address: Lane 181, Tai Cang Lu
How to get to the Jade Buddha Temple: Take Metro Line 1 and get off at South Huang Pi Lu. It is 5-minutes walk to the south along Ma Dang Lu.
For taxi drivers: 请带我去新天地 太仓路181弄 (Qing dai wo qu xin tian di, tai chang lu yi bai ba shi yi long) Please take me to Xintiandi, Lane 181, Tai Cang Lu

• Shanghai Museum

(Shanghai Bo Wu Guan, Chinese:上海博物馆)

Shanghai Museum, China's best museum, houses an incomparable collection of art and artifacts

Considered by many to be the finest, most modern, and most memorable museum in China, the Shanghai Museum in the heart of People’s Square has 11 galleries and over 120,000 historic artifacts including paintings, sculpture, ceramics, calligraphy, furniture, and fantastic bronzes. The museum’s architectural design is that of a round top with a square base which symbolizes the ancient Chinese philosophy that the earth is square-shaped and the sky overhead is round. The Stone Sculpture Gallery and the Bronze gallery are the most popular with collections dating back to the 18th century B.C. There are also special exhibitions on occasion that can be quite fascinating. Make it a top priority, and allow a few hours more than you planned on.

Address: 201 Renmin Avenue
How to get to Shanghai Museum: Take either Metro Line 1 or 2, get off at the People’s Square stop, and take Exit 1.
For taxi drivers: 请带我去上海博物馆 人民路201号  (Qing dai wo qu shanghai bo wu guan, ren min lu 201 hao)    Please take me to Shanghai Museum, 201 Renmin Avenue
Opening hours: Daily 9 am – 5 pm
Admission Fee: For regular exhibitions, 5000 free admission per day
For special exhibitions, CNY20 per person
Website: www.shanghaimuseum.net

• Dongtai Lu Antiques Market

(Dongtai Lu Guwan Shichang, Chinese: 东台路古玩市场)

Mao badges at Dongtai Lu Antique Market in Shanghai

This largest of Shanghai’s antiques markets, not far from Xin Tian Di, is Shanghai’s answer to Beijing’s Panjiayuan Antique Market.  While tiny in comparison to Panjiayuan, Dong Tai Road is lined with stalls and shops selling all that is junk and treasure in chinoiserie. You can find all kinds of items including antiques, curios, porcelain, furniture, jewelry, old wooden rice buckets, brightly painted opera masks, wood carvings, birds, flowers, goldfish, and nostalgic bric-a-brac from colonial and revolutionary days (especially Mao memorabilia). It’s worth a wander just to see what’s on offer but don’t forget your bargaining skills.

Address: Junction of Dongtai Lu & Liuhe Lu, 1 block west of Xizang Nan Lu, Luwan District, Shanghai
Transportation: Metro at Huangpi Road South
Hours: Daily 9am -5pm

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Taste of Shanghai – A Guide to Shanghai’s Best Food