Top Attractions
The Bund is arguably Shanghai's most iconic landmark, a 1.5-kilometer waterfront promenade along the western bank of the Huangpu River. For over a century, this stretch has represented Shanghai's identity — a dramatic collision of East and West, past and future. The west side of the promenade is lined with 52 buildings in a stunning array of architectural styles: Gothic, Baroque, Beaux-Arts, Art Deco, and Renaissance, collectively known as the "Museum of World Architecture." Many of these grand structures date back to the 1920s and 1930s, when Shanghai was one of Asia's most cosmopolitan cities and a major financial hub.
Across the river, the Pudong skyline rises like a science-fiction movie set — the Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai Tower (China's tallest building at 632 meters), Jin Mao Tower, and the bottle-opener-shaped Shanghai World Financial Center form one of the most photographed skylines on Earth. The contrast is deliberate and breathtaking: colonial-era elegance on one side, 21st-century ambition on the other.
The Bund is spectacular at any time of day, but it truly comes alive after dark when both banks light up in a dazzling display. Nighttime is the most popular visiting hour, so expect crowds. For a quieter experience, arrive early in the morning when locals practice tai chi along the promenade. A walk along the Bund can take anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours depending on how often you stop. It's completely free and open 24 hours a day. Nearby, you'll find the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel — an underground tram with psychedelic light effects — which connects to Pudong's Lujiazui district, though most visitors simply take the free ferry from the Shiliupu Dock for a more scenic crossing at a fraction of the cost.
Nanjing Road is Shanghai's premier shopping street and one of the world's busiest commercial corridors, stretching approximately 5.5 kilometers from People's Square in the west to the Bund in the east. The pedestrian-only section, which runs from Tibet Middle Road to Henan Middle Road, spans about 1,000 meters and is packed with department stores, flagship boutiques, electronics shops, traditional silk outlets, and countless restaurants. It is estimated that over one million people walk this street daily.
The street has a history stretching back to the mid-19th century, when it was first laid out as part of Shanghai's International Settlement. Today it blends old-world Shanghai charm with relentless modern commerce. You'll find century-old shops like the No. 1 Department Store (opened in 1936) sitting alongside gleaming Apple Stores and luxury brand flagships. A distinctive sightseeing trolley runs along the pedestrian section, offering a leisurely way to take in the neon-lit storefronts and constant buzz of activity.
Nanjing Road is not just about shopping — it's a cultural experience. The side streets branching off the main strip hide traditional Shanghainese eateries, old pharmacies, and historic architecture. For food lovers, the area is a treasure trove of local snacks: pan-fried buns (生煎包), soup dumplings (小笼包), scallion oil noodles, and crispy fried spring rolls. Prices on the main strip tend to be tourist-inflated, so savvy visitors venture a block or two off Nanjing Road to find the same goods at better prices. The east end of the street delivers you directly to the Bund, making it easy to combine both landmarks in a single outing. At night, the entire street glows with LED displays and neon signs, creating an atmosphere that's pure Shanghai.
Yuyuan Garden, meaning "Garden of Happiness," is a 400-year-old classical Chinese garden that stands as one of Shanghai's most treasured cultural landmarks. Originally built in 1559 by Pan Yunduan, a Ming Dynasty government official, the garden was intended as a peaceful retreat for his aging parents. Over the centuries, it has been damaged, restored, and expanded, but its core design philosophy — the harmonious integration of architecture, rockeries, water features, and plantings within a compact urban space — remains intact and utterly captivating.
The garden covers roughly 20,000 square meters and is divided into six main scenic areas: the Grand Rockery, the Sansui Hall, the Wanhua Chamber, the Dianchun Hall, the Yuhua Hall, and the Inner Garden. Each area has its own distinct character. The Grand Rockery, built with huangshi (yellow stone) from Lake Tai, is the centerpiece — at 14 meters tall, it was designed by master rockery artist Zhang Nanyang and offers panoramic views of the entire garden. The Exquisite Jade Rock, a 5-ton porous limestone imported from Lake Tai, is another highlight; it was reportedly a favorite of the Ming Dynasty emperors because incense smoke would pass through its many holes.
What makes Yuyuan remarkable is how it creates an illusion of vast space within a walled enclosure barely two hectares in size. Zigzag bridges, moon gates, and layered pavilions force the visitor to constantly discover new vantage points. Carp-filled ponds reflect the ornate pavilions, while dragon sculptures coil along rooftops. The garden is especially beautiful during spring when plum blossoms and magnolias bloom, and during the Lantern Festival (usually January–February) when elaborate themed displays illuminate the grounds. Visiting during peak hours can feel crowded, so consider arriving right at opening time for a more serene experience. The adjacent Yuyuan Bazaar (market area) surrounds the garden with traditional-style shops selling silk, tea, antiques, and souvenirs, making it easy to spend half a day in this area alone.
The City God Temple (Chenghuang Miao) is one of Shanghai's most important Taoist temples and a living symbol of the city's spiritual heritage. Dedicated to Huo Guang, a deified Han Dynasty chancellor who was enshrined as the City God of Shanghai during the Ming Dynasty, the temple has served as the spiritual center of the old city for over 600 years. "City God" (城隍) is a uniquely Chinese concept — a deity believed to protect the city and its residents, overseeing the moral conduct of both the living and the dead.
The temple complex sits adjacent to Yuyuan Garden, and the two are often visited together. The temple's architecture is a fine example of southern Chinese temple design, with brightly painted eaves, intricate wood carvings, and sweeping curved roofs adorned with ceramic figures. Inside, the main hall houses the statue of the City God flanked by his retinue of lesser deities. The atmosphere is thick with incense smoke and the murmured prayers of devotees. During Chinese New Year and the Mid-Autumn Festival, the temple becomes one of Shanghai's busiest worship sites, with locals queuing to offer incense and pray for good fortune.
Beyond its religious significance, the City God Temple area has evolved into one of Shanghai's most vibrant commercial zones. The surrounding Yuyuan Bazaar (豫园商城) is a labyrinth of traditional-style shops, tea houses, and food stalls. This is ground zero for Shanghainese street food: steamed soup dumplings (小笼包), eight-treasure rice pudding, fried wontons, plum juice, and stinky tofu. The famous Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant (南翔馒头店), established in 1900, has its flagship outlet here — be prepared to queue for 30 to 60 minutes during peak times. The temple itself charges a modest entry fee, and the surrounding market area is free to explore. Whether you come for the spirituality, the history, or the food, the City God Temple area offers an immersive taste of old Shanghai that few other places in the city can match.
People's Square is the geographic and cultural heart of Shanghai — a vast open space that serves as the city's central plaza, surrounded by its most important civic institutions. The square occupies the site of the former Shanghai Race Club, once one of Asia's most prestigious horse racing tracks. After 1949, the racecourse was transformed into the people's gathering space it is today. It has since hosted countless political rallies, celebrations, and public events, and remains the symbolic center of Shanghai's civic life.
The square itself is a landscaped green space with fountains, flower gardens, and wide walkways — a rare patch of open sky in one of the world's most densely built cities. On any given day, you'll find retirees flying kites, families strolling, couples taking wedding photos against the backdrop of the Shanghai Grand Theatre, and amateur performers practicing music or dance. The square's perimeter is what truly defines it: the Shanghai Museum anchors the south side, the Shanghai Grand Theatre (designed by French architect Jean-Marie Charpentier) dominates the west, the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall sits to the east, and the Tomorrow Square skyscraper towers over the north.
People's Square is also a major transportation hub. Three metro lines (Lines 1, 2, and 8) intersect beneath it at People's Square Station, making it one of the busiest metro interchanges in Shanghai with a daily ridership exceeding one million passengers. For visitors, this makes it the ideal starting point for exploring Huangpu District — you can walk from here to Nanjing Road in five minutes and reach the Bund in about 20 minutes. The underground network of shopping malls (People's Square Metro Mall and Raffles City) beneath and around the square adds another layer of commercial activity. During national holidays like National Day (October 1) and Chinese New Year, the square is decorated with elaborate floral displays and becomes the epicenter of public celebrations.
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The Shanghai Museum is widely regarded as one of China's finest museums and a must-visit institution for anyone interested in Chinese art, history, and culture. Located on the south side of People's Square, the museum houses a collection of over 120,000 artifacts spanning 5,000 years of Chinese civilization. Its distinctive circular top and square base design — conceived by architect Xing Tonghe — is inspired by the ancient Chinese philosophical concept that "the heaven is round and the earth is square" (天圆地方).
The museum's 11 permanent galleries are organized by medium and theme. The Bronze Gallery features ritual vessels dating back to the Shang and Zhou dynasties (c. 1600–256 BCE), including some of the most technically sophisticated bronze castings ever produced. The Ceramics Gallery traces the evolution of Chinese pottery and porcelain from Neolithic times through the Qing Dynasty, with pieces that illustrate why "china" became synonymous with fine ceramics worldwide. Other highlights include the Calligraphy Gallery (with works by masters like Wang Xizhi), the Painting Gallery (featuring scroll paintings from the Tang Dynasty onward), the Jade Gallery, the Coin Gallery, the Seal Gallery, the Sculpture Gallery, the Minority Nationalities Art Gallery, and the Furniture Gallery showcasing Ming and Qing dynasty hardwood pieces.
In 2024, the Shanghai Museum opened a major new branch — the Shanghai Museum East (上海博物馆东馆) — in Pudong's Lujiazui district, significantly expanding exhibition space and introducing new thematic galleries. However, the original People's Square location remains the core experience and the most convenient for tourists exploring Huangpu District. Admission is free, but advance reservation through the museum's official WeChat mini-program is strongly recommended, especially on weekends and holidays, as daily visitor numbers are capped. Audio guides are available in multiple languages, and the museum shop is one of the best in the city for high-quality art books and cultural souvenirs. Budget at least 2 to 3 hours for a thorough visit — this is a museum that rewards patient exploration.
Xintiandi — literally "New Heaven and Earth" — is Shanghai's most successful urban redevelopment project and one of the city's most stylish entertainment districts. Located in the former French Concession area of Huangpu District, Xintiandi transformed a cluster of dilapidated traditional shikumen (石库门) lane houses into a chic complex of restaurants, bars, boutiques, and cultural venues. The shikumen style is unique to Shanghai: a hybrid architectural form that blends Western townhouse design with traditional Chinese courtyard layouts, characterized by stone-framed doorways, carved wooden panels, and narrow alleyways.
The redevelopment, led by American architect Benjamin Wood and completed in 2002, preserved the original brick facades and structural elements of the shikumen buildings while gutting the interiors to create modern, internationally styled spaces. The result is a district that feels simultaneously historic and contemporary — the rough-hewn grey brick walls and carved stone archways contrast with floor-to-ceiling glass, designer lighting, and sleek European-style cafés. The North Block focuses on dining and nightlife, with restaurants serving everything from authentic Shanghainese cuisine to Italian, Japanese, Thai, and French fare. The South Block is more commercial, with international fashion brands, lifestyle stores, and a cinema.
Xintiandi is also historically significant as the site where the Chinese Communist Party held its First National Congress in July 1921. The former residence where the meeting took place has been preserved as the Site of the First National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (中共一大会址), a museum that attracts millions of visitors annually. Admission to the memorial is free, and it provides fascinating context for understanding modern Chinese history. Xintiandi comes alive in the evening when the restaurants and bars fill up with Shanghai's young professionals, expats, and tourists. It's one of the best places in the city for people-watching, and the pedestrian-friendly layout makes it a pleasant place to simply wander. Be aware that prices here are among the highest in Shanghai — this is a premium district. For a more budget-friendly alternative, the adjacent Old Xintiandi (新天地广场) and the surrounding Fuxing Road area offer similar atmosphere at lower prices.