Shanghai is so vast and varied that the only sensible plan is to select a few destinations, historic sites and cultural icons and experience the uniqueness of each one. Unlike Beijing, a royal city for centuries, Shanghai's history is not dramatic. Until the mid-19th century it was just a fishing village. Then it expanded into a trade center, colonized by the British. Change was rapid. The French came next and it was not long before Shanghai became an international settlement. By 1895, the city was parceled up into settlements, all autonomous and immune from Chinese law. Enter China's first fully fledged Special Economic Zone.
After the world's great houses of finance and commerce arrived in the 1930's, Shanghai became a byword for exploitation and vice. Guarding it all were the American, French and Italian marines, British Tommies, and the Japanese Bluejackets. The Communists arrived in 1947 and took on the job of cleaning Shanghai's house, so to speak. For the West, the party was over and had moved on.
In the 1990's the city government opened its doors to new ideas and sent out invitations for capitalists to set up shop again in a bid to reinvent and revitalize the city. Since then, the "Big Boom" has changed the city and continues to change the city on a daily, weekly and even yearly basis.
This itinerary focuses on one of the most enjoyable and exciting aspects of time spent in Shanghai - people watching.
Good walking shoes and an appetite.
Have your hotel concierge or good Chinese friend write down on a piece of paper the following destinations in Chinese characters for use in a taxi - YuYuan Gardens __? (218 Anren Jie ___m_X, Nanshi District) and <strike>Henan ZhongLu _______H</strike>(renamed to East Nanjing Road ____?_H) Metro Station.
We start this tour where Suzhou Creek runs under Zhongshan Dong Lu at the north end of the Bund (Huangpu Park).
Walking south along the river down the stately Bund, take in the view of Old Shanghai on one side of the river and the future of Shanghai on the other side. You could say that the river, full of shipping traffic, represents the here and now of Shanghai.
When you reach the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel, located opposite the Peace Hotel, buy a ticket and head across under the river for an experience you will not soon forget.
When you arise from the Tunnel, you will see the Oriental Pearl Tower and the Jinmao Tower. The Oriental Pearl Tower is definitely distinctive and has views that are amazing. Get tickets for the museum located at the base of the Tower as well as the second bauble and outdoor viewing platform. The city history museum is well worth the visit.
At this point, look for the metro signs for the station located under the area between the towers. You will want to descend back down into the bowels of the city and ride the subway a short distance to East Nanjing Road station. Exit the station so you come out on the south side of Nanjing Dong Lu. Flag down a taxi and, using the card that has the Chinese characters for YuYuan Gardens, off down Henan ZhongLu to the south.
Nearby, the walled Yuyuan Garden, still retaining the feel of traditional China, is an ancient park of rock formations, pavilions, towers, and man-made lotus ponds designed by a Ming dynasty family. The zigzag Bridge of Nine Turnings, one of the most well-known sights in Shanghai, crosses an artificial lake to Huxingtang, a beautiful little pavilion that holds a classic Chinese-style tea house. In and around the garden, you will find excellent snack food stalls and feel free to point at what you like, use small bills since most of what you will buy is cheap and smile a lot. Just have fun!
Flag down a taxi and, using the card that has the Chinese characters for East Nanjing Road Metro Station, head back to the subway station you left previously. From the subway station, you will see that Nanjing DongLu is a pedestrian area that you will want to start walking down.
When you reach Renmin Park on the left, head over to the Shanghai Museum and view the exhibits there, very modern and very worth it. Afterward, head to the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall. If you thought the Shanghai History Museum at the Oriental Pearl Tower was unusual then this one beats that one hands down.
On the east side of the Park lies the Metro Station for Renmin Square. Cross over to the other side of the street and turn right down Xizang Lu. When you reach Yanan DongLu you will see on the corner a wedding cake shaped building. This is the Great World where traditional performances of human acrobatics is shown. Turn left and one street down Yanan DongLu on the right side is Yunnan Lu food street. If the ingredients look fresh and its served hot off the wok, then you should feel no ill effects. Wander around and check out the offerings. Be aware that the Chinese standard of cleanliness is not the Western standard of cleanliness.
Shanghai is a remarkably safe city and violent crimes are very rare. Main problems are pickpockets in crowded areas and sexual harassment on crowded trains and buses. Be protective of your possessions, and carry a card with your hotel information on it in Chinese so that if you feel uncomfortable at any time, you can hail a taxi and return to more familiar surroundings. It is not uncommon to suddenly feel claustrophobic all of a sudden when in a crowd situation and Shanghai does have a lot of those kinds of situations.
From Renmin Square/Park, you can get to just about any part of Shanghai by metro, bus or taxi.
Shanghai has excellent fast rail connections to nearby cities. Suzhou is about half an hour away, Hangzhou 75 minutes, and Nanjing two hours.