If you came to Shanghai, we’ve listed 10 best places you must visit. We’ve also added some extra suggestions at the end of our list.
1. Nanjing Road
Take a walk along Nanjing Road (南京路/ Nanjing Lu), Shanghai’s longest pedestrian street, from People’s Square (人民广场 Renmin GuangChang) to the Bund, the city’s most beautiful spot.
2. The Bund
The Bund (外滩 Waitan), Shanghai’s most iconic spot, is a must-visit and photo opportunity for all tourists in the city. Here, you can see the historic buildings from Shanghai’s international settlement era and the Lujiazui area, representing Shanghai’s developing face, from the waterfront. Be sure to visit before and after dark. After dark, you can take perfect photos with the lights of Shanghai’s tallest skyscrapers: the Pearl of the Orient, Shanghai Tower, Shanghai World Financial Center, and Jin Mao Tower.
3. Yuyuan Garden
One of Shanghai’s most iconic places, Yu Garden (豫园 Yuyuan) is decorated with colorful lanterns, especially as Chinese New Year approaches. It is the most visited tourist attraction in Shanghai after the Bund. It also features a secret garden that has been continuously expanded since 1577. It is also a great place to have lunch or dinner. There are shops around the garden selling inexpensive souvenirs. This is the best place to buy cheap souvenirs.
Note: Visiting Yuyuan is free, but you must pay 40 RMB to visit the garden.
4. Jing’an Temple
Located in the center of the city and notable for its architecture, Jing’an Temple offers a very bright appearance at night. The temple’s architecture stands out as it is designed differently from Chinese temples. The temple’s architecture is reminiscent of the bright gold structure of Thai temples, and the elephant figures seen in Thai temples are also striking. The temple is open from 08:00 to 16:00 during the day. The entrance fee is 50 RMB.
5. Lujiazui -Pearl Tower (Optional)
Optionally, you can visit the Lujiazui area, the city’s developing district with its tallest towers, and go up the Pearl of the East or Shanghai Tower to see the entire city from above. At the Shanghai Tower, you can take the world’s fastest elevator to the 118th floor and see the city in 360 degrees at a height of 546 meters, or at the Pearl Tower, you can walk on the glass surface at a height of 263 meters and see a 360-degree view of the city.
Shanghai Tower visiting hours: 09:00-21:30. Fee: 180 RMB.
The Oriental Pearl Tower visiting hours: 09:00-21:00. Fee: 200 RMB.
Tip: The time required for sightseeing and going up the tower varies depending on the crowd. It can take between 1 and 3 hours or more.
6. CPC First Congress Museum and Xintiandi
The Chinese Communist Party held its first congress in this building in 1921 and was subsequently founded. If you wish to visit, the museum can be visited free of charge.
7. Xintiandi
Xintiandi, located around the CPC First Congress Building, is an old international Western settlement. Therefore, the buildings in Xintiandi are made of stone in the old British architectural style. There are also cafes, shopping centers, restaurants, and bars here.
8. Tianzifang – French Concession
Another old international settlement in Shanghai, Tianzifang is a former French settlement. With its narrow streets, inexpensive shopping, and restaurants, it is a popular tourist destination.
Estimated time to explore: 60 minutes
9. Longhua Temple (Dragon Flower Temple)
Built during the Song Dynasty, Longhua Temple is one of Shanghai’s oldest and largest temples. There is also a museum at the back of the temple that was once used as a police station and prison. Because communist members who were captured in the past were executed here, there is also a martyrs’ cemetery in the park.
10. Jade Temple
The Jade Temple is one of the few temples in Shanghai that survived the Cultural Revolution unscathed. According to legend, most temples were targeted for destruction during the Cultural Revolution because they represented old traditions, but the temple’s priests prevented the Red Guards from damaging the temple by hanging pictures of Mao around it, and the Red Guards refrained from damaging Mao’s pictures. Inside the temple, there is also a large jade Buddha statue.
11. Zhujiajiao (Optional)
Suzhou is known as the Venice of China. Located between Shanghai and Suzhou, Zhujiajiao is an ancient water town with a history of about 2,000 years. Zhujiajiao is an important center for tourists visiting Shanghai to experience China’s Venice. It is also affordable for buying souvenirs and shopping. If you don’t have enough time to travel outside Shanghai, we definitely recommend visiting here.
Estimated tour duration: 2 to 3 hours
Tip: The round trip from downtown Shanghai to Zhujiajiao takes approximately 2 hours.
12. Confucius Temple and Zhouqiao Old Street (Optional)
Built in the style of the Confucius Temple in Qufu, this ancient Confucius temple in Shanghai was also used as a base by rebels during the Taiping Rebellion. If you don’t have enough time in Shanghai, you can skip this temple. It is located in the Jiading district, which is far from the city center.
Estimated time to visit: 2.5-3 hours, including the temple, street, and food
Tip: The estimated round trip from downtown Shanghai to the Confucius Temple takes 1.3 to 2 hours.
13. Sun Yat-sen’s House
If you are interested in Chinese revolutionary history, you can visit the Shanghai home of Sun Yat-sen, China’s first president and one of the leaders of the Chinese revolution, learn about the revolution, and see his personal belongings.
14. Shanghai National History Museum
If you enjoy visiting museums, this is one of the most beautiful museums you can visit in Shanghai. Here, you can take a journey through Shanghai’s history and even take photos with dinosaurs and mammoths. There is an admission fee for the museum.
The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tickets cost 30 RMB.
15. Shanghai History Museum
The Shanghai History Museum is located in the center of Shanghai (People’s Square). The museum building was formerly used as the Shanghai Race Club Building. Horse races were held in Shanghai’s People’s Square from the early to mid-20th century, and this building dates back to that period. Here, you can take a quick photo, take a coffee break at the surrounding cafes, or visit the museum. The museum is free.
Extra Recommendations
- Disneyland
- Shanghai Museum
- City Urban Planning Museum
- Shanghai Science and Technology Museum
- Shanghai Zoo
- Propaganda Posters Museum
- Sihang Warehouse-800 Movie Museum
- Walk on Anfulu Street
A Tip: One thing need to know about museums in Shanghai is that museums that charge admission generally have things worth seeing inside. Therefore, it is more worthwhile to visit paid museums rather than free ones. On the other hand, every museum related to the Chinese revolution is free to visit.
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