Shanghai

Pudong skyscrapers, innovative dining
and cutting-edge fashion

Shanghai has as many facets as a cut diamond. Grand art deco buildings lining the Bund gaze out at the glass skyscrapers of Pudong across the Huangpu River. Nearby, you’ll find European-style avenues, tranquil Buddhist temples and the classical 16th-century Yu Garden.

 

A popular gathering spot for young and old alike, the Bund’s wide riverfront promenade is teeming with life day and night. Come for early morning tai chi, watch pensioners indulge in al fresco ballroom dancing, or take a late-night stroll to see the glittering lights of the Pudong skyline. To absorb the stunning scene at a more leisurely pace, head to one of the area’s rooftop bars and sip a cocktail as the city that never pauses for breath buzzes beneath you.

Keen shoppers are in their element, browsing everything from exotic blooms in fragrant bird and flower markets to the latest shiny gadgets. In the boutiques and shopping malls of Nanjing West Road it’s abundantly clear why Shanghai is known as the fashion capital of China.

 

Your dining options are just as diverse. For a meal that captures the spirit of Shanghai, head for one of the many family-run noodle shops, or better still, savour the city’s favourite speciality, xiaolongbao soup dumplings. If you prefer more sophisticated fare, dine in a trendsetting pan-Asian restaurant, or a cosy bistro in the former French Concession.

 

Finish your evening in traditional style with a Chinese opera performance, or up the tempo and dance to the beats of globally known DJs in one of Shanghai’s many cool clubs.

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