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Quick, easy travel tips for busy visitors in Shanghai for the expo
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YOU’RE in Shanghai for the import expo, but it doesn’t all have to be work, you know? Today I’ve prepared you some quick and easy spots to visit between making deals next week.
First time visitor? The must-sees
First things first, there are some places you absolutely have to go if you’re in Shanghai for the first time, regardless of how much time you have — no trip to Shanghai will be complete without these quick stops. If you’re already a Shanghai pro, skip to the next part.
The Bund 外滩
This goes without saying: If you visit Shanghai without strolling the Bund, you haven’t visited Shanghai. The Bund itself is a strip along the western side of the Huangpu River, which features dozens of examples of fine architecture, largely from the time when that part of the city was known as the Shanghai International Settlement. From here you can also get the iconic view of the Pudong skyline across the river.
Best time to go: between 7pm and 10pm, when the buildings on both sides of the river are lit up.
How to get there: Take the subway from East Xujing Station to East Nanjing Road Station, then walk all the way down the street until you reach the Bund.
Pudong skyscrapers 陆家嘴
If you want to get a little closer to Shanghai’s famous skyscrapers than just marveling their splendor from the Bund, take the subway all the way to Lujiazui Station and you can see them from directly below. You can even go up any of the famous towers for a fee.
Best time to go: I would recommend going during the day for the best photos, especially if you plan to go up any of the towers for a better view of the city.
How to get there: Take the subway from East Xujing Station to Lujiazui Station.
Nanjing Road pedestrian shopping street 南京路步行街
This street is one of China’s, and definitely one of Shanghai’s, most famous shopping streets. When you were looking up information about the city before you came over, you must have seen pictures of this street. It can get a little crowded, mostly with tourists from around the world and from around China (locals don’t really shop here), so be prepared!
Best time to go: This street is most beautiful from around 6pm when it’s dark.
How to get there: Take the subway from East Xujing Station to East Nanjing Road Station.
Tip: Combine this visit with your visit to the Bund, as they share the same route.
Yuyuan Garden 豫园
The Yuyuan Garden is the last must-see spot on today’s list, a beautiful garden setting originally built in 1559 and now featuring souvenirs, food, art, and plenty of photo opportunities.
How to get there: Take the subway from East Xujing Station to Hongqiao Airport Terminal 2 Station, where you’ll transfer to Line 10 for the train to the Yuyuan Garden Station.
Less-touristy Shanghai treats
Shanghai is a massive city, so it goes without saying that this city has plenty of interesting spots to visit that are less known to many tourists. Here are just a few ideas.
Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Center 上海宣传画艺术中心
This very small, private museum located in the basement of an ordinary apartment complex on Huashan Road features an extraordinary collection of, well, Chinese propaganda posters. The posters, covering a wide part of recent Chinese history, vividly highlight many major landmarks locally and around the world, including the 1930s Shanghai calendar girls, the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the early days of opening-up in the late 1970s. The tiny museum even has a gift shop, where you can buy originals as well as copies.
Walk or ride along the Huangpu River 黄浦江
One of Shanghai’s crown achievements recently has been the opening of a 45-kilometer unbroken stretch of the Huangpu River which can be walked, jogged or biked along. Both sides of the river are included, and the Pudong side has 22 new tourist information posts. The posts are open from 8am to 10pm and include free Wi-Fi, seating, drinking water, charging posts, and toilets. There is so much to see along the route, much of it quiet and green.
Go to a random Metro station and have a wander
Shanghai is one of the safest cities in the entire world, so take advantage of that and jump on a Metro to some random station. Shanghai is a bustling place, with things going on wherever you turn (even late at night), so you’ll be bound to find amazing food, drinks, and things to look at.
Get out of Shanghai and visit its neighbors
The Expo is conveniently located very close to Hongqiao Railway Station, one of Shanghai’s main highspeed rail stations. That places you at arm’s reach of some of the fascinating cities surrounding Shanghai.
Suzhou 苏州
About 100 kilometers northwest of Shanghai, Suzhou is known as the Garden City because of its abundance of classical gardens. With an urban population of 3.4 million, Suzhou is one of the major cities of neighboring Jiangsu Province.
How to get there: Take the highspeed train from Hongqiao Railway Station.
Hangzhou 杭州
Hangzhou, known for its famous West Lake among other things, is the capital of neighboring Zhejiang Province. Don’t miss the Longjing tea fields near the West Lake.
How to get there: Take the highspeed train from Hongqiao Railway Station and you’ll arrive in around an hour.
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