Visitor Attractions in Shanghai
Interesting districts, temples and museums
The character of the Old City of Shanghai has been preserved, even though the original city walls no longer stand. Crooked streets and wooden houses invite the visitor to explore. The City God Temple and the gardens of the former homes, such as the Yu Garden, offer picturesque panoramas.
The Bund is a waterfront promenade on the Huangpu River, which is lined with a number of colonial buildings from the years 1882-1927. The Bund also offers a fascinating view of the Pudong Special Economic Zone, which is on the other side of the river and is connected to the promenade by the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel.
The Pudong District, which is located on the eastern bank of the Huangpu River across from the Bund Promenade, is an urban development zone that began operation only since 1990. The then sparsely populated area has become one of the districts with the most skyscrapers per square meter in the world.
Nanjing Road is an impressive shopping street that is a destination for commerce and luxury. Several landmarks that are important to Chinese history can be found along the one kilometer-long pedestrian zone, but these are often overlooked in the flurry of advertising and interesting shops.
People's Square is the cultural and political center of Shanghai Around the immense park are clustered the Shanghai Museum, the Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai Grand Theatre, Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center, and local government offices.
The Jing'an Tempel has been in existence since 247 AD, although it moved to its present location north of the Suzhou River in 1216. The building has been renovated several times since then. A jade statue of the sitting Buddha, 3.8 m high, can be seen in the temple. With these dimensions, it is the largest sitting jade statue in all of China.
The extensive Century Park is a place for relaxation in the midst of the hectic metropolis. In the vicinity of the park is located the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, which offers many exhibits that explain science and technology, which makes it very interesting for families with children.
Shanghai has many other ways to spend an interesting and informative vacation. Visitors who are interested in art, history, and technology should consider the Museum for History of Shanghai Urban Development, Shanghai Folk Collections Exhibition, Oriental Musical Instruments Museum, Shanghai Museum of Chinese Medicine, and Shanghai Railway Museum, among others. Other interesting Buddhist temples include the Jade Buddha Temple, and the Longhua Temple, although one can also visit the Confucian Temple and the Catholic Church. Since the city is developing so rapidly, visitors should always purchase a current guidebook, and then pick and choose some of the places they want to visit according to their own interests.