Top Things to Do in the Shanghai | Must-See Attractions & Experiences

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Places To Visit In Shanghai

City God Temple

The City God Temple was built way back in the early 15th century and has had a very rich and interesting history. It is today dedicated to three Chinese individuals considered as city gods of Shanghai.æ The temple is one of Shanghai's top attraction. During the Daoguang era when the temple was at it's peak, the area around the temple was used to start many businesses and open shops as it was considered auspicious, which makes the entire complex today a bustling expanse of shops, eateries and activities in the present day as well. The three 'city gods' of the temple are Huo Gang, a chancellor of the Han Dynasty back in 68 BCE, Qin Yubo, a civil servant of immense popularity during the reign of the Yuan dynasty and served many roles in the court after the Emperor's requests, and Chen Huacheng, a Qing dynasty general who fought bravely and defended Shanghai during the first Opium Wars and sacrificed himself. The temple complex also includes 9 palaces.æ Read More

Jade Buddha Temple

The Jade Buddha Temple is home to two stunning white jade Buddha statues which were brought into the country in the late 19th century. One of Shanghai's most visited tourist attraction, the temple was built in 1928, after the old temple housing the statues was destroyed in the revolution. The two statues portray the Buddha in two positions. One in which he is sitting, meant to depict his time in medidation and achieving enlightenment. This statue is approximatey 2 metres tall. The second statue is of a reclined Buddha, symbolising his death and final resting, which is around 1 metre long. Other points of interest in the temple include the Grand Hall, which houses many spectacular statues as well. Read More

The Jin Mao Tower is the third tallest building in China, standing at a height of 420 metres tall. It is the location of the Grand Hyatt and also panoramic views of the city. The Jin Mao Tower was the tallest building in China when it was built back in 1998. Although it has since been surpassed by the Shanghai Tower and the World Financial Centre, it retains it's iconic position in the cityscape alongside the two in Pudong. The tower is home to many restaurants, banquet halls, shopping malls and even nightclubs. The Grand Hyatt Shanghai is also based in the tower and covers an extensive amount of floors, for it's rooms, restaurants, jazz club and so on. The observation deck is on the top most accessible floor of the building, the 88th. You can enhance your viewing experience by going out on the skywalk as well, which provides stunning views. Read More

Longhua is a Buddhist temple on the street of the same name and is also Shanghai's largest and oldest temple, tracing itÍs roots back to 242 AD. This historic temple is a famous tourist attraction for it's spectacular architecture and it's many features. As you go along through the central axis of the massive temple, you will cross 5 main halls, each dedicated to a different figure holding importance in Buddhist history and a sixth hall, Cangjinglou or Sutras Keeping Hall, where the three treasures of the temple are stored, namely the Dazang sutras, the gold seals and the Buddhist statues. The halls and the axis are adorned with statues of Maitreya Buddha, the 18 Arhats and also the 500 Arhats. There is also a bell tower, a drum tower and in front of the main temple is the Longhua Pagoda. Due to the fact that the temple and the pagoda date back 1700 years, the complex has been victim to several wars and has been renovated numerous times since it's inception. Read More

At 468 metres, the Oriental Pearl Tower is one of the tallest TV towers in the world. It is a piece of architectural genius and houses many interesting attractions. The Oriental Pearl Tower is basically a TV Tower. But it is quite the tourist attraction, with thousands of visitors every year. The spheres at various heights are home to different kinds of activities. These include the Space Module up at 350 metres high, the Sightseeing floor at a height of 263 metres. The floor above this is where a revolving restaurant is located, for the perfect 'dinner with a view'. The lower larger sphere has the fascinating space city, the 5 smaller spheres are actually a hotel and a science fantasy city is located at the base of the tower. Read More

People's Square

The People's Square is a large public sqaure in the the heart of the city of Shanghai. The People's Square is the largest such space in the city. This huge park see thousands of people every day. Be it for relaxing, taking a walk, or to visit the many monuments and imporrtant buildings that are housed in the Square. The square is done up quite beautifully, with a central plaza, at the heart of which lies a musical fountain, with colourful steps leading up to it. The People's Avenue is a wide pavement which goes right through the centre of the square. The square is home to many important Shanghai attractions, such as the Municipal Government Mansion in the north, the Shanghai Museum to it's south, the Urban Planning Exhibition Hall in the east and the Shanghai Grand Theatre in the northwest. Hence, the People's Square is a very central and busy area of Shanghai. Read More

The area which was signed off for settlement to the French back in 1849. Today it still retains it's distinct European atmosphere. The French Concession is spread over the districts of Luwan and Xuhui. Luwan is home to the famous Xintiandi shopping area and also the Tian Zi Fang. You can stroll through the Fuxing and the Sylvian streets, appreciating the classical buildings and taking in the atmosphere. The Longhua Marty's Cemetery and Longhua Temple are also within the French Concession. If you want to do something more entertaining, though, you can take the Shanghai Gangster Tour. As the name suggests, it will take you through the history and the life of the notorious gangsters of China and also have fun activities, such as learning gambling tricks and pickpocketing. Read More

The third of the buildings in People's Avenue, the Shanghai Grand Theatre has one of the best performance stages in the world.æ The theatre was opened recently, in 1998 and since then has seen thousands of performances of ballet, opera, musicals and dramas. Within the building, there are 3 theatres, the Lyric theatre which is the largest with 1200 seats, the drama theatre with 600 seats and finally the studio theatre with 300. The Lyric theatre has seen some of the world's biggest opera companies perform over the years and is also globally renowned for being one of the top automatic stages in the world. The brilliant architecture of the structure is owed to ARTE, a design company started by renowned French architect Jean-Marie Charpentier. You can either take a tour of the SGT, or attend an event. Read More

The Shanghai Museum is one of the top most modern museums in the world. It houses large collections of ancient Chinese arts. The Shanghai Museum is one of the buildings located in the People's Square. It was shifted here in 1996 from it's previous location on West Nanjing Road. The museum's huge collection is divided into 11 galleries and 3 exhibition halls. The collection comprises over 1,20,000 pieces of art, ranging from sculptures, ornament, painitngs, caligraphy, coins, jades, ceramics, bronze and seals. In each of these collections, items from different centuries, from the reigns of different dynasties, helping us understand the kind of art that prevailed during each period. It is the place to start to understand Chinese history and culture. Read More

Shanghai New International Expo Centre is Shanghai's premier international centre of exhibitions. This state of the art the exhibition centre hosts more than 100 events throughout the year, including the Shanghai Motor Show every year. This massive complex has a totally capacity of 74 acres of indoor and outdoor exhibition area. More than USD 600 million have been spent on the expo centre to make it a world class facility.