Visiting Shanghai for the First Time
Shanghai is one of the most frequented tourist destinations in Asia. It’s not a big surprise at all. As China’s commercial capital, it’s booming in all things wonderful and interesting. The location is convenient too. It’s strategically situated in the central coastal area of the country, making its port one of the busiest in the world. Although it has a quite short history so the culture isn’t as massive as in other parts of China like Beijing or Asia such as Japan and Korea, you’ll still find the attractions fascinating. There are plenty of things to do while you’re here. Some of the most interesting things to do are listed below.
French Concession Walking Tour
The French Concession is a local neighborhood where you’ll find French imported plane trees from the early 1900s. These trees line the two sides of the street of the area along with old villas, lovely shops, and quaint houses. Wandering about these non-congested streets would be a wonderful way to spend the afternoon. Some of the most recommended walking tours include the Shaoxing Road Walking Tour and Fuxing Road Walking Tour.
Yu Garden and Bazaar
Yu Garden is another fun place to explore. The area is all about gardens that exemplify Chinese architectural style, making you feel as if you’re in your own little Chinatown. It’s a paradise for shoppers. Here, you can find all sorts of souvenirs from chopsticks to silk pajamas to china pattern, and many more. Along the way, you’ll find the entrance to the garden where you can spend the rest of the day quietly relaxing and pondering about your life.
Moganshan Road Art District
Are you an art lover? There’s no way you can miss the Moganshan Road Art District. This is where you’ll get to see the latest when it comes to the contemporary art scene in the country. The area used to be filled with warehouses and factories so it’s quite hard to imagine how it was transformed to be such as an artsy-fartsy place. There’s also a café located near the entrance to the lane that you simply cannot miss. Other must-not-miss attractions in the area include Art Scene Warehouse, Building 4, 2F; EastLink Gallery, Building 6, 5F; and Shanghart, Building 16 & 18.
Xin Tian Di
This one is a combination of restaurant, bar and club that exudes in the traditional shikumen architecture. This architectural style is easily recognizable for its red and gray brick facades. The buildings here were originally built for the middle class Chinese.
Shanghai World Financial Center
SWFC is the tallest building in Shanghai. As the highest peak in the city, it offers the best eye view of the area. The building has multiple viewing platforms. One of these platforms has a glass floor, something that you might not like if you’re afraid of heights. But if you’re daring enough, it can be an extraordinary experience to see the world is such height. The building has 88 floors and it measures 1,614 feet or 492 meters.