48 hours in Shanghai – Weekend Edition
Shanghai In Less Than 48 Words
Without a doubt, Shanghai is one of the most popular cities in China. Sometimes referred to as the “Paris of the East,” it is among Asia’s most exciting and fastest-developing metropolises. Despite possessing obvious modern characteristics, it has not forgotten its traditional Chinese roots.
The view of Pudong and Huangpu River (Photo by SF Brit)
First 24 Hours
You can fly to the magnificent city of Shanghai via the Shanghai Pudong International Airport, which is located 30 kilometers east of the city center. From there, you can catch a Maglev train that arrives at the terminal every 20 minutes and will take you to the Longyang Lu station. The journey lasts for only seven minutes, and will cost you Y50. After that, you can take a taxi to the heart of the city, or walk to the nearby Metro station for a train to the city center.
Shanghai is the largest city in China, and it teems with a population of over 14 million, so navigating it may prove to be fairly difficult. However, many of its tourist attractions are located in close proximity, so that you can even walk from destination to destination, if you can handle the crowds. You can also get valuable tourist information from its information center (303 Moling Lu, (South Exit of Shanghai Railway Station), 6353 9920, website). It is open daily from 10 am to 9 pm.
CHECK IN: Get your bearings back at Shanghai’s hotels
You can arrange for a nice place to stay in during your 48 hour visit in Shanghai at one of its excellent hotels. One of the best in the city is the Pudong Shangri-La Shanghai (No.33 Fucheng Road, Pudongxin District, Shanghai 200120, 08009425050, website). It is a five-star hotel with great city views, top-class rooms, nice spas, and professional service.
Pudong Shangri-La Shanghai (Photo from Google images)
You can also try out the Park Hyatt Shanghai (No.100 Century Avenue, Pudong New District, Shanghai 200120, +86 21 6888 1234, website), which offers spacious rooms, modern amenities, and an excellent staff. A nice alternative is The Eton Hotel (No.535 Pudong Avenue, Pudong New Area, Shanghai 200120, 021-38789888, website). It is an upscale and modern hotel with comfortable rooms, nice views, and delicious breakfast.
ORIENTAL PEARL TOWER: Let’s take a view
One of the most recognizable landmarks of modern Shanghai is the Oriental Pearl Tower (Huangpu, Shanghai, China, 021-58791888). It is a communications tower built in 1995, and was once the tallest structure in China (1994-2007) with a height of 1,535 feet, until it was surpassed by the Shanghai World Financial Center. The highlight of a visit there is climbing up to its 15 observatory levels, where you will be rewarded with sweeping views of the cityscape. The highest of these is called the “Space Module,” and is perched at a height of 1,148 feet. The other observation decks contain a revolving restaurant, a shopping mall, a hotel, and exhibition facilities.
JADE BUDDHA TEMPLE: Have a religious experience
You can have a religious experience at the Jade Buddha Temple (Anyuan Lu 170, Putuo, Shanghai, China, 021/6266-3668, website), which is one of the most popular Chinese Buddhist temples in Shanghai. It was built in 1882, and is noted for its Song Dynasty style of architecture. Inside, you’ll find a large reclining Buddha fashioned out of marble, which replaced an earlier jade Buddha representing the famous personality’s death.
Jade Buddha Temple (Photo by Shawn)
The temple’s Grand Hall is home to other statues, such as the Three Golden Buddhas, Gods of the Twenty Heavens, 18 Arhats, and Guayin, among others. You can also find the Chamber of Four Heavenly Kings, which contains sculptures of Maitreya, Wei Tuo Bodhisattva, and the Four Heavenly Kings. The site is open daily from 8 am to 4:30 pm, and admission will cost you Y20.
SHANGHAI OCEAN AQUARIUM: Discover the underwater world
One of the most popular tourist attractions in Shanghai is the Shanghai Ocean Aquarium (1388 Lujiazui Ring Road, Shanghai, China, 200120, 021-58779988, website). It is a public aquarium known for having one of the longest underwater tunnels in the world. Inside, you’ll find a wide variety of marine creatures, such as archerfish, Chinese sturgeon, Chinese giant salamander, Chinese water dragon, freshwater sawfish, giant grouper, sand tiger shark, Humboldt penguin, Japanese giant spider crab, Oranda goldfish, rainbowfish, walking catfish, and dragon moray eel. The site is open daily from 9 am to 6 pm, and admission will cost you Y135.
NANJING ROAD: Go to the main shopping street
Shopaholics will definitely enjoy themselves at Nanjing Road, which is considered as one of the world’s busiest shopping streets. It is located in the city center, and is divided into two main sections – Nanjing Road West and Nanjing Road East. The street is home to some of Shanghai’s oldest department stores, European-style restaurants, cafes, exhibition centers, office buildings, hotels, and up market shopping centers.
Nanjing Road (Photo by Ning J)
DINNER TIME: Discover Shanghai’s restaurants
You are guaranteed a delicious dinner at the restaurants available all over the city. One of the best in the city is El Willy (No 20 Donghu Road (Near Huaihai Road) 200031 Shanghai, (+86.21) 5404.5757, website). It is a Spanish restaurant noted for its tapas and excellent wine selection. A nice alternative is Xiao Yang Sheng Jian (No.54 -60 Wujiang Road, Jing’an District, Shanghai, 021-62676025), which specializes in an authentic Chinese cuisine.
You can also try out Cheng Long Hang Xie Wang Fu (No.216 Jiujiang Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai, 021-63212010). It serves delicious Chinese delicacies, and is especially noted for its seafood dishes. Vegetarians can find delicious eats at Organic Kitchen Shanghai (Nanxing West Road, Shanghai, 5158-0168, website), which offers pasta, salads, and soup.
Next 24 Hours
You can discover Shanghai’s other tourist attractions during your next 24 hours in the city. One of them is the Longhua Temple (Longhua Lu 2853, Xuhui, Shanghai, 021/6456-6085), which is considered to be the largest and best-preserved ancient temple complex in the city. It dates back to 242 AD, and is known for its 10th century pagoda and a Grand Hall featuring a gilded sculpture of the Buddha flanked by 18 arhats. It also has a three-story bell tower, whose 3.3-ton bronze bell you can strike for a fee of Y50. The site itself is open daily from 7 am to 5 pm, with admission costing around Y10.
Longhua Temple (Photo by José Luiz)
SHANGHAI MUSEUM: Appreciate art
Art lovers will definitely enjoy a visit to the Shanghai Museum (No. 201 Renmin Avenue, Shanghai, China, 200003, (021) 63725300-132, website), which is one of the city’s foremost museums for ancient Chinese art. Established in 1952, it has a collection of over 120,000 artifacts, including furniture, ceramics, jade, coins, paintings, sculptures, royal seals, bronze, calligraphy, and foreign art. The site is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm.
Shanghai Museum (Photo by Timothy Tsui)
SHANGHAI ZOO: Meet wildlife
Another noteworthy attraction for tourists in Shanghai is the Shanghai Zoo (Changning, Shanghai, China, 021-62689773), which is the city’s main zoological garden. It is home to a wide variety of fauna, proud of a great collection of over 6,000 animals such as Giant pandas, South China tigers, black bulbuls, spider monkeys, African wild dogs, maned wolves, Canadian lynxes, gorillas, kangaroos, polar bears, giraffes, and Bactrian camels. You can also find around 100,000 trees of 600 different species at the site. The zoo is open daily from 7 am to 5 pm, and admission will cost you Y30.
YUYUAN GARDEN: Have a flowery experience
You can relax and unwind at the Yuyuan Garden (132 Anren Street, Shanghai), which is considered to be among the most beautiful Chinese gardens in the city. Established in 1559, it covers an area of two hectares and is divided into six general areas: Grand Rockery, Heralding Spring Hall, Inner Garden, Jade Magnificence Hall, Lotus Pool, and Ten Thousand-Flower Tower. These areas are separated with so-called “dragon walls”, which are actually gray-tiled ridges fitted with a dragon’s head. The site is open daily from 8:30 am to 5 pm, and admission will cost you Y40.
Yuyuan Garden (Photo by Wolfgang Staudt)
NIGHTLIFE: Enjoy Shanghai’s vibrant nightlife
At night you may proceed to Shanghai’s bars and clubs to have a taste of the city’s exciting nightlife. One of the most popular is The Glamour Bar (7 20 Guangdong Lu Corner of the Bund, Shanghai, 200002, 00 86 21 6350 9988). It is a restaurant/bar known for its nice views, creative cocktails, and a delicious European menu.
A nice alternative is A Future Perfect (Huashan Lu Lane 351, Shanghai, 021-62488020, website), which is a lounge bar with a white retro seating and lively atmosphere, all at affordable prices. You can also try out Cotton’s (An Ting Rd. No. 132, Shanghai, 86 21 6433 7995, website). It is a popular nightspot known for its “Cotton Gin” cocktail and dance music featuring a mainstream blend of rock and pop.
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