Active Pursuits

Most visitors to Shanghai do not come intending to pursue outdoor recreation or sports, but there is a wide range of such activities. Hotels routinely offer exercise machines, weights, aerobic and workout areas, swimming pools, locker rooms, and, less often, tennis and squash courts, all at little or no charge to their guests. It is possible to use some hotels' fitness facilities even if you are not a guest (although the fees can be steep). Joggers in Shanghai will find the early morning streets and public parks conducive to running. Shanghai has its own annual international marathon, the Toray Cup (run in mid-Nov).

Golf and bowling are two of the most popular recreational sports in Shanghai, pursued by well-to-do locals, foreign residents, and overseas visitors, but you can also enjoy kite-flying, traditional taiji quan, and even go-cart racing if time and energy allow.

Spectator sports include Formula One racing, professional basketball, interleague soccer, and international badminton.

Activities From A-Z

Bowling (Baoling Qiu) -- Bowling experienced a boom in China during the 1990s, when over 15,000 alleys were built, many of them in Shanghai. There are good alleys in the Cypress, Equatorial, Hua Ting, Jin Jiang, and especially the Regal International East Asia hotels. The Orden Bowling Center at Hengshan Lu 10 (tel. 021/6474-6666) is open 24 hours. Rates run from ¥10 to ¥30 ($1.20-$3.60) per line at Shanghai bowling halls, depending on the quality of the facility and the time of day (the later, the more expensive); shoe rentals toe the line at ¥3 to ¥10 (35¢-$1.25).

Go-Karting (Kading Che) -- Best track for a Formula One drive in miniature is the indoor arena at Disc Kart (Dishika Saicheguan, Zaoyang Lu 609 [near Metro Line 3, Jinshajiang Lu Station]; tel. 021/6285-7778; www.kartingchina.com), where the timing system is high-tech, the carts have new Honda engines, and the driving goes on into the wee hours (daily 2pm-2am). An outdoor alternative is the Quyang Racing Cart Club, Zhongshan Bei Yi Lu 880 (tel. 021/6531-6800; Mon-Thurs 10am-5:30pm; Fri-Sun 9am-6pm).

Golf (Gao'erfu Qiu) -- Greens fees at Shanghai's dozen or more golf courses run from ¥400 to ¥830 ($50-$100) on weekdays, ¥830 to ¥1,660 ($100-$200) on weekends. Caddies cost ¥83 to ¥166 ($10-$20) and club rental ¥250 to ¥415 ($30-$50). All courses require advance reservations; summer weekends are particularly crowded. Among the best courses are the world-class, Robert Trent Jones, Jr.-designed Shanghai International Golf and Country Club (Shanghai Guoji Gao'erfu Xiangcun Julebu), Xinyang Cun, Zhujiajiao (tel. 021/5972-8111; Wed-Mon 9am-5pm), an hour's drive west of Shanghai in Qingpu County; the Shanghai Riviera Golf Resort (Shanghai Dongfang Bali Gao'erfu Julebu), Yangzi Lu 277, Nanxiang Town, Jiading County (tel. 021/5912-6888; Tues-Fri 9am-10pm; Sat-Sun 8am-10pm), a Bobby J. Martin-designed course with a driving range and year-round night golfing; the 18-hole Jack Nicklaus-designed Shanghai Links Golf and Country Club (Gao'erfu Xiangcun Juluebu), Lingbai Lu 1600 (tel. 021/5897-5899; Mon-Fri 8am-4pm), in the Pudong region; the Tomson Golf Club (Tangchen Gao'erfu Julebu), Longdong Da Dao 1, also in Pudong, with reservations available through the Inter-Continental Hotel Pudong (tel. 021/5831-8888; Mon 1-10pm, Tues-Sun 8am-10pm); and Shanghai's only 54-hole course, the Shanghai Binhai Golf Club (Binhai Gao'erfu Julebu), Binhai, Nanhui, located near the Pudong Airport (tel. 021/5805-8888 or 021/5047-6811; call for hours).

Health & Fitness Clubs -- Some hotels offer day rates to outsiders. The Spa at the Hilton (tel. 021/6248-0000, ext. 2600; daily 6am-11pm), for example, charges ¥480 ($60) per day for use of its gym, pool, tennis and squash courts, sauna, Jacuzzi, locker rooms, and exercise room. The most complete range of fitness facilities in town is offered by the Shanghai International Tennis Centre Club, attached to the Regal International East Asia Hotel, Hengshan Lu 516, third floor, Xuhui (tel. 021/6415-5588, ext. 82), with its 25m (82-ft.) indoor lap pool, aerobics studio, exercise machines, simulated golf range, 12-lane bowling alley, and 10 of China's best indoor and outdoor tennis and squash courts (daily 6am-11pm). Among private fitness clubs, one of the best offering day passes is Megafit at Huaihai Zhong Lu 300; tel. 021/5383-6633; www.megafitchina.com), which offers a vast array of state-of-the-art equipment; a full range of classes including spinning, yoga, and boxing; and excellent changing rooms with sauna and massage (Mon-Fri 6:30am-11pm; Sat-Sun 9am-9pm; day rate ¥100/$12.50).

Kite Flying (Fang Fengzheng) -- Chinese have been flying their invention for over 2,000 years. The best places to buy and to fly local Shanghai kites are in the public parks and in People's Square in front of the Shanghai Museum.

Tai Chi (Taiji Quan) -- These venerable and graceful "shadow-boxing" exercises, which tens of thousands of Shanghainese practice every morning before work, and Wu Shu, the martial arts forms developed in China, can be learned at the Shanghai Wushu Center (Wushu Yuan), Nanjing Xi Lu 595, Huangpu (tel. 021/6215-3599); or at the Longwu International Kung Fu Center, Maoming Nan Lu 1 (tel. 1300-325-2826; www.longwukungfu.com).

Yoga (Yujia) -- You can now practice your sun salutations at a number of places, including Breeze Yoga (Xizang Zhong Lu 120, 7th Floor; tel. 021/6350-1086; www.breezeyoga.com), offering over 30 yoga classes, and Y+ Yoga Centre (Fuxing Lu, Lane 299, no. 2; tel. 021/6433-4330; www.yplus.com.cn), offering ashtanga, bikram, and prenatal yoga as well as Pilates.

Shanghai Spas

In most people's minds, Shanghai may not be readily associated with the spa experience, but those addicted to their mud wraps, body polishes, and lomi lomi massages can now get some world-class pampering at a number of classy, brand-name spas in town. The newest of the lot is Chi, the Himalayan-themed spa at the Shangri-La Hotel Tower (Fucheng Lu 33; tel. 021/6882-8888, ext. 460), delivering top-of-the-world treatments at predictably sky-high prices. Also new to the scene is the L'Institut de Guerlain Spa at the Regent Shanghai (Yan'an Xi Lu 1116; tel. 021/6115-9988), which at press time was still trying to distinguish itself from the pack.

A little more established, the world-famous Banyan Tree Spa, located on the third floor of the Westin Hotel (Henan Zhong Lu 88; tel. 021/6335-1888; www.banyantreespa.com/shanghai), is beautifully designed using the theme of the Chinese five elements (wood, water, fire, earth, and metal). A host of beauty, hair-care, and massage treatments is available at steep international spa prices. Also from Thailand, the first Mandara Spa in China has set up shop at the JW Marriott Hotel (Nanjing Xi Lu 399; tel. 021/5359-4969; www.mandaraspa.com), while the Spa at the Hilton (Huashan Lu 250; tel. 021/6248-0000, ext. 2600) continues to dole out some of the city's consistently best massages, especially their signature shenti massage which combines Swedish with Chinese massage. The Evian Spa at Three on the Bund (Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu 3; tel. 021/6321-6622) delivers luxury pampering at luxury prices.

Expats and discerning locals head for Dragonfly Therapeutic Retreat (Xinle Lu 206; tel. 021/5403-9982; www.dragonfly.net.cn), which has several branches across town, and which offers an exotic Asian ambience with all the standard treatments at just the right prices (often less than half the rates at hotel spas). For the truly intrepid, Funing Point Pressure Massage Center of Blind People (Fuxing Lu 597; tel. 021/6437-8378) offers invigorating Chinese massages for less than ¥60 ($7.50) an hour. Little to no English is spoken here, however.