Attractions

Shanghai has precious few sights on the scale of the Forbidden City or the Great Wall, but the treasures it does have -- its colonial neighborhoods, historic homes, museums, parks, and shopping avenues, not to mention Asia's most famous street -- speak to a unique legacy all its own. This section describes Shanghai's treasures, with a special focus on the city's four top attractions: the Bund, Yu Yuan (and Old Town), the Shanghai Museum, and the Huangpu River Cruise.

The average tourist usually blows through town in about 2 days, but 3 days is a minimum to do any real sightseeing, as attractions are scattered all over the city. Even then, Shanghai is about more than just its buildings. The city that's one of the most exciting in the world demands time to soak in its energy, to appreciate its complexity, and to sample its many offerings, which may not be apparent on the surface. Bear in mind that sights outside Shanghai, such as Suzhou, Hangzhou, or the water villages of Nanxun, and Tongli require day trips.

How to See Shanghai

The best way to see Shanghai is on your own, armed with a good map and this book, and using a combination of taxis, subways, and your own two feet. Transportation facilities and many of the sights described here are very user-friendly, even for the non-Chinese-speaking, first-time visitor. Because Shanghai's traffic is getting worse by the day, if you are traveling long distances between attractions, consider taking the subway, where available, to the Metro stop nearest the attraction, then hopping a taxi the rest of the way.

Of course, if you are severely pressed for time and only have a day, an organized tour in the company of an English-speaking guide can be a hassle-free if superficial way to cover the major sights. Your hotel travel desk or a travel agency can arrange this.

The last and least advised option is to hire a car for the day through your hotel, an expensive option that will easily cost you upwards of ¥800 ($100) a day for a car and driver. It's cheaper if you hire a taxi for the day yourself on the streets.

Height Matters

While the West has dropped out of the race, China and its East Asian neighbors continue to compete to erect the world's tallest structures. Near what's currently the world's third-tallest skyscraper, the Jin Mao Tower in Shanghai (88 stories, 414m/1,381 ft.), ground has been broken for the Shanghai World Financial Center. At 95 stories and 453m (1,509 ft.), this will be the world's tallest building if and when completed (2008). That's only if Hong Kong, Shanghai's chief higher-is-better rival, doesn't get there first with its own tower at Union Square (108 stories, 473m/1,575 ft.), slated for completion in 2007.