What to See in Shanghai

Shanghai, the largest city in China, is a seamless blending of Western and Eastern cultures. It is known as the Paris of the east and is one of the world's major cosmopolitan metropolises. With a history of over 2,000 years, Shanghai has something to offer everyone. It is steeped in ancient culture, and the most modern amenities, and its nightlife is world-renown. With connections to airports from around the globe and connections to all of the major cities in China, Shanghai is the perfect location to begin a tour of the amazing country that is China.

Shanghai is a historically and culturally rich city with plenty of tourism resources. It is known for its gardens, museums, temples, and the Bund, commonly referred to as a "museum of architecture". The Yu Garden is Shanghai's sole surviving ancient Chinese garden. Originally built during the late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), it has perfectly combined traditional garden styles of the Ming and Qing (1644-1911) Dynasties. With its beautiful pavilions, impressive halls, rockeries and ancient trees, this garden is famous for its peacefulness, and exquisite design. The nearby Yuyuan Market is a wonderful place to do some shopping, try out some of the local snacks, and see how local Shanghai resident's live. Shanghai's two famous towers, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower and the Jinmao Tower are two of most impressive modern structures in Shanghai, and should be visited by everyone who visits Shanghai. The Oriental Pearl TV Tower has become one of the modern symbols of Shanghai. Situated on the east bank of the Huangpu River, the 468 meter tall tower is the tallest in Asia and the third tallest TV tower in the world. The bird's eye view from its observation platform is breathtaking, especially at night, when the nearby Bund is lit up. The Jinmao Tower is the third tallest building in the world and the tallest in China. Located in the center of Shanghai's financial and trade districts the Jinmao Tower houses offices, hotels, and an observation deck on the building's 88th floor which offers spectacular views of downtown Shanghai. The Bund, is Shanghai's famous waterfront district. It is located across the Huangpu River from the Oriental Pearl TV Tower. Often called the "Museum of Architecture", the Bund is famous for its old Western styled buildings. Originally the financial center of Shanghai, the Bund's many old stone buildings were built by western companies in Gothic, Baroque, Romanesque, Classicism, and Renaissance styles. It is amazing to see these western styled buildings in a Chinese city.

Shanghai is a paradise for history lovers. With its long history, it is no wonder that Shanghai has a large amount of historical relics and places of historical interest. The Shanghai Museum, located in the center of the city, is ranked as the best museum in China. Its outstanding collections of artifacts are beautifully displayed and are labeled in Chinese and English. The Shanghai Museum features the finest collections of ancient bronzes, ceramics, paintings, jade works, coins, and antique furniture in China. Located near Shanghai is the ancient water town of ZhujiaJiao. With a history of over 5,000 years, this ancient town is known as Shanghai's Venice because of the many canals that run throughout the Town. The ancient village is an inspiration to modern artists and art students, and professionals can be seen sitting along the canals painting images of this beautiful place. It is a wonderful and leisurely way to spend an afternoon. In the western part of Shanghai lies the Jade Buddha Temple. Originally built in 1882, the temple as seen today was built in 1928. The temple received its name from the two jade statues of the Buddha that it houses. The exquisitely carved Buddha statues are carved of white jade, and are priceless. Less, known, but just as spectacular is the temple's porcelain collection. The Jade Buddha Temple is the perfect place to visit during your stay in Shanghai. It offers a peaceful break from the hustle and bustle of this modern metropolis.

Shanghai's many ancient and modern living cultures are alive and well. Renowned for its nightlife, Shanghai, is the perfect place to let down your hair, and have fun. The city's bars and nightclubs are designed with innumerable theme, offering something for everyone. Shanghai, surprisingly has a long history of jazz clubs, and there is still a large amount of jazz clubs offering live jazz throughout the city. Shanghai has many bar streets which are the perfect place for visitors to go bar hopping, and people watching. Shanghai Opera, a local opera sung in the Shanghai dialect. Younger than many of China's traditional Operas, it features vivid language and gentle music and is especially popular among the female residents of Shanghai. The Jiangnan Sizhu folk music play of Shanghai is very popular with locals and visitors alike. Featuring soft music and lively performance styles, this ancient performance art was traditionally performed during weddings and funerals, but is now performed daily throughout the city. Shanghai's acrobatic shows have become famous throughout the world. This ancient performance art has evolved into the spectacles shown today. Mixing ancient traditions with modern technologies, these shows rarely fail to leave audiences on the edge of their seats.

Shanghai's cuisine is famous throughout China. Its dishes have evolved from simple home cooked meals. Although their ingredients and cooking techniques have been upgraded, it still has its home cooked appeal. The ingredients are simple, economical, and use sugar as a main seasoning. The almost endless variety of dishes is extremely popular throughout China, and across the globe.

Shanghai is China's number one shopping destination. Famed for its name-brand boutiques, Shanghai has something for everyone. The famous Nanjing Road, known as China's number one shopping street offers a seemingly endless variety of modern fashions, electronics and accessories. Equally as famous, Huaihai Road is celebrated for its elegance. Featuring name-brand designer boutiques, it is a shopper's paradise for lovers of modern fashion. North Sichuan Road offers a huge variety of good inexpensive merchandise, and the Middle Tibet Road is the place to buy local snacks, and arts and crafts. For lovers of jewelry, the Yuyuan Shopping City is the place to go, and the New Shanghai Shopping City, built on a grand scale, is filled with a large variety of retail outlets.

The charm of Shanghai lies in the seamless mix of modern and traditional, east and west. Its architecture, amusements, cuisine, and culture are very distinctive when compared with other cities around the world. This amazing metropolis offers something for everyone, and no visitor to Shanghai has ever been disappointed. Shanghai also has the added bonus of being one of China's main transportation hubs making it easy for visitors to travel to other parts of China, as well as many nearby tourist hot spots.