With only 1 night and 2 days to spend in Shanghai, often referred to as ‘the Paris of the Orient,’ I drew up a ‘must see list’, which on reflection looked a little ambitious for a traveller who has never been to the city before. There will be no time for a cycling tour, a cooking class, or even a cruise along the Huangpu River. With time of the essence, I narrowed down my Shanghai bucket list.

 

 

1. Old Shanghai and see the temples, tea houses and herbal medicine shops; the bonsai trees and rockeries in the classical Yu Gardens, part of the Old Shanghai. The gardens were designed in the 16th century (Ming Dynasty).  The Maidenhair tree in the photo below is said to be 400 years old.

 

                                                  

 

 

 

 

 

2. Eat dumplings at a hole-in-the-wall street stall. Shanghai is renowned for Xiao Long Bao, delicious, soft, steaming hot, soup filled dumplings.

 

 

Photo Wikimedia commons: ernestch from Yongkang Street, Taipei City

 

3. Take part in a Chinese Tea Ceremony. We sipped on various blends (with other tourists) in the 17th century Huxinting Teahouse from where the skyscrapers of Pudong (Special Economic Zone), are clearly visible. Tea is traditionally used in China as a herbal medicine, and each blend we tasted assisted a body organ.

 

Shanghai Huxinting Tea House. Photo Wikimedia Commons: Paul Mannix

 

 

 

 

 

4. Check out Xintandi, part of the former French (Concession) quarter of the city and a popular shopping and tourist area with numerous boutiques and restaurants. This area is away from the noise and chaos of downtown Shanghai and quite peaceful by comparison. Xintandi is also the location of the first congress meeting of the Chinese Communist Party.

 

Photo Wikimedia Commons: eecc

 

Location of the First Congress of the Chinese Communist Party Xintiandi, Shanghai July 1921. Photo Wikimedia Commons: Uploadalt

 

Xintiandi cafes. Photo: jpatokal

 

5. Listen to the jazz band at the Peace Hotel. The members of the band became famous when they starred in the movie As Time Goes By (2013).  Most of the musicians in the band are over 80 years old and have been playing at the hotel for over 30 years.

 

Peace Hotel. Photo Wikimedia Commons: Georgio

 

Peace Hotel musicians. Photo Wikimedia Commons: Chinatravelsavvy

 

6. Stroll along The Bund and take in the view from the spacious promenade of this central waterfront area, once part of Old Shanghai and centre of the main business district. The wide boulevard is lined with posh hotels and handsome historical buildings which were once embassies and financial institutions. These days the business quarter is located in Pudong across the river, easily recognizeable by the proliferation of skyscrapers.

 

View from the Bund, Shanghai

 

Strolling along the Bund, Shanghai

 

View of the Bund, Shanghai. Photo Wikimedia Commons: Paul Lewis

 

7. See how the locals live.  Get lost wandering the cluttered side streets and alleyways, crammed on both sides with ramshackle buildings, open fronted shops, and food stalls, while taking an authentic look at the city.

 

Shanghai, Old City Street. Photo Wikimedia Commons: World Imaging

 

Jewelers at work in Old Shanghai

 

8. Listen to traditional Chinese music.

 

Playing on antique instruments, Shanghai

 

 

 

9. See People’s Square and stroll along the bustling, pedestrian only Nanjing Road, lined on either side with smart shops and department stores, including the oldest and most famous, the No. 1 Department Store.

 

Nanjing Road, Shanghai. Photo Wikimedia Commons: Agnieszka Bojczuk

Nanjing Road, Shanghai

 

People Square seen from Urban Planning Exhibition Center, Shanghai. Photo Wikimedia Commons: Jordiferrer

 

10. Ride on the Maglev (magnetic levitation) train. The Maglev fast train travels between Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport and the city (48 kilometers) in under 8 minutes. The train is capable of travelling at a top speed of 430 km/h.
 

Maglev train coming out of Pudong International Airport, Shanghai. Photo Wikimedia Commons: Alex Needham
 

Shanghai Train Station

 

11. We so enjoyed flying on the Maglev that we took the fast train to Beijing! The fast train can travel at speeds up to 380 km/h. The 1320 kilometer distance between Shanghai and Beijing took just under 5 hours,

 

Electric train in Tianjin. Photo Wikimedia Commons: Brücke-Osteuropa

 

Business Coach, Electric train in Tianjin. Photo Wikimedia Commons: 颐园新居

 

...arriving in Beijing just in time for happy hour!
     

Photo Wikimedia Commons: Yoshi Canopus     

 

 

 

 

 

 

All photos courtesy and copyright Trish Clark, except where noted.