Shanghai Brief Introduction Shanghai is located at the spot where the Yangtze River enters the East China Sea which is the largest metropolis and one of the ancient cultural cities of China. It is a flourishing international metropolis, known worldwide for its highly developed industry, commerce, and finance and its convenient land, air and sea transportation, rich tourist resources, great variety of food, and recreational facilities.   Local Culture Shopping and Food Entertainment Transportation Tourist Attractions Local Culture Originally, Shanghai was a seaside fishing village and in time its gradual development led to it being granted County status on August 19th, 1291 during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). Hence this day became the anniversary of the founding of Shanghai. Today's Shanghai is a multi-cultural metropolis with both modern and traditional Chinese features. Bubbling Shanghai shows off every aspect of her unique glamour.Serving as the largest base of Chinese industrial technology, the important seaport and China's largest commercial and financial center, shanghai draws the attention of the whole world. Shopping and Food Shanghai is hailed as the "Shopping Paradise" and "Oriental Paris". So if you come to Shanghai, shopping should not be missed any more than its other charming attractions. Providing the very best of shopping has become an indispensable part of Shanghai's tourism industry.Shopping areas in Shanghai are clearly divided into "Four Streets and Four Cities". Nanjing Road, one of the four streets, enjoys the reputation of No.1 Commercial Street in China. Developed from the beginning of the 20th century, Nanjing Road has clusters of a wide variety of shops from those that are centuries old, to special ones and modern malls. In these modern times, Nanjing Road is not out done by its numerous competitors but becomes more and more prosperous. Huaihai Road, no less famous than Nanjing Road, is celebrated for its elegance. It features top-end designer brands from all over the world. North Sichuan Road offers good inexpensive merchandise and is always the first choice of ordinary people. Food and tourism are well provided for on Middle Tibet Road, one of the Four Streets.Parkson Shopping Center on the Huaihai Road is worth visiting. Here you will find reasonable prices and many special offers in the form of discounts and other promotions. Even the brand-name clothing is reasonably priced here.Maison Mode, located at No.1312, Huaihai Road, claims to be the aristocrat on this street. You will find the leading designer brands such as Gucci, Ferragamo, Hugo Boss, Bally, Kenzo, etc. here. It is no exaggeration to say that the reputation of Huaihai Road is enhanced by the presence of Maison Mode.Yuyuan Shopping City, Xujiahui Shopping City, New Shanghai Shopping City and Jiali Sleepless City are the bustling "Four Cities" in Shanghai. Yuyuan Shopping City is the venue for specialist Chinese goods ranging from small articles, local crafts and the like to antiques, jade wares and gold and silver jewelry. The newly-established shopping and entertainment plaza, Xujiahui consists of large stores where you can obtain both costly and middle-range priced goods in abundance. New Shanghai Shopping City is on the grand scale and offers the best facilities and amenities. Located in the middle of Pudong Lujiazui Finance and Trade Zone, it is surrounded by a variety of retail outlets. Like a bright pearl on the landscape, Jiali Sleepless City facing Shanghai Railway Station, and on the Subway line 1, is a bustling commercial area. Entertainment Night life in Shanghai is gentle and colorful because life here is much more than life itself. It is elegant.The scenery at night has to be seen and the Bund is a must. The ornate classical and modern buildings take on a new and exciting look as they are lit up by an abundance of colored lights. Looking across the Huangpu River to the Oriental Pearl TV Tower and Jinmao Tower is a magical sight. A night-time Huangpu River cruise presents a wonderful opportunity to appreciate the night life on the Bund.. 30 or so boats carry tourists;These include deluxe boats, ancient dragon boats of Ming and Qing styles, boats of Shikumen style of old Shanghai, Pirate Boat, etc. The boat fare is CNY 68. Whatever kind of boat you take, the view to be seen here at night will be sure to live on in your memory for years to come.   Leaving the scenery aside, walking westward along Nanjing East Road, you will quickly reach the famous Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street, the gaily illuminated shops are an exciting backdrop to the cheerful crowds that come here after dark to enjoy the carefree atmosphere, where it is possible to pick up a bargain or enjoy a tasty morsel to eat.Subway line 1 links Shanghai's three main shopping areas: Nanjing Road, Huanhai Road and Xujiahui. Something that is most convenient for those who like their shopping expeditions! Most of the shops will close at 10 pm but that is when the tea houses and bars really come into their own and the night is still young!Tea Houses open 24 hours a day. Apart from enjoying a lone taste of tea, you can invite several friends and play cards or just chat. Once you are here, you can experience all this for yourself. Fashionable entertainments are favorites with young people. When night falls, Shanghai bathes in the light of various entertainment venues. Nightclubs, Karaoke, discos, bars and coffee houses are all popular night time meeting places.Shanghai Xin Tian Di has many visitors. If you are visiting Shanghai for the first time, it is much safer to go Xin Tian Di for the night life. Xin Tian Di, the most fashionable area cultivated in the distinctive Shikumen Buildings, the architectural styles of both west and east from the 1920s and 1930s Shanghai around South Huangpi Road and Xingye Road, has become the popular place to go. Every building has a modern interior and has become an international gallery, fashion shop, themed restaurant, coffee house or bar. Bars are where young white collars discuss their work or talk about life; even hard questions on the desk get solved here! Open-air bars are popular here also. Xin Tian Di offers the most choice and favorable appreciation. The arrival of more and more boutiques, designer shops and luxury goods stores continually adds to the enjoymen t of Xin Tian Di. Transportation Shanghai, situated on the estuary of Yangtze River, is the busiest transport hub in eastern China. As an important financial and business center of China and of the world, Shanghai has highly developed infrastructure, including a convenient public transportation network.The city has various links to the outside. Today you can easily travel to Shanghai from not only the adjacent cities of Suzhou, Nanjing and Hangzhou, but also the distant cities such as Beijing, Xian, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong. Many cities in other countries also enjoy convenient transportation links with Shanghai. You can travel there by air, train, long-distance bus, or ship.Shanghai is the only Chinese city that has two international airports - Pudong International Airport and Hongqiao International Airport. The two modern airports are equipped with very advanced facilities. Everyday, about 1,000 flights travel through the two airports, linking Shanghai with many domestic and international cities such as Beijing, Hong Kong, New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Tokyo and Singapore.The railway network of Shanghai provides you with an inexpensive and comfortable way to get to the city. Huning (Shanghai - Nanjing) Railway and Huhang (Shanghai - Hangzhou) Railway pass through Shanghai and connect its three main railway stations with cities all over the country. Here you can also take advantage of tourist trains and special 'Holiday Trains' from Shanghai to scenic areas in other provinces such as Mt. Huangshan in Anhui and Mt. Wuyishan in Fujian. Long-distance buses are also convenient when traveling to Shanghai. Four national highways and four expressways pass through Shanghai, composing the city's efficient long-distance bus transport system. Now over 1,000 routes are served by 40 long-distance bus stations in Shanghai. Due to its strategic location, transportation via waterways is also highly accessible in Shanghai. The city is located on the estuary of Yangtze River and midpoint of China's north-south coastline, and currently stands as China's largest port. The increasing quantity of goods and passengers moved in and out has promoted the development of economy and tourism of Shanghai and its adjacent cities. The great number of domestic and international passenger liners will easily accommodate your travel needs as you journey to Shanghai. Tourist Attractions The Bund The Bund is the classic image of Shanghai and the city's main attraction. Sweeping along the western side of the Huangpu river, the majestic buildings date back to Shanghai's grandest days. Many banks and financial companies built impressive offices here in the early 20th century when Shanghai was the financial capital of Asia. The city side of The Bund is packed with classic architecture. Buildings to look out for include, the old Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank, the Customs House and its landmark clock, the Bank of China and the Peace Hotel. Yuyuan Garden Yuyuan Garden is a traditional Chinese park complete with beautiful pavilions, miniature lakes, bridges and rock formations. This small park is located in the heart of Shanghai's old Chinese quarter and links to Yuyuan Market. Built in 1559, in the Suzhou style by a high official in honor of his father, the garden has maintained its classic beauty over the centuries.The Pavilion of Spring in the northeast section of the park is famous for being the headquarters of the anti-imperialist "Little Sword Society", who in 1853 led an uprising against Qing rule and occupied Shanghai for 17 months. Weapons, coins and other objects used by the society are now housed in an exhibition hall. Shanghai Museum The Shanghai Museum moved to its current site at the PeopleSquare in 1995. This urn-shaped building is one of the most impressive new structures of the city. Inside, the museum houses a comprehensive collection of some of China's finest relics and artifacts - paintings, bronzes, sculptures, ceramics, calligraphy, jade, imperial furniture, coins, seals and minority art. Jade Buddha Temple The Jade Buddha Temple, built in 1882 can be found on Anyuan Road. The temple has 2 jade statues of the Sakyamuni Buddha, one seated and one reclining, brought from Myanmar. The seated Buddha is 1.9 meters (6ft) tall and was carved out of a single piece of white jade and is wearing a robe inlaid with precious jewels. The temple also houses a number of ancient sculptures, rare paintings and Buddhist scriptures. Oriental Pearl TV Tower The Oriental Pearl TV Tower located in Pudong, stands a staggering 468 meters (1535ft) making it the tallest tower in Asia. Tourists can go to several observatory decks and in clear weather can get a superb view of The Bund and Shanghai, as well as Sheshan, Chongming Island and the Yangzi River in the distance. The tower also has a hotel, revolving restaurant, karaoke parlors and bars. Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center Shanghai urban Planning Exhibition Center can give you good idea about how Shanghai developed from a small fisher village to a major metropolis of the world. Where you can find what Shanghai will be like in 20 years and you may see a spectacular circular movie about the dynamic change of Shanghai, the oriental architecuture museum. Jinmao Tower The incredible Jinmao Building in Pudong (Shanghai's Wall Street) is the tallest building in China, the second tallest in Asia, houses the tallest hotel ever built and is currently the third tallest building in the world! On a clear day, the Jinmao acts as a beacon for locals and travelers who need to find their bearings, towering above the old city skylines.There is a viewing platform up on the 88th floor which, if you don't suffer from vertigo, provides unbeatable views over the city. It is hard to imagine just how high this is, until you actually get up there, but your ears will definitely "pop" at least two or three times on the way up! Zhujiajiao Water Town The picturesque Zhu Jia Jiao is a classic water village, over 400 years old with a signature five-arch bridge spanning the Cao Gang River. Zhu Jia Jiao was an important town for local trade, shipping goods in and out of its manmade canals to the river. After about 40 minutes drive from the city,you will arrive at Zhujiajiao-the Ancient Water Town. Its main street is lined with quaint shops and restaurants serving local favorites. You can stroll the maze of paths and bridges, and take a boat ride to view the residences of this nicely-preserved water village. Zhu Jia Jiao is also home to two impressive temples, which add to the charm and historic significance of the village. Xin Tian Di Xin Tian Di is a lively new entertainment district. You can stay and enjoy the cafes, restaurants and shops. It is an unique place because of its concept of construction. It retains the antique walls, tiles and exterior of the Shikumen housing of old Shanghai. On the other hand, its interior embodies a totally different world of international gallery, bars and cafes, boutiques or theme restaurants. When you walk into Xin Tian Di, you will get the taste both of Shanghai in the 1920's and the sonic modern lifestyle of urbanites of the 21st century. Nanjing Road Nanjing Road was the first commercial road in Shanghai. In the early 20th century, there were only four department stores along this stretch. Now it is the top shopping center of the city. It is fantastically located, stemming off the Huangpu River and the Bund at a right angle and linking the city's main commercial and residential districts to the mouth of the river. The road to the east of Tibet Road is called East Nanjing Road while the road to the west is known as West Nanjing Road. Huangpu River Cruise Huangpu River joins 29 kilometers (18 miles) north of downtown Shanghai and divides Shanghai into two parts, east and west. Cruises are available everyday, including the shorter cruises (navigating the main waterfront area between the Yangpu Bridge and the Nanpu Bridge) and the complete cruises (meandering eastward along the golden waterway, over a distance of 60 kilometers or 37 miles). Whether it is in the daytime or at night, the views along the river are the same beautiful. The great modern skyscrapers and the characteristic buildings in different architectural styles are the best records of the development of the city and the Huangpu River, the birthplace of Shanghai, is the faithful eyewitness.