The Sights to See in Shanghai

9 Sep, 2022

Shanghai, located on China’s central coast, is an incredible metropolis buzzing with an excess of stimulating sights, smells, and attractions. With so many different things to see and do in Shanghai, you could become a little overwhelmed if you try to fit too much into your days here.

Another source of stress when visiting China is its infamous Great Firewall. Well known for blocking access to sites such as Google or Facebook that many visitors use to communicate with family or friends back home, you could be a little worried about ever making the trip there in the first place.

To help you get around the Great Firewall and to save you the worries of communicating back home it is best to install a VPN onto your laptop or mobile device. Not all VPNs work in China so make sure you go with one that does, here are some that are currently guaranteed to work in China. And to help save you the stress of what to do when you make it to Shanghai why not take a look at our list of the top sights to see below.

The Bund

The Bund is well known for being the heart of Shanghai and therefore should be seen by any new visitor. The Bund is a waterfront promenade along the Huangpu River. On one side of the river, it is lined with historic colonial-era buildings and on the other, you can see the many Skyscrapers of Pudong. Morning, afternoon, and night this area of Shanghai is bustling with both locals and tourists alike.

Oriental Pearl Tower

With its 263-meter-high (the highest in Asia) revolving restaurant, the Oriental Pear Tower is an incredible experience for both food lovers and sightseers. Don’t be put off if you’re a picky eater, the restaurant offers a wide range of Chinese and Western delicacies, and with a buffet-style lunch only costing around $30 USD/£25 GBP, it won’t drain your spending money either.

Nanjing Road

A visit to Nanjing Road is essential for any shopaholics when visiting Shanghai. Equivalent to New York’s Fifth Avenue or London’s Oxford Street, Nanjing road is China’s Premier shopping street. Lined with all the usual upscale clothing, jewelry, and technology stores.

Even those who don’t like shopping will have plenty to experience on this road. You can take a ride on the old-style Dangdang tram and marvel at the architecture of the buildings. At night the road really comes alive with glowing neon signs, open-air bars, and street musicians.

Shanghai Disneyland

Something slightly different for youngsters or just the young at heart, Disneyland theme parks are loved the world over so why not visit the first ever one located in mainline China. As well to the main park, Shanghai Disney has 2 Resort Hotels, Disneytown and Wishing Star Park.

Longhua Temple

Perfect for more cultural tourists, Longhua Temple is Shanghai's largest and most frequently visited Buddhist Temple. It is unsure when the temple was first built but it is believed that the majority of the buildings on the site and the LonghuaPadoga were built during the Song Dynasty circa 960-1279. If you’ve seen the film Empire of the Sun you’ll recognize the Longhua Temple.