Must-see attractions in Shanghai

  • Close-Up Of Gold Male Statue In Jade Buddha Temple

    Jade Buddha Temple

    Shanghai

    One of Shanghai’s few active Buddhist monasteries, this temple was built between 1918 and 1928. The highlight is a transcendent Buddha crafted from pure…

  • China, Shanghai, Pudong, Shanghai Tower against sky

    Shanghai Tower

    Shanghai

    China’s tallest building dramatically twists skywards from its footing in Lujiazui. The 121-storey, 632m-tall, Gensler-designed Shanghai Tower topped out…

  • My only regret is that the moment was almost too perfect...

    Yuyuan Gardens & Bazaar

    Shanghai Old City

    With its shaded alcoves, glittering pools churning with fish, plus pavilions, pines sprouting wistfully from rockeries, and roving packs of Japanese…

  • QIBAO, SHANGHAI-MARCH 16, 2010: village canal at sunset. Qibao water village is Shanghai tourist attraction with 1000000 visitors year.; Shutterstock ID 297106160; Your name (First / Last): Lauren Gillmore; GL account no.: 56530; Netsuite department name: Online-Design; Full Product or Project name including edition: 65050/ Online Design /LaurenGillmore/POI

    Qībǎo

    Shanghai

    If you tire of Shanghai's incessant quest for modernity, this tiny town is only a hop, skip and metro ride away. An ancient settlement that prospered…

  • Pudong,Shanghai

    Shanghai World Financial Center

    Shanghai

    Although trumped by the adjacent Shanghai Tower as the city’s most stratospheric building, the awe-inspiring 492m-high Shanghai World Financial Center is…

  • People at ShanghART art gallery, Moganshan Road, Shanghai, China, Asia

    M50

    Shanghai

    Shanghai may be known for its glitz and glamour, but it's got an edgy subculture too. The industrial M50 art complex is one prime example, where galleries…

  • Jing'an Temple

    Shanghai

    With the original temple dating back to AD 1216, the much-restored Jing'an Temple was here well before all the audacious skyscrapers and glitzy shopping…

  • SHANGHAI, CHINA - MAY 28: Oriental Pearl Tower over river on May 28, 2012 in Shanghai, China. The tower was the tallest structure in China excluding Taiwan from 1994~2007 and the landmark of Shanghai.; Shutterstock ID 126669962; Your name (First / Last): Josh Vogel; Project no. or GL code: 56530; Network activity no. or Cost Centre: Online-Design; Product or Project: 65050/7529/Josh Vogel/LP.com Destination Galleries

    Oriental Pearl TV Tower

    Shanghai

    This 468m-tall globe-on-a-tripod tower is the most iconic contemporary building in the city, and its image is omnipresent around town – from postcards to…

  • Shanghai Natural History Museum

    Shanghai

    It's not quite on the same scale as Washington, DC's Smithsonian, but this sleek space is nevertheless as comprehensive as it is entertaining and…

  • Aurora Museum

    Shanghai

    Designed by renowned Japanese architect Ando Tadao, the Aurora Museum is set over six floors of the Aurora building and houses a stunning collection of…

  • Shanghai Disneyland

    Shanghai

    Disney has magicked-up a spectacular theme park in Shanghai, offering a subtly Chinese take on Mickey and Co. Six themed areas encircle Disney’s biggest…

  • island6

    Shanghai

    One of the M50 art precinct's most creative, thought-provoking, interactive and engaging galleries is island6. Artist Liu Dao showcases his work and that…

  • 500px Photo ID: 125642099 -

    Longhua Temple & Pagoda

    Shanghai

    Shanghai's oldest and largest monastery is named after the pipal tree (lónghuá) under which Buddha achieved enlightenment. Trees are decorated with red…

  • Shanghai Botanical Gardens.

    Shanghai Botanical Gardens

    Shanghai

    The spacious 200 acres of gardens here offer an escape from Shanghai’s synthetic cityscape. The floral displays are truly impressive, especially during…

  • Statue detail at Confucian Temple.

    Confucius Temple

    Shanghai Old City

    A modest and charming retreat, this well-tended temple to Confucius is cultivated with maples, pines, magnolias and birdsong. The layout is typically…

  • Exhibition Centre.

    Shanghai Exhibition Centre

    Shanghai

    The hulking monolith of the Shanghai Exhibition Centre was built in 1955 as the Sino-Soviet Friendship Mansion – a friendship that soon turned sour and…

  • Jinmao Tower

    Shanghai

    Resembling an art deco take on a pagoda, this crystalline edifice is a beauty. It’s essentially an office block with the high-altitude Grand Hyatt renting…

  • Dajing Pavilion.

    Dajing Pavilion

    Shanghai Old City

    Dating from 1815, this pavilion contains the only preserved section of the 5km-long city walls. Also within the pavilion is a small Guandi temple, which…

  • Liu Haisu Art Gallery interior.

    Liu Haisu Art Museum

    Shanghai

    The impressive Liu Haisu gallery exhibits works of the eponymous painter (one of China's earliest modern artists) and displays international contemporary…

  • Zhang Garden

    Shanghai

    It’s hard not to be impressed by the beautiful shíkùmén architecture of Zhang Garden, down Taixing Rd, off West Nanjing Rd and west of Shimen No 1 Rd…

  • Dongjiadu Cathedral facade.

    Dongjiadu Cathedral

    Shanghai Old City

    Just outside Shanghai Old City and once known as St Francis Xavier Church, this magnificent whitewashed cathedral is Shanghai’s oldest church, built by…

  • Guangfulini Ancient Relics Park

    Shanghai

    This enormous archaeological park is built around the ancient relics of Songjiang and spans nearly three miles. You'll need a day to properly experience…

  • Jinjiang Amusement Park chair ride.

    Jinjiang Action Park

    Shanghai

    If the kids protest against sightseeing, the roller coasters, rides and huge Ferris wheel at this amusement park may mollify them. It’s a bit out of town…

  • Power Station of Art, Shanghai China

    Power Station of Art

    Shanghai Old City

    The vast Power Station of Art in the disused Nanshi Power Plant holds modern large-scale installations, design shows and other temporary exhibitions, some…

  • Chenxiangge Monastery

    Shanghai Old City

    Sheltering a community of dark-brown-clothed monks from the Chenhai (Sea of Dust) – what Buddhists call the mortal world, but which could equally refer to…

  • Bibliotheca Zi-Ka-Wei

    Shanghai

    The magnificent St Ignatius Catholic Library, Bibliotheca Zi-Ka-Wei, is one of several Jesuit monuments defining historic Xujiahui. Established in 1847 by…

  • Tou-Se-We Museum

    Shanghai

    Alongside a middle school on Puhuitang Rd, this fascinating museum is dedicated to the arts and crafts of the former Tousewe Orphanage, established here…

  • Temple of the Town God

    Shanghai Old City

    Chinese towns traditionally had a Taoist temple of the town god, but many fell victim to periodic upheaval. Originally dating from the early 15th century,…

  • Sheshan Basilica

    Shanghai

    A very pleasant walk up through the trees of Sheshan National Forest Park, this cruciform red-brick and granite church is the highlight of the West Hill…

  • Soong Qingling Mausoleum

    Shanghai

    Despite the hard-edged communist layout, this green park is good for a stroll. Soong Qingling, wife of Dr Sun Yatsen (co-founder of the Republic of China)…

  • China Art Museum

    Shanghai

    Set on the former site of the World Expo China Pavilion, this 160,000-sq-metre, five-floor, modern-art museum hosts some excellent international…

  • Legoland Discovery Centre

    Shanghai

    Plans are in the works for Shanghai's own Legoland to open in 2022, but until then the Discovery Centre is more than enough to keep Lego fans happy. It…

  • Jing'an Sculpture Park

    Shanghai

    The attractive Jing'an Sculpture Park contains a mix of permanent and temporary pieces created by mainly international artists. The sculptures are…

  • Shanghai Science & Technology Museum

    Shanghai

    You need to do a huge amount of walking to get around this seriously spaced-out museum and some of it is pretty dated, but there are some fascinating…

  • Shanghai Children’s Palace

    Shanghai

    A grand, two-storey 1920s building, the Shanghai Children’s Palace was formerly Kadoorie House, named after its wealthy Jewish owner. It's closed to the…

  • Starbucks Reserve Roastery

    Shanghai

    Until 2019, this was the largest Starbucks store on the planet, with 30,000ft of space built in the shape of a giant coffee bean. The Tokyo store…

  • St Ignatius Cathedral

    Shanghai

    The dignified twin-spired St Ignatius Cathedral (1904) is a major Xujiahui landmark. Its nave is a long span of Gothic arches, while the exterior is…

  • World Expo Museum

    Shanghai Old City

    Located at the former site of the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, this museum showcases the history of world expositions. Using old video footage, interactive…

  • Fazangjiang Temple

    Shanghai Old City

    This simple but very active temple is curiously accessed from the west, rather than the south, where the entrance to Buddhist temples usually lies. The…

  • Cool Docks

    Shanghai Old City

    The riverside Cool Docks consist of several shíkùmén (石库门, stone-gate houses) surrounded by red-brick warehouses, near (but not quite on) the waterfront…

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