2Activities
There are plenty of activities on offer in Shànghǎi, whether you're in the mood for a workout with some martial arts, cooking up a Chinese storm, learning a craft or loosening up the muscles with a traditional Chinese massage.
oDouble Rainbow Massage HouseMASSAGE
(双彩虹保健按摩厅, Shuāng Cǎihóng Bǎojiàn Ànmó Tīng MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %021 6473 4000; 45 Yongjia Rd; 永嘉路45号 45/68/90 minutes ¥60/90/120; hnoon-midnight; mSouth Shaanxi Rd)
Perhaps Shànghǎi’s best neighbourhood massage parlour, where the shared rooms have little ambience but the facilities are spotless and the prices are unbeatable. Choose your preference of soft, medium or hard, and the visually impaired masseuses here will have you groaning in agony in no time as they seek out those little-visited pressure points. Choose between traditional massage or a herbal foot bath, or try both.
Kitchen At…COOKING
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %021 6433 2700; www.thekitchenat.com; 3rd fl, Bldg 20, Lane 383, South Xiangyang Rd; 襄阳南路383弄20号3楼 mJiashan Rd)
Great culinary school offering courses in regional Chinese and Western cuisines; good for both long-term residents and short-term visitors.
Lóngwǔ Kung Fu CenterMARTIAL ARTS
(龙武功夫馆, Lóngwǔ Gōngfu Guǎn MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %021 6287 1528; 3rd fl,1 South Maoming Rd; 茂名南路1号 1/20 lessons ¥150/2400, 6 months ¥3600; mSouth Shaanxi Rd)
Brush up on your taekwondo poomsae, hone your Chinese kung fu skills or simply learn a few taichi moves to help slip aboard the bus at rush hour. The largest centre in the city, Lóngwǔ also offers children’s classes on weekend mornings and lessons in English.
Hóngkǒu’s Jewish Heritage ToursWALKING
(%130 0214 6702; www.shanghaijews.com; half-day tour ¥450)
These informative and interesting half-day walking tours run by passionate Israeli expat Dvir Bar-Gal will take you to the landmarks of the Hóngkǒu district, once known as the Jewish ghetto, and give you a lesson on this part of Shanghai's Jewish history. Tours run every day and usually start at 9.30am.
Huángpǔ River CruiseCRUISE
(黄浦江游览, Huángpǔ Jiāng Yóulǎn MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 219-239 East Zhongshan No 2 Rd; 中山东二路219-239号 tickets ¥120; h11am-9.30pm; mLine 2, 10 to East Nanjing Rd)
The Huángpǔ River offers intriguing views of the Bund, Pǔdōng and riverfront activity. The night cruises are arguably more scenic, though boat traffic during the day is more interesting. Most cruises last 50 minutes.
Departures are from the docks on the south end of the Bund (near East Jinling Rd) or, less conveniently, from the Shíliùpù Docks (十六铺; Shíliùpù), a 20-minute walk south of the Bund. Buy tickets at the departure points or from the Bund tourist information and service centre (旅游咨询服务中心, Lǚyóu Zīxún Fúwù Zhōngxīn GOOGLE MAP ; h9.30am-9.30pm; mEast Nanjing Rd), beneath the Bund Promenade and opposite the intersection with East Nanjing Rd. Departure times vary.
Shànghǎi Tour Bus CentreBUS
(上海旅游集散中心; Shànghǎi Lǚyóu Jísàn Zhōngxīn GOOGLE MAP ; %021 2409 5555; www.chinassbc.com; 2409 South Zhongshan No 2 Rd; 中山南二路2409号 h6.30am-7pm; mLine 3 to Caoxi Rd)
Daily tours to canal towns including Tónglǐ, Nánxún and other nearby tourist destinations.
TTours
Shopping Tours ShanghaiTOURS
(www.shoppingtoursshanghai.com; half-day tours from ¥800; hgroup tours run Mon, Wed & Fri)
This highly regarded group takes the stress out of shopping in Shànghǎi with its tours of markets and specialist stores around the city. The guides are seriously experienced shoppers who have a great understanding of the city's best buys (bespoke tailoring, jewellery, porcelain, handicrafts and more) and the contacts to source any particular items you might have your heart set on.
Newman ToursTOURS
(新漫; Xīnmàn %138 1777 0229; www.newmantours.com; from ¥190)
A Bund tour, gangster tour, ancient Shànghǎi tour, ghost tour and a host of other informative and fun walking jaunts around the city. Also covers Hángzhōu and Sūzhōu.
Insiders ExperienceDRIVING
(%138 1761 6975; www.insidersexperience.com; from ¥800)
Fun motorcycle-sidecar tours of the city for up to two passengers, setting off from the Andaz in Xīntiāndì (but can pick up from anywhere, at extra cost).
City Sightseeing BusesTOURS
(都市观光; Dūshì Guānguāng %021 40082 06222; www.springtour.com; tickets ¥30; h9am-8.30pm summer, to 6pm winter)
Tickets for the hop-on, hop-off, open-top buses last 24 hours. Besides enabling you to tour Shànghǎi’s highlights, they're a great way to get around the centre of town and Pǔdōng. A recorded commentary runs in eight languages; just plug in your earphones (supplied). Buses have stops across central Shànghǎi, including the Bund, the Old Town and People’s Square.
Big Bus ToursBUS
(上海观光车; Shànghǎi Guānguāngchē %021 6351 5988; www.bigbustours.com; adult/child ¥300/200)
Operates hop-on, hop-off services, lassoing the sights along 22 stops across two routes. Tickets are valid for 48 hours and include a 90-minute boat tour of the Huángpǔ River, entry to the Jade Buddha Temple and admission to the 88th-floor observation deck of Jīnmào Tower.
UnTour ShanghaiFOOD & DRINK
(https://untourfoodtours.com; per person ¥450)
See a whole new side to the Old Town on an evening Night Markets Food Tour. Gregarious and knowledgeable guides introduce you to the city's vibrant scene through a walk around neighbourhood alleys famous for their street food.
Huángpǔ River Cruise (Pǔdōng)BOATING
(黄浦江游览船, Huángpǔjiāng Yóulǎnchuán MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Pearl Dock; 明珠码头 per person ¥100; h9am-10pm; mLujiazui)
Forty-minute cruises departing hourly in Pǔdōng. You can buy tickets at the tourist information office.
zFestivals & Events
China Shanghai International Arts FestivalART
(中国上海国际艺术节; Zhōngguó Shànghǎi Guójì Yìshù Jié www.artsbird.com)
A month-long program of cultural events held in October and November, including the Shanghai Art Fair, international music, dance, opera, acrobatics and the Shanghai Biennale.
Lantern FestivalCULTURAL
The Lantern Festival falls on the 15th day of the first lunar month (2 March 2018, 19 February 2019). Families make yuán xiāo (also called tāng yuán; delicious dumplings of glutinous rice with a variety of sweet fillings) and sometimes hang paper lanterns. It’s a colourful time to visit Yùyuán Gardens.
Formula 1 Chinese Grand PrixSPORTS
(www.formula1.com; 2000 Yining Rd, Jiādìng; mLine 11 to Shanghai Circuit)
The slick Shànghǎi International Circuit has hosted F1’s Chinese Grand Prix every year since 2004. The race usually comes to town for three days in mid-April.
4Sleeping
There's never been a better time to find a bed in Shànghǎi. From ultrachic, carbon-neutral boutique rooms to sumptuous five-star hotels housed in glimmering towers, grand heritage affairs and snappy, down-to-earth backpacker haunts, the range of accommodation in town is just what you would expect from a city of this stature.
The Bund & People's Square
With many luxury hotels setting up in the heritage buildings along the Bund and People's Square, this area has some stunning accommodation options. However, it's not all five-star choices, with many hostels in the backstreets offering a fantastic local flavour. There's also no shortage of reliable, inexpensive local chain hotels that offer good value.
oMingtown E-Tour Youth HostelHOSTEL$
(明堂上海青年旅舍, Míngtáng Shànghǎi Qīngnián Lǚshè MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %021 6327 7766; www.yhachina.com; 55 Jiangyin Rd; 江阴路55号 dm ¥90, d with/without bathroom ¥300/220; aiW; mLine 1, 2, 8 to People’s Square, exit 2)
One of Shànghǎi's best youth hostels, E-Tour has fine feng shui, a
historic alleyway setting and pleasant rooms. But it’s the tranquil courtyard with fish pond and the superb split-level bar-restaurant with cheap cocktails, pool table and comfy sofas that really sell it; plus there's plenty of outdoor seating on wooden decking. Private rooms come with small desks, TV and kettle.
There are both women-only and mixed dorms. YHA members get a small discount, and prices fluctuate slightly between high and low seasons. Reception is only open from 7am to 11pm, so notify the hostel if you're checking in outside these hours.
Mingtown People's Square Youth HostelHOSTEL$
(明堂青年旅舍人民广场店; Míngtáng Qīngnián Lǚshě Rénmín Guǎngchǎng Diàn MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %021 3330 1556; www.yhachina.com; 35 Yongshou Rd; 永寿路35号 dm/r from ¥70/220; aiW; mLine 1, 2, 8 to People's Square, Line 8 to Dashijie)
Centrally located between People's Square and the Bund, private rooms here have homely touches and Chinese porcelain wash basins, while single-sex dorms have pine-frame bunks with bed lamps, power sockets and large storage lockers. There's a cool bar with pool table and plenty of seating. Its proximity to Yunnan Rd's food street is handy.
Fish Inn BundHOTEL$
(子鱼居, Zǐyújū MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %021 3330 1399; www.fishinn.com.cn; 639 Middle Henan Rd; 河南中路639号 r ¥348-450; aW; mLine 2, 10 to East Nanjing Rd; Lines 10, 12 to Tianlong Rd)
With a handy location about a 10-minute walk from the Bund and East Nanjing Rd, this friendly little place is like a hotel with a vibrant youth hostel energy. Rooms are decent although they are a bit small and dark. Deluxe rooms come with balcony/patio. Staff are eager to please and the tariff is excellent value for the hotel's position.
There are suites for more room and comfort.
PhoenixHOSTEL$
(老陕客栈, Lǎoshǎn Kèzhàn, Lǎoshǎn Hostel MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %021 6328 8680; www.phoenixhostelshanghai.com; 17 South Yunnan Rd; 云南南路17号 dm ¥80-90, s ¥158-248, d ¥298; aiW; mLine 1, 2, 8 to People's Square, Line 8 to Dashijie)
For those looking for a more authentic, local experience, the Phoenix is a good choice right among great street food. Appealingly grungy, rooms are clean and bright; dorms sleep from four to eight people. A rooftop bar, ground-floor Shaanxi restaurant, dumpling cooking classes and Chinese language lessons add to the appeal. Good location close to People’s Square.
Metropolo Hotel – People's SquareHOTEL$$
(锦江都城上海青年会经典酒店, Jǐnjiāng Dūchéng Shànghǎi Qīngnián Huì Jīngdiǎn Jiǔdiàn MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %021 3305 9999; www.metropolohotels.com; 123 South Xizang Rd; 西藏南路123号 r ¥939-2039; mLine 8 to Dashijie)
Occupying the former Chinese YMCA building (1931) just south of People’s Square, this member of the Metropolo chain is one of the city’s better midrange hotels. The brown-and-cream rooms offer a reassuring degree of style, and are large and comparable in standard to pricier business hotels. Staff are professional and online discounts can slash room rates by 20%.
The building resembles Běijīng's Southeast Corner Watchtower, with a traditional hammerbeam ceiling. Its lobby has lavish art deco features.
JW Marriott Tomorrow SquareHOTEL$$
(明天广场JW万豪酒店, Míngtiān Guǎngchǎng JW Wànháo Jiǔdiàn MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %021 5359 4969; www.jwmarriottshanghai.com; 399 West Nanjing Rd; 南京西路399号 d from ¥1500; aWs; mLine 1, 2, 8 to People’s Square, exit 11)
Victor Sassoon probably would have traded in his old digs in a heartbeat if he could have stayed in the chairman’s suite here. Housed across the upper 24 floors of one of Shànghǎi’s most dramatic towers, the JW Marriott boasts marvellously appointed rooms with spectacular vistas, coffee-maker, and showers with hydraulic massage functions to soak away the stress.
Service and facilities are top class, with two pools (indoor and outdoor) and an excellent spa. Internet costs ¥120 a day for nonmembers (¥600 per week). Its library is in the Guinness Book of Records for the world's highest at 230.9m, but it's only accessible to executive-lounge members.
Bund Garden ShanghaiHERITAGE HOTEL$$
(外滩花园酒店, Wàitān Huāyuán Jiǔdiàn MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %021 6329 8800; 200 Hankou Rd; 汉口路200号 r ¥980; aW; mLine 2, 10 to East Nanjing Rd)
Set in a beautiful colonial villa dating from the 1930s, the Bund Garden retains its distinct classic British feel with red-brick Gothic features, chimneys and a beautiful wooden staircase. With only nine rooms, the standard here is more dated B&B than luxury hotel, but all rooms are large, with fireplaces, and are decorated in period style.
Leading off the lobby is a suitably posh dining room, and a large garden enclosed by heritage buildings, including the charming Holy Trinity Church (圣三一教堂 Shèng Sānyī Jiàotáng MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 219 Jiujiang Rd; 九江路219号 mLine 2, 10 to East Nanjing Rd, exit 1). Rates include breakfast.
oWaldorf AstoriaHOTEL$$$
(华尔道夫酒店, Huá'ěr Dàofū Jiǔdiàn MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %021 6322 9988; www.waldorfastoriashanghai.com; 2 East Zhongshan No 1 Rd; 中山东一路2号 r new/old wing from ¥2500/6000; aiWs; mLine 2, 10 to East Nanjing Rd)
Grandly marking the southern end of the Bund is the former Shànghǎi Club (1910), once the Bund’s most exclusive gentlemen’s hang-out. The 20 original rooms have been converted to house the Waldorf Astoria’s premium suites, six of which look out onto the Huángpǔ River. Behind this heritage building is a new hotel tower, with 252 state-of-the-art rooms.
Each room features touch digital controls, espresso machine, walk-in closet and a TV in the mirror.
There’s a pronounced New York–meets-Shànghǎi theme here, from the Peacock Lounge to the cocktail list at the Long Bar.
oFairmont Peace HotelHISTORIC HOTEL$$$
(费尔蒙和平饭店, Fèi’ěrmēng Hépíng Fàndiàn MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %021 6321 6888; www.fairmont.com; 20 East Nanjing Rd; 南京东路20号 d ¥2500-4000; naWs; mLine 2,10 to East Nanjing Rd)
If anywhere in town fully conveys swish 1930s Shànghǎi, it’s the old Cathay, rising imperiously from the Bund. One of the city’s most iconic hotels, the Fairmont Peace is cast in the warm, subdued tints of a bygone era. Expect all the luxuries of a top-class establishment, with rooms decked out in art deco elegance, from light fixtures down to coffee tables.
Standard rooms come without a view, deluxe rooms with a street view and suites with the coveted river view. Note that wi-fi and broadband access cost an extra ¥99 per day for guests.
The hotel is also home to a luxury spa, two upmarket restaurants and several bars and cafes. Even if you’re not staying here, it’s worth popping in to admire the magnificent lobby (1929), or taking in an evening show at the jazz bar.
oYangtze Boutique ShànghǎiBOUTIQUE HOTEL$$$
(朗廷扬子精品宾馆, Lǎngtíng Yángzǐ Jīngpǐn Bīnguǎn MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %021 6080 0800; www.theyangtzehotel.com; 740 Hankou Rd; 汉口路740号 d ¥1200-2000; aW; mLine 1, 2, 8 to People’s Square, exit 14)
Dating from the 1930s, this art deco beauty was a famous hang-out for the glitterati in the swinging 1930s. Splendidly refurbished, it features a sumptuous stained-glass oblong and recessed skylight in the lobby, above a deco-style curved staircase. In addition to period decor, rooms feature deep baths, picture-frame TVs, glass-walled bathrooms (with Venetian blinds) and even tiny balconies – a rarity in Shànghǎi.
Peninsula HotelLUXURY HOTEL$$$
(半岛酒店, Bàndǎo Jiǔdiàn MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %021 2327 2888; http://shanghai.peninsula.com; 32 East Zhongshan No 1 Rd; 中山东一路32号 d incl breakfast from ¥2700; aiWs; mLine 2, 10 to East Nanjing Rd)
Though built in 2009, this spiffy hotel at the Bund’s northern end has a heritage look achieved by combining art deco motifs with Shànghǎi modernity. It’s a grade above many other market rivals, with TVs in the tub, well-equipped dressing rooms (with fingernail driers), valet boxes for dirty clothes, Nespresso machines and fabulous views across the river or out onto the gardens of the former British consulate.
Par
t of the Rockbund development project, it includes an enormous luxury shopping arcade on the ground floor, and a back entrance that leads to the beautifully renovated Yuanmingyuan Rd.
Old Town
oWaterhouse at South BundBOUTIQUE HOTEL$$
(水舍时尚设计酒店, Shuǐshè Shíshàng Shèjì Jiǔdiàn GOOGLE MAP ; %021 6080 2988; www.waterhouseshanghai.com; 1-3 Maojiayuan Rd, Lane 479, South Zhongshan Rd; 中山南路479弄毛家园路1-3号 d ¥1100-2800; aW; mLine 9 to Xiaonanmen)
There are few cooler places to base yourself in Shànghǎi than this awfully trendy 19-room, four-storey South Bund converted 1930s warehouse right by the Cool Docks. Gazing out onto supreme views of Pǔdōng (or into the crisp courtyard), the Waterhouse’s natty rooms (some with terrace) are swishly dressed. Service can be wanting, though, and it's isolated from the action.
Fittingly for this revived part of town, the ethos is industrial chic, so it best suits design-conscious guests. A lovely rooftop bar caps it all and trim ground-floor Table No 1 throws in culinary excellence.
French Concession
Blue Mountain Youth HostelHOSTEL$
(蓝山国际青年旅舍, Lánshān Guójì Qīngnián Lǚshè MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %021 6304 3938; www.bmhostel.com; 2nd fl, Bldg 1, 1072 Quxi Rd; 瞿溪路1072号1号甲2楼 dm ¥85-90, d ¥260-280, tr ¥330; aiW; mLuban Rd)
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