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Shanghai Must-see Attractions

You can’t go to Shanghai and not see these 6 must see Shanghai attractions
Located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, Shanghai is the largest city in China and the second most populous city proper in the world. Originally a fishing village and market town, Shanghai grew in importance in the 19th century and was named Paris of the Orient before 1949. Today's Shanghai is renowned for its Lujiazui skyline, including the 468 meter high Oriental Pearl TV Tower, 421 meter high Jinmao Tower, 492 meter high Shanghai World Financial Center and China's tallest building, the 632 meter high Shanghai Tower. Other famous attractions include Yuyuan Garden, the City God Temple, Jade Buddha Temple, and buildings along the Bund. If you’re planning a trip to Shanghai, no matter the length, there are some sights you just need to see. To help you plan your trip to Shanghai, we’ve created a list of the 6 must see Shanghai attractions for your reference. Use this as a checklist if you want to make the most out of your Shanghai trip.

Here are 6 stunning Shanghai tourist attractions you have to visit when you are in the city!

1. The Bund of Shanghai
The Bund or Waitan is a waterfront area and a protected historical district in central Shanghai. The area centers within the former Shanghai International Settlement, which stretches one mile (1.6 km) along the western bank of the Huangpu River. From the 1860s to the 1930s, it was the rich and powerful center of the foreign establishment in Shanghai, operating as a legally protected treaty port. The Bund houses 52 buildings of various architectural styles, generally Eclecticist, but with some buildings displaying predominantly Romanesque Revival, Gothic Revival, Renaissance Revival, Baroque Revival, Neo-Classical or Beaux-Arts styles, and a number in Art Deco style (Shanghai has one of the richest collections of Art Deco architectures in the world. Get more about the Bund.

 


2. Yuyuan Garden
Yuyuan Garden was first built in 1559 during the Ming Dynasty. Covering an area of more than 20,000 square meters, it is the largest and most prestigious in Shanghai. This garden consists of an outer and an inner garden. The oldest section is the Outer Garden, with further changes being made in the 18th century when Sansui Tang, the park's main hall, was added (the building is notable for its lovely roof ornaments, figurative representations in bas-reliefs, and window openings, as well as its dragon-adorned walls). The newer and much smaller Inner Garden dates from 1709 and includes features typical of a classical Chinese garden: attractive little pavilions, decorative stones and miniature mountain ranges, dividing walls and small ponds, and even a richly decorated theatrical stage. Get more about the Yuyuan Garden.

 

 

3. Jade Buddha Temple
The Jade Buddha Temple was founded in 1882 with two jade Buddha statues imported to Shanghai from Myanmar by sea. These were a sitting Buddha (1.95 meters tall, 3 tons), and a smaller reclining Buddha representing the parinirvana of Buddha's. The temple now also contains a much larger reclining Buddha made of marble, donated from Singapore. The current temple practices both the Pure Land and Chan traditions of Mahayana Buddhism. Get more about the Jade Buddha Temple.

 


4. Shanghai Museum
The Shanghai Museum is considered one of China's first world-class modern museums. The building is designed in the shape of an ancient bronze cooking vessel called a ding, with a round top and a square base, symbolizing the ancient Chinese perception of the world as "round sky, square earth". The museum's four floors include impressive displays of bronzes and ceramics from prehistoric cultures to the 19th century, ink drawings, calligraphy and seals, as well as large collections of art from ethnic minorities. It's also home to large collections of jade, coins, furnishings from the Ming and Qing periods (1368-1912). Get more about the Shanghai Museum.

 


5. Zhujiajiao Water Town
Zhujiajiao is a water town on the outskirts of Shanghai, and was established about 1,700 years ago. It is crisscrossed by rivers and canals, with 9 long streets running along the rivers and thousand of buildings of Ming and Qing Dynasty architecture flanking both sides. 36 stone bridges and numerous rivers line Zhujiajiao, and many ancient buildings still line the riverbanks today. Get more about Zhujiajiao Water Town.

 


6. Oriental Pearl TV Tower
The Oriental Pearl TV Tower is located at the tip of Lujiazui in the Pudong district by Huangpu River, opposite the Bund. This 468 meters high (1,536 feet) tower is the world's third tallest TV and radio tower surpassed in height only by towers in Toronto and Moscow. However, even more alluring than its height is the tower's unique architectural design that makes the Oriental Pearl TV Tower one of the most attractive places anywhere. The entire structure rests on rich green grassland and gives the appearance of pearls shining on a jade plate. When viewed from the Bund at night, the tower's three-dimensional lighting makes it a delight of brilliant color. Get more about the Oriental Pearl TV Tower.