Our first visit to Shanghai in 1989 was light-years removed from this visit. At that time, you were only allowed to tour with a State Guide shepherding you around. Shopping was reserved for the “Friendship Store,” and it was strictly forbidden to wander off on your own.

Cosmopolitan Shanghai 2005 was a revelation. Magnificent skyscraper after skyscraper, each architecturally different, unique making a brilliant light show in the evening….expressways….wonderful hotels and delicious restaurants….shopping malls…homes that ranged upwards to millions of US$ that could have been found in America….a surreal experience. If you have been watching Discovery Atlas on cable television, you may have seen the recent two-hour segment on China which showcased Shanghai beautifully as well as Xintiandi, recommended below.

Shanghai Map of Center
Since this was a special occasion, our anniversary, we went all out and stayed at the Four Seasons. What is there not to like about a Four Seasons? Flawless service, wonderful food, heavenly ambiance, well-worth the splurge.

And what is there not to like about Shanghai itself? Here are some of my favorites:

- Walking along the Bund Promenade. This waterfront boulevard has imposing buildings from Shanghai’s past. The word “Bund” literally means “muddy embankment.” Its origin began when the Americans, British, Japanese, French, Russians, Germans, and other Europeans built banks, trading houses, clubs, consulates, and hotels in different styles along this street. The main buildings still remaining from the ’20′s and ’30′s are: Customs House, the former Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank, the Bank of China, and the Peace Hotel. Go in and look.

The Bund, Shanghai
- The French Concession Area. Shanghai allocated various concessions for the British, French, and Americans, all independent of Chinese law. Each had its own culture, architecture, and society. You can still walk through what remains of this area, admiring the old buildings and streets filled with new restaurants and boutiques.

- Shanghai Museum, the biggest in China, famous for its treasures of bronzes, ceramics, paintings, and calligraphy and with a collection of over 120,000 pieces of Chinese art & cultural relics. They also have occasional art exhibits. A wonderful museum if you have the time.

- Gaze at or visit the Oriental Pearl TV Tower by the Huangpu River. At almost 1,500′ high, it is the highest TV Tower in Asia and can be seen from all over Shanghai.

- The Yu Garden and Market, is done in the architectural style of the Ming Dynasty. It was a private garden 400 years ago. The Market is always crowded with people eating the famous Xiaolong bao steamer dumplings that Shanghai is famous for. You can watch the dumplings being made through a glass window. The cooks wrap ground pork and sort of gelatin-soup into a thin dough wrapper, resembling a ravoli. It is steamed and served to you, usually 10 at a time (very cheap), you dip the dumpling into some vinegar and bite, carefully into it. Try not to burn your mouth as it is extremely hot..not spicy…just hot!

- Take in an evening performance of the famous Chinese Acrobats.

- Browse the Dongtai Lu Antiques Market Outdoor/Flea/Green Markets, Huangpu District. Loaded with antique stalls lining a six-block area and selling everything! We love wandering and looking at all the “supposed” antinques and junk…lots of different things…bargain HARD!

- And, the Xiangyang Market. This market sells knockoff items including T-shirts, silk clothes, designer-label purses, jackets, watches, and clothing. Some are real but most are copies. You cannot walk three inches without someone sticking catalogs for purses and watches in your face, or grabbing you! We stood it for five minutes and high-tailed it. An experience, but there are too many other places all around Shanghai to buy without that extreme of a hassle-factor! “…Rolex, cheapie, cheapie…no Rolex? Gucci, Vuitton…all real…all cheapie…”

- Xintiandi is a fairly new area. An eight-acre area of stone houses was recently renovated into an upscale shopping and dining complex. The restaurants are busy from lunchtime until past midnight and there is a lot of cuisine choice. A very attractive area to eat, have a drink, or wander through.

- Other shops and boutiques galore. Unfortunately, most boutiques only have one piece of everything hanging. If it doesn’t fit, you are out of luck. But there are some incredible prices if you are lucky enough to come across something that fits.

- Restaurants. So many …including all our Americans exports…McDonald’s, etc. We ordered “sweet-and-sour peppers stuffed with pork” in one restaurant. Sweet-and-sour didn’t sound incendiary to us…but, one bite, and sinus passages were instantly cleared, while tears ran down our faces! Delicious, between gasps for breath and pauses to wipe away the tears. Chow down!

Shanghai is better than ever and a must-see during your China trip. Eat at least 10 dumplings, shop until you drop and admire the City that Shanghai has become. Have a wonderful time.

Lonely Planet Shop