Situated in front of this landmark hotel is the Bund Promenade, the best vantage point for photographing the city's river-side scene, the modern skyscrapers of Pudong across the Huangpu River and of course, the many iconic landmarks that line The Bund. At dawn, witness or join the legions of Chinese who practice tai chi or qigong and ballroom dancing enthusiasts who practice the tango. At night, be enthralled by the illuminating glows of the heritage structures on The Bund and spectacular lights from the Pudong skyscrapers. Quaint alleys and lanes are dotted with interesting shops as well as trendy restaurants and reinvented glamour bars – a perfect blend of the old and new.
For art and culture, guests will find that the area's most famous museums and galleries are just a stone's throw away. For a taste of local delicacies, the Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street is within walking distance, while the beautiful Yu Garden is just around the corner. Right across the Huangpu River is the famous Oriental Pearl Tower, offering a bird's eye view of the city.
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Shanghai Museum Shanghai Museum used to be near the Bund. It is now situated in People's Square and its new buildings were built in 1996, designed by a Shanghai architect named Xing Tonghe. The new design symbolizes China's ancient understanding of the world: round sky and square earth. The museum has a circular roof and rectangular base. It stores 120,000 precious artifacts, which narrate a story of China's 5,000-year civilization.
The Old City God’s Temple The Old City God's Temple (Laochenghuangmiao)is a major yet relatively inactive, Taoist temple in Shanghai. It is located in the area south of Yan'an Road on the Fangbang Zhong Road. During the Ming Dynasty, Zhangshouyue, the head of Shanghai County, dedicated a temple to the local city god. Since then, the City God's Temple has been destroyed several times and the current temple was built in 1926. During the the war of resistance against Japanese invasion during World War II, local merchants built a new City God's Temple in the Foreign Concession (between Lianyun Road and West Jinling Road). That area is now a highrise residence building. The "former" temple is known as the Old City God's Temple. The Old City God's Temple and the enclose Yuyuan are not only famous tourist sites but also popular shopping attractions. There are boutiques, shops selling local specialties, as well as large jewelry stores, department stores and fabulous local snack restaurants to be found here.
The Bund The Bund, also called the Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu (East Zhongshan 1st Road), is a famous waterfront and regarded as the symbol of Shanghai for hundreds of years. It starts from the Baidu Bridge, which is at the connecting point of the Huangpu River and the Suzhou Creek, to the East Jinling Road and winds a 1500 meters (less than one mile) length. Walking along the Bund, which is at the west shore of the Huangpu River, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower can be seen on the opposite side and also the Jin Mao Tower.
Yuyuan Garden Yuyuan Garden is believed to have been built in the Ming Dynasty, more than 400 years ago. It is located in the center of Shanghai's Old City, a few blocks south of the Bund. It has a total area of about two hectares (five acres) and more than 40 attractions The inner and outer gardens were both built in the Ming Dynasty classical style, with numerous rock and tree garden areas, ponds, dragon-lined walls and numerous doorways and zigzagging bridges separating the various garden areas and pavilions. The garden covers a significant space and includes a few halls and other buildings of interest. Its cultural relics include: century-old furniture, calligraphy and paintings of famous artists, clay sculptures and brick carvings, some inscriptions and couplets.
Jinmao Tower The Jin Mao Building symbolizes Shanghai emerging into the 21st century. It is the fourth tallest building in China and tenth tallest in the world; it hosts the tallest hotel ever built. With an east-meets-west design signifying Shanghai's emergence as a modern global city, Jin Mao follows the multi-use paradigm, offering retail shopping at its base, offices above, and the Grand Hyatt World's Highest Hotel occupying the upper 38 floors.
Xin Tian Di Located in the center of Shanghai City south of Huaihai Zhong Lu, Shanghai Xin Tian Di has become an urban tourist attraction that holds the historical and cultural legacies of the city. Shanghai Xin Tian Di is a fashionable pedestrian street composed of Shikumen and modern architecture style. Shanghai Xin Tian Di is unique because of its concept of construction. It retains the antique walls, tiles and exterior of the Shikumen housing of old Shanghai. On the other hand, its interior embodies a totally different world of international gallery, bars and cafes, boutiques or theme restaurants. When you walk into Xin Tian Di, you will get the taste both of Shanghai in the 1920's and the sonic modern lifestyle of urbanites of the 21st century.
Oriental Pearl TV Tower The Oriental Pearl TV Tower is located in Pudong Park in Lujiazui, Shanghai. The tower, surrounded by the Yangpu Bridge in the northeast and the Nanpu Bridge in the southwest, creates a picture of 'twin dragons playing with pearls'. The entire scene is a photographic jewel that excites the imagination and attracts thousands of visitors year-round. This 468 meters (1,536 feet) high tower is the world's third tallest TV and radio tower surpassed in height only by towers in Toronto, Canada and Moscow, Russia. 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.
French Concession Take a walk through several of the best neighbourhoods of Shanghai’s famed residential quarter, the former French Concession. Allow our expert to show you how today’s Shanghainese and expatriates alike make their homes in this quiet corner of the busy city. From taichi to boutique coffee houses – this section of Shanghai cannot fail to impress.
East Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street Located at the Shanghai Huang Pu District, the 3.8km-long Nanjing Road is China’s premier shopping street, famously named one of the World’s Seven Great Roads in the 1930’s. Today, East Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street is one of the most crucial places for retail goods shopping and commercial activities in Shanghai, offering all-in-one shopping centers, various luxury brands stores, gorgeous restaurants and spectacular night views over the area.
Shanghai Grand Theater The Shanghai Grand Theater is a magnificent addition to the city’s arts and culture scene. Since its opening in 1998, this architecturally striking and modern theater, located to the north of People’s Square, hosts major international concerts and performances. The theater, which is said to be the best opera house in Asia and one of the very best in the world, is now the center of the city’ cultural life with world-class operas, ballets and symphony concerts.
Dong Tai Road Antique Market As a market dedicated to offering a combination of both real and fake antiques, Dong Tai Road Antique Market is a renowned outdoor market where one can buy or learn about household items of old China. With more than 100 stalls, it is indeed an old China shopping mecca and a good place for Mao memorabilia, including ceramics, old Shanghai poster advertisements, paintings and a host of other collectables.
Tai Kang Road Tian Zi Fang Used to be a street fair before 1998, this little-known street market has become one of characteristics streets in Shanghai comprising alleyways dotted with shikumen houses, lofty warehouses and old factories. With the randomly-drawn posters and store signboards on old walls so colorful, this area attracts design companies, fashion houses, galleries, studios and restaurants, run by people from all over the world.
Mo Gan Shan Art District In recent years, the old factories and warehouses along Mo Gan Shan Road has become one of Shanghai’s most fashionable districts. The whole area, just south Shanghai’s Suzhou Creek, is vibrant with small workshops or large exhibitions areas showcasing both established artists and the up-and-coming of the Chinese art scene, which were first built across different historical phases dating from the 1930’s. From contemporary sculpture and oil paintings to old Art Deco furniture, Mo Gan Shan Art District is a good place to return to.
South Bund Fabric Market A perfect place for the clotheshorse in your life, the Shanghai South Bund Fabric Market rounds up many of the city’s finest tailors in one convenient location. From Chinese and sailor’s knots, to reams of rustling silk, and cashmere and linen, this is the best place to get custom made clothing. The fabric market has countless shops where you can create anything from a modern outfit to a traditional Chinese custom such as a Cheongsam.
Shanghai Art Museum The Shanghai Art Museum, located in the center of Shanghai in People’s square, is one of the city’s premier art spaces. After restoration, the museum, which once served as a horse racing club, maintained its new-classical style building while the interior was remolded to become a modern, grandeur art palace. Now, with a total floor area of more than 6,000 square meters of exhibition halls and more than 8,000 collected works, the Shanghai Art Museum has become one of China’s leading museums of modern art.
Fu Xing Park At the heart of the French Concession, Fuxing Park is one of Shanghai's most attractive green spaces. It was originally named Gu’s Park and it was renamed the French Park when the French bought it to station armies in 1900. After World War II, the Japanese Government renamed the park Daxing Park and finally, the Chinese regained control of the park land and dubbed it Fuxing Park. The park is one of the oldest parks in Shanghai and it is the only French style park preserved well, showcasing symmetrical fountains as well as wide, tree-lined walks, flower beds and a slightly surreal sculpture of Marx and Engels. This leafy park is a refuge for the elderly and a practicing field for itinerant musicians, chess players, people walking backwards and taichi fans.
People’s Park Formerly a racecourse which had been built by the British in the 19th century, People’s Park is now a popular park with 320-square-meter water fountain and an underground shopping mall. Featuring manicured greenery, this truly urban park is the perfect place to roam around breathing the fresh air and admiring the pigeons. There's also an in-built art gallery holding seasonal art shows occasionally.
Shanghai Film Park Shanghai Film Park is an ideal site for film shooting, sightseeing and culture communication. It has traditional houses, beautiful and unique building only seen on the television of the 1930’s China streets and sights. Designed like an old-fashioned film studio, it also has stages, a costume and prop ware-house, a film library and screening rooms. Its main attractions include “Nanjing Road in the 30’s”,”Shanghai traditional houses”, “Downtown Shanghai in old times”, “European style architecture”, “Suzhou Creek”, “Church”, “Peace Plaza”, “Old Shanghai bridge” and scenic “Lake and mountain area”.
Zhongshan Park Originally owned by a British man as a private garden, Zhongshan Park, with an area of 20 square meters, features 120 distinct sceneries offering beautiful views during all four seasons. It is one of the premier amusements parks of the city that presents unique architectural structures as well as a spectacular botanical garden. The park has been designed to provide wholesome entertainment and is the ideal destination in the city to escape from the hectic schedule of daily life. The environment of the park is soothing; the park boasts of a rose garden and ample greenery to refresh your spirits.
Jade Buddha Temple Founded in 1882, the Jade Buddha Temple is one of the most famous Buddhist temples and is recognized as the Yo Fo Si in Shanghai. The essence of the temple is the two jade Buddhist statues brought back from Burma by a monk for Putuo Mountain during the Qing Dynasty. These were a sitting Buddha (1.95 meters tall, 3 tonnes), and a smaller reclining Buddha representing Buddha's death. The Jade Buddha Temple is a temple with magnificent building and matchless Jade Buddhas, a renowned Buddhist temple in Shanghai and an ideal place to escape the urban throngs.
Huang Pu River The “mother river” of Shanghai, the Huang Pu River is a silent eyewitness to Shanghai’s history and its development. The river originates in Dianshan Lake and empties into the Yangtze River at Wusongkou. It has also become a demarcating line between two Shanghais, east and west, past and future. Sailing down the river, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery on both sides including such sights as the Yangpu Bridge, Nanpu Bridge, and the Oriental Pearl TV Tower. In addition, the varied western architecture on the west side of the Huangpu River and the towering modern buildings on the east side present a spectacular contrast, increasing the beauty and magnificence of the river.
WALDORF ASTORIA SHANGHAI ON THE BUND
Shanghai World Financial Center Shanghai World Financial Center with 492-meter tall skyscraper is the highest building in Shanghai and officially the second tallest building in the world. Located in Pudong, looking out from Shanghai's Bund, the new building, topped with a finial reminiscent of a bottle-opener, places the rest of the city's iconic skyline in the shade. It towers above the Oriental Pearl Television Tower and the city's previous record holder, the Jin Mao Tower. It is a mixed-use skyscraper combining state-of-the-art security, standard-setting hospitality and superb urban facilities including world's highest observatory, sophisticated retail space and elegant conference facilities and a five-star luxury hotel.
