Destination Guide

Shanghai: Where Old China Meets Tomorrow

Welcome to Shanghai — a waterfront city shaped by its river. For centuries, old‑town lanes hold quiet local life, while the Bund skyline glows along the Huangpu, and shengjianbao is the city’s beloved comfort food. It is China’s gateway to the world, the city that shows you how the country reinvents itself. What is Shanghai like? Fluid. Dazzling. Layered. Full of cosmopolitan spirit. The city unfolds along its waterway: classical shikumen houses tuck away behind tree‑lined streets, local markets hum in the old town, and futuristic skyscrapers pierce the sky across the river in Pudong. One stretch of land carries three layers: colonial legacy, lane‑side neighbourhood life, and modern global China. It has been a trading hub for more than 150 years. Foreign concessions and Chinese settlements left a one‑of‑a‑kind urban fabric, and that special energy lingers everywhere: sun‑dappled stone‑gate alleys at dusk, teahouses hidden in Yu Garden, the sweeping river view from the Bund promenade. Across the water stand the towers of Lujiazui; within the old city lies the quiet charm of Qibao Ancient Town. Eat first — juicy pan‑fried shengjian buns with crispy bottoms, followed by a warm bowl of red‑braised pork noodles. Then wander through shikumen lanes, walk the riverside bund, and cross over to explore Pudong. Shanghai is not a city you merely glance at. It is a city you sink into.