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The world's most dynamic skyline — and the best food scene in China.
The Bund — the colonial waterfront facing the impossibly vertical Pudong skyline across the Huangpu — is one of the great urban spectacles on earth. The contrast between 1920s European facades and 21st century towers is not irony. It is Shanghai: a city that contains every era of the last 200 years simultaneously.
The French Concession has the best food scene in China. Xintiandi preserves 1920s shikumen lane architecture as galleries and restaurants. The Old Town's Yu Garden is genuine Ming Dynasty in the middle of a 25-million-person city.
The Bund and Pudong skyline is one of the world's great urban spectacles. The French Concession art deco buildings are extraordinary.
Xiaolongbao (soup dumplings), scallion pancakes, hairy crab season (Oct–Nov) — Shanghai has China's most sophisticated food scene.
The French Concession, Xintiandi, the Power Station of Art — Shanghai's cultural scene is China's most internationally connected.
The Bund waterfront and the commercial centre. Best base for first-time visitors.
Tree-lined streets, art deco buildings and the best food scene in Shanghai.
The hypermodern financial district — the towers are most impressive from the Bund opposite.
VPN essential — download before entering China. Google Maps, WhatsApp, Instagram all blocked
The 144-hour transit visa allows eligible nationalities to stay visa-free if arriving by air
Shanghai is the best China entry point — more English spoken and more international than Beijing
Xiaolongbao etiquette: bite a small hole in the top, sip the broth first, never bite straight through
The metro system is excellent, cheap and has full English signage — buy a Jiaotong Card at any station
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Curated activities worth booking in advance — via GetYourGuide.
The Bund illuminated and the Ming Garden after dark.
Soup dumplings and scallion pancakes through the best food lanes.
World's second-tallest building — 560m views.
UNESCO water gardens one hour by bullet train.
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Daily budgets, hostel picks, transport tips and no-fluff advice.