Shanghai In Depth: Art Deco, Alleyways & Skyline
A proper guide to China\'s most international city — not just the Bund, but the French Concession backstreets, the 1930s lilong lanes, and where to eat soup dumplings.
Route Overview
Shanghai is China\'s most cosmopolitan city — a 1920s \'Paris of the East\' that now hosts the world\'s second-tallest building. But the real Shanghai is in the details: art deco lobbies, lilong lane houses, and soup dumpling shops where the owner has been folding xiaolongbao for 40 years.
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Day 1: The Bund & Pudong
Start at the Bund at golden hour — the colonial buildings on one side, Pudong's skyline on the other. Walk south to the Old City (Yu Garden, City God Temple). Evening: Dinner at Jia Jia Tang Bao for the best soup dumplings in Shanghai, then a drink at a rooftop bar on the Bund (Flair at Ritz-Carlton or Vue Bar at Hyatt on the Bund).
Day 2: French Concession
Spend the morning walking Fuxing Road and Wukang Road — the French Concession at its best. Stop at Manner Coffee (China's answer to Blue Bottle), browse the boutiques on Anfu Road, and have lunch at Din Tai Fung or a local noodle shop. Afternoon: Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Centre (¥25, incredible collection of Mao-era posters) or the Power Station of Art in a converted power plant.
Day 3: Water Town or Art
Option A: Day trip to Zhujiajiao Water Town — 1 hour by metro (Line 17). Canals, stone bridges, and a quieter side of Shanghai. Option B: Stay in the city — Long Museum (West Bund) for contemporary art, then the former Expo 2010 site along the Huangpu River. Evening: Cocktails at Speak Low (hidden bookshelf entrance, ranked among Asia's 50 Best Bars).
Planning This Route
Getting There
Shanghai Pudong (PVG) for international flights, Hongqiao (SHA) for domestic. Both are connected to the city by metro (Line 2). Maglev from PVG to Longyang Road takes 8 minutes (¥50, 430 km/h) — the world\'s fastest commercial train.
Where to Stay
French Concession is the most pleasant area — try the Donghu Hotel or URBN Boutique. Jing\'an for central convenience. The Bund for splurge stays (Peninsula, Waldorf Astoria). Budget: $60-100, mid-range: $100-200, luxury: $300+.
Food
Soup dumplings: Jia Jia Tang Bao (黄河路店). Pan-fried dumplings: Yang\'s Fry Dumplings. Hairy crab (Sept-Oct only): Cheng Long Hang. For a splurge: Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet (¥6,000/person, book 3 months ahead) — a 22-course sensory experience.
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