A Shanghai Spring
Relax in the Happiness Garden, relish the serenity of the Buddha Temple, then sail down the Huangpu River to explore the city where East meets West...
Travel News
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Shanghai is a city of contradiction – in one sense cosmopolitan and futuristic with its skyscrapers and glamour, yet also exotic and mysterious. The contrast between old and new lends a unique charm.
Take a stroll around The Bund and you’ll feel the energetic vibe of what was the waterfront Wall Street of the city, where manic trading thrived twenty-four seven.
Survey the stunning buildings that comprise the Pudong skyline and you’ll feel the sparkling sophistication – yet still be able to cast your imagination back to when this was just a muddy embankment before its vibrant transformation.
Travel back in time further with a twinkly trip along the Huangpu River by night, stopping at the north end of the promenade to drop into the charming Bund History Museum with its collection of old photos and maps.
Often known as the Paris of the East, Shanghai is an absolute shopper’s paradise and was recently crowned the most fashionable city in China. Don’t miss the stylish French Concession
for fabulous luxury goods. Don’t leave without visiting a local tailor who can create almost anything for a fraction of the high street price.
Take your choice of lively cabaret acts or amazing acrobatic shows to complete a hard day’s spending. Join the pensioners who take to the parks and squares with their boom boxes to dance ballroom – anyone can participate!
If things get a little too frenzied, relish the perfect peace of the Jade Buddha Temple, an active monastery that houses the beautiful pale green Buddha carved from pure jade and sent to China by monk Hui Gen at the start of the 20th century. Step into the calm of Yuyan Garden – this “Garden Of Happiness” will delight you with its gorgeous blooms. Savour the scent of Shanghai’s own flower, the Magnolia grandiflora, as you saunter to Mid-Lake Pavilion Tea House to take traditional Chinese refreshments.
When your vitality is restored, pop over to the nearby bazaar to bargain for the best souvenirs and experience the energy of this city that never sleeps all over again!