Shanghai 上海Shànghǎi

About Shanghai

Shanghai grew from a walled county town into a treaty port in the 1840s, and the stone banks and hotels of the Bund still line the Huangpu River. Across the water, Pudong's towers rise from land that was mostly farms and warehouses until the 1990s. The best of the city is found on foot, in the plane-tree streets of the former French Concession and the shikumen lane houses where daily life spills out into the alleys.

Shanghai at a glance

Area

6,341 km²

Population

24.9 million 2020

Highest point

Mount Dajin 大金山103 m

Borders

Jiangsu, Zhejiang

Area, population and highest point from Wikidata; the population is the latest census or official estimate there.

What to eat in Shanghai

• Xiaolongbao soup dumplings (小笼包)
• Shengjian pan-fried buns (生煎包)
• Shanghai red-braised pork (红烧肉)

Places to visit in Shanghai

• 

  The Bund & Lujiazui Skyline 外滩与陆家嘴

  1920s banks on one bank of the river, a sci-fi skyline on the other

  Best time: Mar–May, Oct–Nov · Time needed: Half a day plus an evening · National heritage site

• 

  Shanghai Disney Resort 上海迪士尼度假区

  Mainland China's first Disney theme park, with a castle, rides and nightly shows

  Best time: Mar–May, Sep–Nov · Time needed: 1 day

• 

  Lujiazui 陆家嘴

  Shanghai's skyline in a loop of river: spheres, a twisting tower and the Bund opposite

  Best time: Mar–May, Oct–Nov · Time needed: Half a day · 5A scenic area

• 

  Former French Concession 原法租界

  Plane-tree streets, garden villas and shikumen lanes for Shanghai's best city walk

  Best time: Mar–May, Oct–Nov · Time needed: Half a day to a day

• 

  Shanghai Museum 上海博物馆

  Ancient Chinese bronzes, ceramics, painting and jade, now shown at Shanghai Museum East

  Best time: Year-round · Time needed: Half a day · 4A scenic area

• 

  Yu Garden & City God Temple 豫园与城隍庙

  A Ming-dynasty garden of rockeries and dragon walls beside a Taoist city temple

  Best time: Mar–May, Oct–Nov · Time needed: Half a day · 4A scenic area · National heritage site

Listed sites in Shanghai

101 sites in Shanghai are on the official lists, 4 of them rated 5A and 37 protected as national heritage. They are listed by city, with what each is and how to get there.

Getting to Shanghai

Train, flight and driving times from the cities most visitors come from, with stations, fares and how many run a day; each opens the full comparison.

• Suzhou 苏州 high-speed train 21 min, 234 a day, from ¥40
• Hangzhou 杭州 high-speed train 45 min, 228 a day, from ¥87; one nonstop flight a day, 1 h 10 min in the air
• Nanjing 南京 high-speed train 59 min, 290 a day, from ¥162; one nonstop flight a day, 1 h 5 min in the air
• Huangshan City 黄山市 high-speed train 2 h 16 min, 34 a day, from ¥207
• Qingdao 青岛 high-speed train 4 h 45 min, 12 a day, from ¥302; 18 nonstop flights a day, 1 h 35 min in the air
• Wuhan 武汉 high-speed train 3 h 32 min, 45 a day, from ¥360; 15 nonstop flights a day, 1 h 55 min in the air
• Xiamen 厦门 high-speed train 5 h 3 min, 23 a day, from ¥566; 26 nonstop flights a day, 2 h in the air
• Zhengzhou 郑州 high-speed train 3 h 42 min, 63 a day, from ¥515; 10 nonstop flights a day, 2 h in the air
• Tianjin 天津 high-speed train 3 h 59 min, 34 a day, from ¥607; 15 nonstop flights a day, 2 h 10 min in the air
• Beijing 北京 high-speed train 4 h 18 min, 50 a day, from ¥661; 65 nonstop flights a day, 2 h 15 min in the air
• Guangzhou 广州 high-speed train 6 h 14 min, 11 a day, from ¥855; 57 nonstop flights a day, 2 h 35 min in the air
• Xi'an 西安 high-speed train 5 h 50 min, 33 a day, from ¥756; 30 nonstop flights a day, 2 h 20 min in the air
• Hong Kong 香港 high-speed train 8 h 6 min, 3 a day, from ¥932; 24 nonstop flights a day, 2 h 55 min in the air
• Chengdu 成都 high-speed train 10 h 6 min, 16 a day, from ¥1074; 43 nonstop flights a day, 2 h 35 min in the air

Where you can get to from Shanghai in a day · All routes

Trips with Shanghai

• China in 10 days on a first visit: Beijing, Xi’an, Shanghai and Suzhou 10 days · Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai and Suzhou
• Two weeks in China: Beijing, Xi’an, Chengdu, Guilin and Shanghai 14 days · Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu, Leshan, Guilin and Shanghai
• Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou and Huangshan in eight days 8 days · Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou and Huangshan City

Before you go

• Visas and visa-free entry Can I visit China without a visa?
• Paying for things How do I pay for things in China without a Chinese bank account?
• Internet and apps Will Google and my other apps work in China?
• Trains and 12306 How do I book train tickets in China with a foreign passport?
• Book popular sights early Which sights in China need booking in advance, and how?
• When to go When is the best time to visit China?

On the map

Open Shanghai on the illustrated map to see where its places sit, how far apart they are, and to add them to a trip.

Learn more

• Wikipedia
• Official website
• Wikipedia (Chinese)