Shanghai Travel Guide

Grand Theatre

Shanghai Grand Theater is located to the north of People's Square in the heart of the city. Since its opening on August 27, 1998, the Shanghai Grand Theatre has staged operas, musicals, ballets, symphonies, chamber music concerts, spoken dramas and various Chinese operas.

The construction of the Grand Theater lasted four years from 1994 to 1998. The theater covers an area of 11,528 square meters, with 10 stories, two underground, six making up the theatre and two above. The Grand Theater houses three stages: a 1,800-seat main stage for ballets, operas and symphonies, a 600-seat medium theater for chamber orchestras and a small 200-seat auditorium for dramas and fashion shows. 

The elegantly decorated lobby covers approximately 2000 square meters. A large chandelier, shaped like six pan-pipes, is suspended in the lobby. The floor is made of a rare marble called "Greece Crystal White". The floor has piano keyboard patterns, together with the pillars and the stairs, making the lobby seem full of rhythms.

Jade Buddha Temple of Shanghai

Jade Buddha Temple in Shanghai is an active temple, with 70 resident monks at the last count. The 70 monks who live and work there can sometimes be seen worshiping.

The temple was built between 1911 and 1918 in the style of the Song Dynasty (960-1279), with symmetrical halls and courtyards, upturned eaves, and bright yellow walls. The exterior is readily identifiable by the bright saffron walls.

Inside, the centerpiece is a 1.9-meter-high white jade Buddha, which was installed here after a monk brought it from Burma to Zhejiang Province in 1882. The seated Buddha, encrusted with jewels, is said to weigh about one thousand kilograms. A smaller, reclining Buddha from the same shipment lies on a redwood bed. In the large hall are three gold-plated Buddhas, and other halls house ferocious-looking deities. Artifacts abound, not all on display, and some 7,000 Buddhist sutras line the walls.

Note: No photography of the Jade Buddha is permitted, but postcards are on sale and photography is allowed in the other rooms.

Alongside the temple is a branch of the Antiques and Curio Store, which sells miniature sandalwood drums and gongs, replicas of the large ones used in ceremonies. A vegetarian restaurant can be found on the temple grounds.

Shanghai Museum

The new Shanghai Museum is situated on the People’s Square, the political and cultural centre of Shanghai. The square itself boasts a giant musical fountain and some attractive green recreational areas where locals dance and fly kites. It is surrounded by the City Hall, an underground shopping centre and the Grand Shanghai Theatre. It is the ShanghaiMuseum, opened in 1996, however, that draws the most interest. The building is shaped like a giant bronze urn, and the museum contains a collection of 123,000 cultural artefacts in 21 categories. Chief among the museum’s collections are bronzeware, ceramics, calligraphy and art works.

Address: 2 Ren Min Da Dao; Telephone: (0)21 6372 3500;
Website: www.shanghaimuseum.net; Transport: Bus 46, 71, 123, 574;
Opening time: Daily 9am to 5pm, until 7pm expect Monday.

Zhujiajiao Water Town

Zhujiajiao, Known as "the Venice of Shanghai", is a well-preserved ancient town in water country in Shanghai typical of southeast China. During Three Kingdom as appeared as a village. Nowadays old streets and architecture in the style of Ming and Qing periods can be found and local customs characteristic of water country can be observed. Zhujiajiao is noted for its archaic water country scenery typical of southeast China – old town, peacefulness, tranquility and elegance.

The Bund

The symbol of old and new Shanghai, the Bund (officially known as Zhongshan Road) is Shanghai's most famous landmark. The 'Bund' is from an Anglo Indian term meaning the muddy embankment on the waterfront, and it is the HuangpuRiver which helps create the uniquely colonial feel here and provides a feeling of space and openness which is lacking elsewhere in the city. Four kilometers long, the Bund has long been one of the most important areas in Shanghai. In the 1930s, the row of buildings was host to the city's financial and commercial centers and the world's greatest banks and trading empires established a base here.

At the North end of the Bund and just over the Garden Bridge and Suzhou Creek is what was formerly the British embassy. Also here is a large and atmospheric blue painted building which is the Russian Embassy, sitting precariously on the bank of the river. In colonial times, the Bridge was guarded by Japanese and British sentries marking the boundaries of territory.

On the 'British side' of the bridge is the entrance to Huangpu Park. More of a pedestrian walkway than a conventional park, this area was also under the control of the Brits. The BritishPublicPark (as it was once known) was forbidden territory to Chinese people for years, unless they were accompanying employers. Today, the park is free and open to all and is a well- maintained walkway providing excellent views over the river to Pudong and down river to the old Custom House and other colonial relics.

On the west side of the Bund tower various buildings of different architectural styles including Gothic, baroque, and Romanesque. The combination of these creates a unique boulevard, which resembles the Liverpool Docks and 1920s New York.

Today, the Bund is still home to many of the city's hotels, bars and banks. The nature of the area has not changed so dramatically either. Huge western banks and office buildings dominate the horizon of the Bund, emphasizing the role the city plays as a commercial and financial base.

The pleasure of the Bund, is that it is not simply a tourist strip but a place that everyone enjoys. At sunrise, the boulevard fills up with people of all ages practicing Tai Chi or dancing. In the day, while visitors file up and down the long strip, it's business as usual in many of these magnificent buildings. And, in the evenings, couples wander along the river front, holding hands and enjoying the spectacular city lights, buildings and atmosphere of the area which provide a continual reminder that Shanghai was, and in may ways still is, a foreign invention.

Nanjing Road

Nanjing Road was the first commercial road in Shanghai. In the early 20th century, there were only four department stores along this stretch. Today, it has become the number one place for shopping in the city. The money at work in the road has encouraged many companies and businesses over the years to set up bases near here. Nanjing Road is fantastically located, stemming off the HuangpuRiver and the Bund at a right angle and linking the city's main commercial and residential districts to the mouth of the river. The road to the east of Tibet Road is called Nanjing Dong Road while the road to the west is known as Nanjing Xi Road.

In the past few years, mammoth changes have taken place here. The street was beginning to look a little down at heel and Huaihai road was pulling the wealthier customers away from here. A huge improvement plan was put into action and completed just in time for Chinese New Year 2000. New shopping centers have been erected and a large section of the street has been pedestrianised. There are also some first class hotels scattered along the road including the Peace Hotel, and the Portman. In the evenings, the street looks at its best, with neon lights and advertising billboards illuminating the glorious buildings along the road.