SHANGHAI has long been China’s largest city and a global financial centre. The city’s beautiful skyline is made up of modern skyscrapers and traditional Shikumen. Furthermore, western customs and Chinese traditions blend harmoniously to form the city’s vibrant culture.

Vibrant Shanghai: Popular Tourist Trail

The Bund (外滩) is a must-see for all city visitors! The mile-long waterfront promenade lined with colonial-era buildings dating from the 1800s is a living museum of architecture. The walk starts at the Bank of China and continues through Promenade, Bund 18, North China Daily News, Customs House, HSBC Bank, and Shanghai Club until you reach Meteorological Signal Tower. The enchanting night view of the Bund is very impressive and undoubtedly Shanghai’s pride.

You find traditional pavilions, towers, and ponds in the sprawling Yu Garden (豫园). The beauty of the garden is found in the smallest carvings and sculptures. The Yuyuan Bazaar, located next to the garden, has a plethora of small lanes where you can find Nan Xiang restaurant selling delicious Shanghai dumplings.

Vibrant Shanghai: Off Tourist Radar Trail

We learn about Shanghai’s past by exploring traditional Shikumen (石库门). Longdang is akin to Beijing’s hutong, a public lane used by numerous families or households. As soon as you walk through the gate, you can see the whole longdang in front of you. It has a mix of Chinese and Western-style living quarters.

Shanghai French Quarter: Bugaoli

We began in Bugaoli (步高里), the most traditional and typical Chinese alley. The area was also called “Cité Bourgogne,” and it was a part of Shanghai’s French Quarter until 1943.

Passing through the pailou, you’d see untidy wires, dirty and oily window frames, dodgy air conditioners, and residents shouting in the morning market. The old adage says to go to the local market to experience ordinary people’s lives.
(There are security posts at each entrance gate.) Visitors cannot simply walk in.

Shanghai French Quarter: Tianzifang

Tianzifang (田子坊) is an hour’s walk. Thousands of locals still live in the popular tourist shopping area.

Traditional Chinese and French architecture are preserved by artists, business owners, and residents who transform the area into a global art and design hub.

Local artists establish studios, while antique collectors pursue their interests. You can visit artists’ studios. People can easily forget about how busy life is outside the walls when they look at modern art trends in cafes and snack stores that don’t cost much.

Xintiandi (新天地) is 1.5 hours from Tianzifang. This old neighbourhood has been turned into a place where wealthy expats and tourists go to live and have fun.

In the northern section, they preserved 19th-century Shikumen buildings and built modern malls in the south. This area is one of Shanghai’s favourite entertainment districts for high-end shoppers. 

Vibrant Shanghai: Not a shopper?

Stroll through the old French Quarter to appreciate the strong nostalgia of the early twentieth century. The Communist Party’s First Congress Hall is where you can learn about the revolution’s history. Then take a photo in front of the former Provisional Government building of the Republic of Korea. Grab a cup of tea and your favourite book at a bookstore, or simply stroll through the Shikumen Open House Museum.

I like the Chinese residential atmosphere and the narrow alleys, and the old-style buildings are very interesting to me.