Shanghai holidays

Shanghai has in recent years become one of the world’s most dynamic cities, which can be seen in its gleaming skyscrapers and busy streets of neon. The city does still hold traces of its turbulent history from its boom days of the late 19th, early 20th centuries when as the major port in the East it became synonymous with recklessness and vice, but it is now a cosmopolitan city full of fine restaurants and eye-catching modern buildings.

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Top things to do in Shanghai

Ancient water town of Zhouzhuang

The ancient township of Zhoujiajiao, an hour's drive from Shanghai, was a commercial centre during the Song (960-1279) and Yuan (1271-1368) dynasties. Markets could be found along the riverside thanks to its convenient water transportation. The streets of Zhoujiajiao have retained their original structure, with granite-laid roads and narrow streets sandwiched in between brick and wooden two-storey buildings, most built on the water, and in recent years this ancient township has drawn famous film directors from China and elsewhere. A visit to Zhoujiajiao can be easily combined with the water town of Zhouzhuang, which is crisscrossed with rivers and lakes, numerous arched bridges and 900-year-old buildings. It is a small old town, and contrasts with the huge, modern city of Shanghai.

Gardens & temples of Shanghai

Within the past turbulent century, much of Shanghai's old quarters were destroyed, but what remains gives an interesting insight into Shanghai's past, in particular its gardens and temples. For the Chinese, gardens were a microcosm in which the gardener had to combine the qualities of a painter, poet, architect and landscape gardener. A skilful gardener could construct their own world using minerals, plants and animals in a limited space. This can be seen in the Yuyuan gardens, which occupy less than 2 hectares but, through clever landscaping, appear far larger. They ingeniously mingle pavilions and corridors, small hills, lotus ponds teeming with goldfish, bridges, winding paths, trees and shrubs. Also worth visiting is the Jade Buddha temple. Named after two milk-white jade Buddha statues brought back from Burma in the 19th century, it is still in active use with dozens of monks in attendance.

Stroll along the historic Bund

The historic Bund, meaning 'outer bank', refers to the waterfront area behind the embankment on the west of the Huangpu river. Construction work is restricted in this area so many buildings retain their colonial features from its 1930s heyday when the city was occupied by European, American, and Japanese banks, trading houses, clubs consulates and hotels. These buildings have been restored and are spectacularly lit up at night. A range of luxury hotels are also located along the Bund with superb views and providing an ideal location for exploring the area.