Shanghai/Huangpu

This whole area is full of historic buildings. Some of the oldest are in the old city, which we cover in a separate article. Outside of that, the main areas are the Bund, Nanjing Road East (Nanjing Road West is in nearby Jing'an District) and the area around People's Park. The contrasts in the area are fascinating, with centuries-old buildings in traditional Chinese styles in the Old Town, 19th and early 20th century styles through much of downtown and especially on the Bund, and a number of new skyscrapers as well.

The Bund

The Bund (外滩 Wàitān) is Shanghai's stately street of old colonial-era buildings and the first port of call for many visitors. The Bund was the financial center of the Far East until the 1930s. It has been referred to as "a museum of buildings", as many different styles of European buildings can be found here.
The Bund extends along the West bank of the Huangpu River and offers an excellent view of Pudong's skyscrapers on the East side. Photos of that view are very common, perhaps the best-known image of Shanghai. We have one in the Pudong article. Shanghai's Old Town (南市 Nanshi) is located next to the southern part of the Bund. Nanjing Road, a major shopping street, heads west from the Bund's centerpoint at the Peace Hotel.
There are no Metro stations on the Bund. However, East Nanjing Road station (lines and ) is only a 5-10 minute walk west of the Bund and many bus lines including #20 (from Zhongshan Park, following W. Nanjing Road to People's Sq., then Jiujiang Road to the Bund) and #37 will get you here. There is also a ferry terminal at the southern end of the Bund (well-signposted) with one ferry every ten minutes to and from Pudong (Dongcheng Road).
The area around the Bund, while touristy, is not traditionally a shopping area like nearby Nanjing Road. This has changed a bit in the early 2000s with the successive restoration and opening of No.3 and No.18 on the Bund. Each houses top-of-the-line couture houses, spas, expensive bars & restaurants and art spaces. They have become something of a destination in and by themselves, especially with the newly rich jetset. Dress well or expect curt service. See the buy section below for listings of some of these shops.

Nanjing Road East

Nanjing Road (南京路 Nánjīnglù) is the most important commercial street in Shanghai, with hundreds of shops, many with a rich history. In the 1930s it was named one of the World's Seven Great Roads, and it is now making a comeback after decades of Maoist austerity. The road starts at the Bund, goes a long way West, and has upmarket shopping most of the way. It is the world's longest shopping district, around 6 km long, and attracts over a million visitors a day.
The road has two sections, Nanjing Road East (南京东路 Nanjing Donglu) — running from the Bund to People's Square, and pedestrians-only for most of that distance — which we describe here and Nanjing Road West (南京西路 Nanjing Xilu) — from People's Park West through Jing'an District — which we describe in the Jing'an article. There are metro stops named Nanjing Road East (lines and ) and Nanjing Road West (, and ), with the People's Square Station (, and ) between them and Jing'an Temple Station ( and , with line by 2020) to the west. At Nanjing Road West the lines are not connected with each other yet, so you may have to exit the paid area and re-enter to the other line; an additional ticket will be required unless you are travelling with either a metro card or a one or three day pass. For more details, see Nanjing Road,
Both parts of Nanjing Road are mostly upmarket, both have many international brands and high-end Chinese products like good silk, but the East part has more of the flavour of historic Shanghai while the West is more brash and modern, catering more to the status-conscious luxury shopper.
The Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street is a car-free section from Henan Zhonglu (one block inland from the Bund) to People's Park. Among other things, it is known for its stationery and book stores. One of the largest is the Shanghai Book City which is all Chinese language. The Foreign Book Store just down the street caters more to Western tastes, but the other foreign language bookstore on Fuzhou Road (parallel to Nanjing Road, a couple of blocks South of it) is more popular with local expatriates.

People's Park

People's Square (人民广场 Rénmín Guǎngchǎng) is located in the heart of the city, and is in many ways the center of the city. A horse racing course in the colonial era and the place where one million Red Guards gathered in 1966, today's park is a comfortable place to spend an afternoon with many pigeons and lots of fresh air.
Underneath People's Square is a metro station that is one of the largest and busiest in Shanghai, where the most important North-South line, line , intersects the main East-West line, line . Line comes to this station as well. Next to the station and directly connected to it is a fairly large underground shopping area, good for clothing and souvenirs. See Shanghai#Clothing for discussion of this area and other places with similar stuff.

By metro

Shanghai's first two metro lines were line running north-south and line east-west. They intersect at People's Square station in Huangpu, and line now comes there as well; People's Square may be the busiest subway station on Earth. Line also runs through the district and line runs along its southern edge. See Downtown_Shanghai#Get_around for more on metro lines in Huangpu and nearby areas.

By car

There are good roads into the area, notably Yan'an Elevated Road coming in from the west, a road running north-south along the river front — Zhongshan Road coming in from the south, a tunnel that runs under the central part of the Bund, and a bridge going into Hongkou at the north end — and a bridge going east to Pudong.
As a general rule, unless you have accommodation which includes parking it is not worth bringing a car into the area. If you have parking, park the vehicle and walk or take the metro for most trips. Driving in China is often difficult, though generally less so in Shanghai than in smaller cities. Also, Huangpu is the most central area in a city of well over 20 million; traffic jams are common and parking is nearly always very difficult.

• Tianchan Beijing Opera Center and Yifu Theater

  phone: +86 21 6322 5294
  Beijing Opera or jīngjù (京剧) can be seen in the opera house on Fuzhou Lu 701, on the first corner on your right if you walk down Fuzhou Lu coming from Renmin Square. Chinese opera is very different from its Western counterpart, and you may want to listen to a sample to decide if you'll survive for three hours. Some operas include acrobatic stunts or martial arts displays (Jackie Chan was trained in Chinese opera), other focus more on singing, and sometimes a tourist-oriented mash-up is performed that includes "the best bits" from various works. Interest for this art-form is low from tourists and Shanghainese alike, so getting a ticket is not a problem. Show listings and staff are Mandarin-only though. Price is around 80 yuan.

• Power Station of Art

  phone: +86 21 3110 8550
  address: 200 Huayuangang Rd, Huangpu District
  Locating on the Huangpu River, this place used to be a power plant and a pavillion for Expo 2010, now the first state-run contemporary art museum in China. It also holds the Shanghai Biennale of contemporary art. You can see the industrial relic of the power plant and the contemporary artworks as well.

• Holy Trinity Church (Anglican)On the east side of People's Square in the old British district.

The Bund

• Customs HouseAn eight storey building on the Bund featuring a highly visible clocktower nicknamed "Big Ching". Built in 1927, it is seen as one of the symbols of the Bund.

• HSBC BuildingThe grandest building on the Bund is now home to the Pudong Development Bank.

• Huangpu ParkAt the northern tip of the Bund, was the legendary home of the "No dogs or Chinese" sign — which in fact never existed, although Chinese not accompanied by foreigners were indeed banned until 1928. The Bund Historical Museum located here is also worth a quick visit.

• Shanghai Gallery of Art

  address: No. 3, Zhong Shan Dong Yi Road

People's Park

• People's Park

Entry into People's Park on the north half of the square is free, but all attractions listed below are on the edges of the park, not inside.

• Shanghai Grand Opera PalaceThe Opera Palace is often listed as one of the ten best opera houses in the world. Performances are normally "classic" Western-style opera.

• Shanghai Museum

  phone: +86 21 63723500
  address: 201 Renmin Dadao
  The museum has a huge collection of ancient Chinese antiques, including bronze, ceramics, calligraphy works, painting, jades and sculptures. The Gallery of Ancient Bronze on the first floor is particularly impressive, containing some of the best antiques in China. The exterior evokes a bronze urn, which is appropriate since the museum holds the world's greatest collection of Chinese bronzes. The collection is well-presented and state-of-the-art. Directions and information are presented in Chinese and English, and the facilities are world-class. The multilingual audio guide, ¥40, is excellent, especially if you do not know much about Chinese art. Also, there are often volunteer tour guides providing free service. Some of them speak English.

• Moca Shanghai

  phone: +86 21 63279900
  address: 231 W Nanjing Road
  An art gallery by the park.

• Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center

  phone: +86 21 63184477
  address: 100 Renmin Dadao
  More interesting than you'd expect given its name, this museum documents the history of Shanghai and attempts to chart its future, with changing exhibits on the first two floors and a permanent exhibition on the rest. Many historic pictures from the 19th century introduce still-existing historic places. There is a heavy focus on eco-friendly satellite cities with spacious public centres and loads of greenery. Particularly worthwhile is the massive scale model of what Shanghai should look like in 2020. Plan to spend two hours or more here.

• Shanghai History Museum

  phone: +86-021-6323-2504
  address: 325 West Nanjing Road
  The Race Club building (1934) has an imposing, 10-storey tall tower which was long a landmark of central Shanghai. The clubhouse's exterior has a neo-classical structure, with eclectic details. Read more on Wikipedia about the Shanghai Race Club. - The museum's large collections focus on the approximately a hundred years in the history of Shanghai from the opening of the port in 1843 to the communist take-over in 1949. The museum's oldest relics are from 6,000 years ago. It features a cannon used in the first Opium War, a sedan chair, and two bronze lions that used to "protect" the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corp on the Bund. Other exhibits teach us about the history of art, culture and industrialization. Technical info: There are two buildings: east and west. The main block is the east building, entrance is below the tower (north). English audio guide, available for ¥20 (+¥200 deposit), covers only the east building.

• Huangpu River cruiseAt the Bund's southern ferry port with the following: One hour, two hour and three hour cruises on the Huangpu. There is a large number of ticket offices and the prices differ slightly.

• Huangpu River ferryFor those on a budget or short on time, you can take the ferry across to Pudong. This takes about 15 min and costs ¥2. One of the wharves is located at the Jinling East Road Zhongshan East 2nd Road crossing, as our map shows. Buy the plastic coin or use your metro card. The ferry will drop you in Pudong at the end of Dongchang Road. The best experience is to walk from there, but you can take line 1, which is a red bus probably waiting a few meters away when you arrive. The bus displays "陆家嘴金融城1路" meaning Lujiazui Financial City line 1, and it gets you to the Oriental Pearl Tower.

• Bund "Sightseeing" TunnelA slow-moving tram, through a comically low-tech tunnel with bizarre commentary in English and Chinese. It is marketed as a Sightseeing Tunnel, however there are no sights other than 80s-era rope lights, lasers and some inflatables that look as though they belong in a car dealership. It is a rather surreal experience. This is the fastest way of crossing between the Bund in Puxi and the Pearl TV Tower in Pudong but also the most expensive; it is essentially a tourist trap. After arriving you'll be dropped off in a hall full of tourist-trap shops, which should come as no surprise since the entrance is a few meters from the TV Tower and this is a mode of transportation that locals rarely use. Not recommended for those sensitive to strobe lights or mediocrity — unless you are prepared to spend some cash to look at flashing lights instead of walking 5 minutes to the South and taking the ferry or walking 5 minutes West to Nanjing Road East metro station and taking the Metro. On the other hand, it is also significantly less packed than either of those during peak hours.

In the tourist shops in this area some bargaining is definitely required to get a reasonable price. With the street vendors, it is generally required even to get close to reasonable.
Nanjing Road and the smaller streets off it have extensive shopping and many "husband daycare centers" (see #Drink) where less enthusiastic shoppers can be amused for hours at fairly moderate cost.
There are a few shops along the Bund.

• 3 on the BundHouses the nation's flagship Armani store as well as several critically-acclaimed restaurants.

Fuzhou Road, running East-West parallel to Nanjing Road but two short blocks South of it, has a good foreign language bookstore, several other bookstores including one that specialises in art and architecture, and half a dozen shops selling artists' supplies.

• Suzhou Cobblers

  phone: +86 21 63217087
  address: 17 Fuzhou Lu
  Beautiful hand-embroidered, Chinese-style silk shoes, slippers, handbags and accessories. A rare combination of historic and modern Shanghai styles.

There are two antique markets in the area, one with an entrance to your right off Fuzhou Road if you are walking away from the Bund, several blocks along, and another nearby in a basement accessible from one of the side streets between Fuzhou and Nanjing roads. Neither is well-marked (or at least not in English) so you may have to hunt for them, and some prices are outrageous, but they are worth a look. These places are more upmarket than most others in the city; if you want to buy, or just look at, things like jade carvings that might actually be worth a few thousand dollars, this is where they are. For more mundane antique markets, see Shanghai#Antiques.

Budget

• Da Niang Shui Jiao

  address: East Nanjing Rd. (南京东路 "nanjing dong lu")
  Part of a chain of dumpling (饺子 "jiaozi") restaurants around the country. Think of it like the McDonalds of Chinese dumplings. Some of the cheapest food on the Nanjing Rd. pedestrian mall, but be prepared with either a phrase book or a Chinese friend. Dumplings are ordered in "fen". "san fen" (三分) is three fen, a normal-sized plate. To order dumplings: number + "fen" + filling (pork, vegetable, etc.) Soup is also available.

Mid-range

• Kebabs on the Grille

  phone: +86 15921803307
  address: 479 Zhongshan Nan Lu
  Indian cuisine with a new concept of grille on the table.

• City Bull Steak House and Bar

  phone: +86 3330 2339
  address: 300 Nanjing Rd. at Henan Rd. 2nd floor.
  Close to the Bund, great views of the Pearl Tower from the second floor location. Food is reasonably priced and caters to Western palates.

Splurge

• M on the Bund

  phone: +86 21-63509988
  address: 5 The Bund
  Open for over a decade, Shanghai's original "new" western restaurant. Attention to detail is given to freshness, quality and presentation. There is an excellent selection of wines to complement your meal and the desserts are extremely tempting. Miele considers it one of the best restaurants in Asia. Also has magnificent views of Pudong from the 7th floor on the waterfront.
• Huanghe Rd (黄河路, next to Park Hotel) has an assembly of good but fairly expensive seafood restaurants in the Chinese style, geared more for larger groups and featuring fish tanks, meters of red plush and golden dragons encrusted on all available surfaces.

• Roof 325

  address: 325 Nanjing Xi (West) Road, 5th floor
  The location is atop the colonial-era racetrack clubhouse. The racetrack has now become People's Park and the clubhouse has been restored as the Shanghai Art Museum. The menu offers gastronomical global cuisine with French influence. The views from the glass-encased rooftop and garden terrace are spectacular.

All the major hotels do a large, high-quality, high-priced buffet breakfast which is available to anyone; you need not stay there to enjoy it.

• Jamaica Blue

  phone: +86 21 6280 8067
  address: 700号 Jiujiang Road
  Part of an Australia-based chain with several locations in Shanghai and others around China and the Pacific Rim. Coffee and Western food of good quality, and a range of beers. Patio. Prices are on the high side by Chinese standards, but competitive with other Western restaurants.

Bar Rouge

phone: +86 21-63391199

A magnificent dance club and bar with a terrace on the 7th floor, overlooking the Huangpu River. If you order their signature drink (Bar Rouge), they set the bar alight.

Captain's Bar

address: 37 Fuzhou Lu, near Sichuan Zhong Lu 福州路37号， 近四川中路

A cheaper bar near the Bund, on the roof of Captain's Hostel. Low-key but welcoming atmosphere, popular with backpackers and visitors to Shanghai, Captain's caters to a younger, less pretentious crowd — a rarity in the district (Cheap mochito for ¥50).

Budget

• Captain Hostel

  phone: +86 21-63235053
  address: 37 Fuzhou Rd
  Average rooms (which have seen better days), cheap dorms, unbeatable location. Rooms are not clean, some smoky. There is a fantastic rooftop bar directly facing the Bund and the river. You should be aware that while the Bund is swarming with tourists by day, affordable nightlife is sorely lacking in the surrounding area. A taxi ride to the more happening French Concession area is about ¥20.

• Hiker Youth Hostel Shanghai

  phone: +86 21-63298099
  address: 450 Middle Jiangxi Rd 上海市黄浦区江西中路450号
  Another supurbly located hostel only moments from the Bund. Excellent beds, friendly staff (several with good English skills). Relaxed atmosphere, bar with free pool and DVDs. Three free internet terminals. Hot water is turned off noon-7PM. This hostel will also arrange train/aeroplane tickets. Airport pickup is possible.

• Hongkong Hotel

  phone: +86 21-63390183
  address: 31 Hongkong Jie
  If all the youth hostels are fully booked, which happens frequently, this is the next cheapest option on the Bund.

• Jinjiang Inn "South Fujian"

  phone: +86 21 6326 0505
  address: 33 Fujian Nanlu
  Near the Old City, about a 15 minute walk from People's square. The hotel is entirely renovated, and offers very clean rooms with TV and Internet connection.

• Shanghai YMCAComfortable rooms at a good quality price.

Mid-range

• Green Court Serviced Apartment

  phone: +86 21 2308-6666
  address: 55 Beijing Xi Road, Huangpu district
  This apart'hotel is located in People's Square, close to the Shanghai Municipal Government Building, Huaihai Road shopping district and Shanghai Museum. Each apartment, ranging from studios to two-bedroom apartments has a kitchen, living room, fitted bathroom, and Wi-Fi access.

• Jin Jiang East Asia Hotel

  phone: +86 21-63223223
  address: 680 Nanjing E Rd
  Offers 164 refurbished rooms, all of which have air-conditioning, satellite TV, and high-speed Internet access. Some of its amenities include The Magnolia Hall that can accommodate up to 50 guests theater-style; business center that offers copy service, courier, fax, printing; and concierge that assists in airline, car rental, and tour inquiries.

• Magnificent International Hotel

  address: 381 Xizang S Rd
  The hotel offers 182 rooms, of which 13 are suites, this hotel has of one of the best locations in the Huangpu District. It's a 15-min walk from the Huang Pi Road Subway Station, and is within proximity of business and conference venues, shopping districts, and cultural attractions such as The Bund and the Yuyuan Garden.

• Metropole Hotel Jin Jiang

  address: 180 Jiang Xi Rd (Middle) 上海市黄浦区江西中路180号
  This splendid 1930 Art Deco hotel offers 137 rooms and has facilities such as a Chinese restaurant, a lobby bar, and number of conference and meeting facilities. Centrally located, just 0.5 km (0.3 mi) away from The Bund, and easily accessible from Shanghai International Convention Center.

• Nanjing Hotel Shanghai Jin Jiang

  phone: +86 21-63222888
  address: 200 Shanxi S Rd, Huangpu District
  It offers 165 air-conditioned guestrooms, all of which have mini-bar, cable TV, and room safe. Their restaurant called Shanghai Town serves Beijing and Shanghai cuisines.

• Pacific Hotel

  phone: +86 21-63276226
  address: 108 W Nanjing Rd
  Offers air-conditioned rooms, all of which have room safe, telephone with voice mail, and high-speed Internet access. Some of its amenities include Jinmen Club (spa and beauty salon), badminton and swimming facilities, and free shuttle bus to and from Hongqiao Airport.

• Shanghai Hundred Centuries Hotel

  phone: +86 21-51503777
  address: 1528 Nan Xizang Lu
  Offers 94 air-conditioned rooms with mini bar, television, telephone, and free high speed Internet access.

• Shanghai Yinbo Hotel

  phone: +86 21-63256999
  address: 135 Tiantong Rd 上海市虹口区天潼路135号
  Typical nondescript mid range hotel located across the bridge on the north side of the Bund.

• The Topsun on The Bund

  phone: +86 21-65456999
  address: 36 Huimin Rd
  Four-star hotel, situated north of the bustling business area where many of Shanghai’s largest financial establishments, businesses, and foreign consulates can be found.

Splurge

• Astor House Hotel

  phone: +86 21-63246388
  address: 15 Huangpu Rd
  A classy option, formerly known as Pujiang Fandian, placed right next to the Bund in a building full of history. Established in 1846, it was the first Parliament of China, had the first electric light in China and once housed Albert Einstein and Charlie Chaplin. The hotel has a wide range of prices, including a Youth Hostel in its 5th floor. In-room internet is ¥60 per day. Some 5th floor rooms have views and most have wood floors and 12' celling.

• Hyatt on the Bund

  phone: +86 21-63931234
  address: 199 Huangpu Rd
  5 star hotel opened in 2007 as part of the Grand Hyatt brand. Equipped with state of the art business and meeting facilities including 2 ballrooms and a glasshouse for special events.

• Le Royal Méridien Shanghai

  phone: +86 21 3318-9999
  address: 789 Nanjing Road East
  The hotel is located on Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street, surrounded by popular shopping malls and other business outlets with only a short walk away to the Bund. This 66-storey building offers 761 guest rooms with views of the Huangpu River, People’s Square, or the Shanghai skyline. The hotel is in modern French style and offers diverse cuisine choices from its 6 dining venues.

• Les Suites Orient, Bund Shanghai

  phone: +86 21-63200088
  address: 1 East Jinling Road
  Right on the Bund opposite the ferry terminal, the Les Suites Orient lives up to its name. The free breakfast is not to be missed.

• New Harbour Service Apartments

  phone: +86 21-63551889
  address: 88 Yongshou Rd, Huangpu District
  4-star hotel located close to it are The Bund, Yu Garden, and Shanghai Great Theatre. 255 rooms, all of which have air-conditioning, satellite TV, and a mini-bar with refrigerator. Amenities include Chinese, Japanese and Western restaurants, health club, and internet room.

• Pacific Hotel

  address: 108 Xi Nanjing Lu
  A convenient jump-off point for exploring Shanghai since it is located at the west end of Nanjing East Rd, near the Bund and several Shanghai landmarks.

• Park Hotel

  address: 170 Nanjing West Rd
  Tel. 6327 5225. Another Art Deco masterpiece, the Park Hotel was once the tallest building in the Far East with 22 soaring stories, but in today's Shanghai it looks like a refugee from Gotham City among the surrounding glass and steel skyscrapers. Convenient location, but the rooms with good views facing Nanjing Xilu and the Park also have to deal with the road's traffic noise. Doubles around US$100.

• Peace Hotel

  phone: +86 21-63216888
  address: Nanjing E Rd
  Shanghai's grand old hotel, in 1930s Art Deco style and ideally located on the Bund. Perhaps somewhat overpriced given the lacklustre facilities and the spotty service. It has, however, a great cafe where you can enjoy a cup of coffee, as well as some jazz music played by the famous "Old Men's Jazz Band" made up of old musicians who played in the same hotel in the 1930s. In 2007, the hotel closed for a 3 year renovation and the North Building reopened in 2010 as the Fairmont Peace Hotel Shanghai. The hotel offers 269 deluxe guestrooms and suites with a selection of eight restaurants and lounges. A low-rise extension has been added to the rear of the hotel, housing guestrooms as well as a sky-lit swimming pool and spa. The renovation also preserved many elements of its historical 1920s and 1930s past.

• Radisson Shanghai New World

  address: 88 Nanjing Rd
  This hotel is connected to the New World department store and has easy access to most of Shanghai via the Metro.

• Salvo Hotel Shanghai

  phone: +86 21-53524888
  address: 339 Guangdong Road
  The first all-steel high-rise in the area covering The Bund, Huangpu River and Nanjing Road. This 5-star hotel features Spanish-style furnishings and diverse cuisines in each of its three restaurants.

• Yun’s Paradise Hotel

  phone: +86 21-63356666
  address: 789 E Fuxing R (Junction of S Henan Rd), Huangpu District
  Offers air-conditioned guestrooms, all of which have Philips LCD TV with satellite channels, premium beds draped in picasso cotton beddings, and free high-speed Internet access. Some of its amenities include Yun’s Paradise Health Center, Yun’s Paradise Porch (sells various Jiangnan products), and Harvest Festival Restaurant (serves Jiangnan and Ningbo cuisines. It also features a banquet hall and private room).

This is a major tourist area and all sorts of people that prey on tourists are active here, especially around the Bund and Nanjing Road; you need to take precautions against common scams and pickpockets; see those articles for details.
There are also beggars, prostitutes and some rather aggressive sales people working the area. In general, these are best ignored, though you might try bargaining one of the sales people down to a reasonable price.
In the Nanjing Road area, never get taken in by the offers made for massage and follow the girls. A few might actually do massage, but many are prostitutes and some are just bait; they will take you to a secluded area where a group of men will threaten you, rob all your cash and take out money on your credit cards.