Shanghai is located in Eastern China and it is the most populous city in the world. Shanghai is the major financial hub of China and it is the biggest city of China. World’s biggest container port is located in Shanghai.
Shanghai is a showpiece of fast pace growth of Chinese economy. Shanghai is famous all over the world for the view of Lujiazui skyline from Bund. Shanghai has a very efficient transport system and all the major areas of Shanghai are well connected with Metro. Shanghai Airport is situated at the outskirt of the city and it takes about 1 hour to reach Pudong financial district from Shanghai Airport. I will strongly suggest not to travel to Shanghai during winter season because Shanghai is mostly covered with smog in winter and the the temperature drops below 0. The visibility is not great during this period of the year and you will not get to see the best views of Shanghai Skyline.
Shanghai tower Observation Deck – I took subway line 2 from Shanghai airport and it took me 1.5 hours to reach Lujiazui station. Shanghai tower is situated by just 10 minutes walk from Lujiazui metro station. Shanghai tower is the second tallest building in the world. Shanghai tower Observation deck is the highest observation deck in the world. Two other super tall buildings Jin Mao tower and Shanghai World Financial center are located near Shanghai tower. The Observation deck is located at 118th floor and it was opened to public in April 2017.
The ticket price to the Observation deck costs 180 Yuan. After passing through security check i entered the main exhibition hall of the tower. The exhibition hall features different models of Shanghai tower, construction history and different proposed designs of the tower. I had to queue up for about 10 minutes for the lift. The Observation deck is served by the world’s fastest elevators. I was feeling constant change in air pressure inside my ear throughout the entire journey and the experience lasted hardly a minute. The view of Bund, Huangpu river and Oriental Pearl tower was incredible from the Observation deck. Afternoon time is probably the best time to visit the deck because the visibility is excellent during this time of the day. The Observation deck was not that crowded and i really enjoyed the view of Jin Mao tower and Shanghai World Financial Center from the deck. Please don’t buy any souvenir items from the shops locates inside the Observation deck because the items are overpriced. I bought similar souvenir items from the street shops at half of the original price. Shanghai Observation deck is a perfect place kick start your trip to Shanghai.
Yu Yuan Garden– It takes about 30 minutes to reach Yu Yuan Garden from Shanghai tower. I took subway line 2 to Nanjing East Road station from Lujiazui station. Nanjing Road is the main shopping street of Shanghai and it is considered as the busiest shopping street of the world. Nanjing Road is a perfect place to stay during your visit to Shanghai and it is located near Bund. My accommodation was located near Nanjing Road East metro station. I checked into my hotel and then took subway line 10 to Yu Yuan garden. Yu garden is a Chinese garden and it was built during the Ming Dynasty. City God temple is a folk temple and it is located inside Yu Garden.
Chenghuang Miao area is the most famous tourist spot inside the garden and it features Pavilion, pond and tea houses. The streets near Yu Yuan Garden are completely commercialized. You will find number of shops selling handicrafts, souvenir items and street food. I visited the place during afternoon time and it was very crowded. I will strongly advice against travelling to Yu garden if you don’t like crowded and commercialized places
Xintiandi– Xintiandi is a car free shopping and dining area in Shanghai. Xintiandi metro station is situated on line 10 and it is the closest metro station. Most of the restaurants in the area have outdoor seating. Xintiandi is a popular hangout spot among locals and expats during weekends. The entire block was redeveloped for a decade and now it is the most expensive neighborhood in China. Xintiandi is a low rise neighborhood and it has good mix of ancient Chinese and modern architecture. The area also features small cafes, art gallery and high end handicraft stores. I visited the place during Saturday evening and there was nice vibe to the entire place.
Bund – Bund is the most famous tourist destination in Shanghai. It is a waterfront area which runs parallel to Huangpu river. Bund is located opposite to Lujiazui skyline on the other side of Huangpu river. The view of the Lujiazui skyline from Bund has been featured number of times in the tourist campaigns. Bund is considered as the symbol of Shanghai. The total length of waterfront Promenade is 1.5 km. I would recommend everyone to walk along the entire Promenade because the view is different from every angle. I walked along the promenade from Hong Kong & Shanghai Bank till the Waibaidu Bridge. I visited Bund during morning, afternoon and at night because the view is completely different during different time of the day. The night view of Lujiazui skyline was excellent from the Bund and the place felt like 50 years ahead of time compared to other parts of the world. It was foggy and the top half of Shanghai tower was completely covered in fog. After 10 pm they switched off the neon lights of the Lujiazui skyline. The next day i went to the Bund early morning and the view was foggy. I would strongly recommend everyone to stay near Bund because all the major tourist attractions are located near the Bund. On the last day i visited Bund during afternoon and the weather was clear. Finally on the last day i was able to capture perfect view from the Bund.
Maglev train– Shanghai Maglev train is the fastest commercial high-speed train in the world. The train connects Shanghai Pudong Airport to Longyang Road Station. Maglev train runs on specially designed elevated track and the train travels along a guide-way of magents. The train has no moving parts and it is quieter and smoother
compared to traditional trains. It takes about 8 minutes to cover 30 km distance between Longyang Road Station and Shanghai Pudong Airport. The top speed of the Maglev train is limited to 431 Kmph. The train runs at the top speed of 431 km/h in the morning time in between 9 am to 10.45 am and in the afternoon time in between 3 pm to 3.45 pm. The service starts from Longyang Road Station at around 6.45 am and the last service from Pudong Airport is at 9.40 pm. I took one way 3.10 pm train from Longyang Road Station to Pudong Airport.
One way ticket costs 50 CNY and the round trip ticket costs 80 CNY. I wanted to experience top speed of 431 km/h thats why i choose to travel between 3 pm and 3.45 pm. The top speed of the train is limited to 300 km/h during other period of the day. The train accelerated quickly to the top speed of 431 km/h and the experience was very unique. There was some vibration inside the train when the train was travelling at the top speed.
Overall I really enjoyed my 2 days trip to Shanghai. Shanghai is a ultra modern futuristic city and it should be in the bucket list any traveler.
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