This list is by no means exhaustive but rather the places we visited because they appealed to us!
Experience
The Weekend Marriage Market
Held in the afternoons every weekend at people’s park, this was the live version of the newspaper matrimonials, shaadi.com or any other marriage forum! The scale was much larger than I’d expected with the lanes of the park lined with hundreds of umbrellas displaying biodatas and often photos of the “available” individual- and as with most arranged marriages it seemed to be the older family members pushing the younger ones into it. Since arranged marriages were banned by law in China in 1950(google says!), it was surprising to see this market flourishing, but, I guess traditions tend to last until generations have outlived them which made me wonder how many matches are actually made here nowadays!
Hilarious translation of a marriage profile
Not a must but if you’re around its something new and the park is a nice place to wander around seeing the locals playing games, playing music, dancing and generally enjoying the sun.
Recommended Visit Duration - up to you
The Friends Café *
Ok if you’re a Friends fan like me this is a must visit! I read about it online and knew I had to go. I dragged my husband along for company and eventually found the hidden gem. It’s a small version of Central Perk and really cute. With the main couch looking out onto the street, I could imagine spending much of my time here – no wonder it was the gangs fav hangout! Episodes of friends play on the tv and there is even a special menu with friend favs on it- I had Ross’s thanksgiving leftover sandwich complete with moist maker!!!!
It’s on the pricer side and the food is nothing special but, hey, it’s worth it for the experience. I recommend grabbing a coffee, cuddling up with Hugsy on the iconic couch and just watching the world go by!
Oh yes, much to my delight there was even a cat skulking about but thank god he wasn’t smelly!!!!
The iconic Friends Cafe
Recommended Visit Duration - up to you
The Bund *
This is the famed waterfront area in central Shanghai. Home to many starred hotels and restaurants it is the modern, happening part of the city.
During the day you can walk along its length (around 2.6km I think) enjoying the views of European style buildings on one side and modern skyscrapers on the other and if you love flowers, don’t forget to get off the walkway onto the pathway below. This area has manicured lawns and seasonal flowers along its length- it was tulips when we went and it was truly beautiful.
It is, however, at night that the Bund really shows itself off. The hundreds of lights are enthralling and it’s lovely to just stroll along in the evenings. We took way too many photos but the vista was just to pretty not to! The shimmering skyline is also a favored backdrop for wedding photoshoots so don’t be surprised to see newlyweds posing in their finery! Everywhere in China the crowds, of course, come in the busloads but they tend to collect in the central portion of the walkway so just walk further out and find a quiet space –the views are the same everywhere.
The Bund by (smoggy) day The Bund by night
Recommended Visit Duration - up to you
Nanjing Road
Known as the main and busiest shopping street of Shanghai, Nanjing has the usual plethora of modern shops, fast food restaurants and local malls. Be prepared to be approached by individuals selling fake goods and as they will take you to an out of way location to view the goods, make sure you feel safe!
Nothing out of the ordinary for me and it could easily be given a miss if you’re not into shopping. It does, however, connect the People’s Park area and the Bund so a nice long walk if you enjoy the exercise! If you don’t then there is a trackless train which will take you up and down the road for a price.
Nanjing Road
Recommended Visit Duration - up to you
Yu Gardens *
Not exactly the typical garden we’re used to with grass and flowers, Yu Gardens also known as Yuyuan Gardens is a classical Chinese garden. With several waterbodies and many rock formations, it is an unusual and yet beautiful place. I lost my way inside several times but found many hidden areas in the process- not a massive expanse but large enough to keep you occupied for a relaxing couple of hours if you arrive early enough. Be sure to notice all the differently shaped doorways as you go through them and look up to see the twin dragons that sit atop the walls. I did not take a guide as I just wanted to wander and enjoy the space but there are audio guides available online for free.
The ticket booth and entrance are near the famous Huxinton Teahouse and as always, to make the most of your experience, go early to avoid the inevitable crowds.
Huxington Tea House
Yu Gardens
Recommended visit duration- 2hrs +
French Concession
Having heard good things about this area, I signed up for a free walking tour to explore. The French Concession is a surprisingly quiet neighborhood with wide shaded roads boasting many cafes and bakeries. Our tour group walked by tiny flats in old buildings, exclusive private residences, a former French club, the Shanghai culture square, artistic areas, historic buildings and several other locations all within the 3 hour walk which was informative and fun. The last stop on the tour was Tianzifang and here we were left to explore on our own.
Our walking group Hundreds living in these Tianzifang old buildings
Recommended visit duration- 3hrs if you take the tour
Click Here for the tour I used.
Tianzifang *
Tianzifang is an arts and crafts enclave that has developed within a renovated traditional residential area in the French Concession. With boutiques, bars and restaurants located in a labyrinth of small alleys, it’s a great place to spend an afternoon or evening. Enjoy some street food and relax with a cocktail at one of the many bars before heading back home.
Of course being a touristic location the price of everything is higher but splurge if something special catches your eye- I had to have a pair of the famed inexpensive local canvas shoe from Feiyue and we also bought a Chinese ceramic side table we fell in love with!
Recommended visit duration- up to you
Our Chinese Sidetable My Shanghai Feiyue
Eat
XLB (xaio long bao)
Xiaolongbao is a type of Chinese steamed bun traditionally prepared in a Xiaolong, which is a kind of small bamboo steaming basket, which gives them their name. When I had looked for recommendations online, 2 places kept popping up as local favorites – Jiajia for steamed and Yangs(they have several branches) for pan-fried-so naturally these where the first places we went.
Super hungry as we had skipped breakfast, we arrived at lunch time and had no problem finding Jiajia and, as expected, there was a long line outside it.
While we waited, I saw 2 young ladies eating some delicious looking pan fried xlb in the que in front of us. By now my stomach was rumbling so I went over to her and asked where she had bought them, all the time praying she spoke English. It was my lucky day as she was a student from Malaysia, spoke English and was happy to help. Amazingly they were from the shop opposite which happened to be….Yangs! She advised me to get a take away of the pan fried xlb (minimal wait time) and eat them while waiting in queue which is what a lot of people seemed to be doing. Leaving my husband to keep our spot, I went across to see what was available. The kitchen was visible from the entrance and boy did the buns look yummy! The menu was displayed on the wall- basic description in English but it had photos- and I ordered what looked to be a sampling of their 3 types of filled buns. Handing over my receipt to the kitchen I was served a box of steaming hot xlb straight out of the pan and some disposable wooden chopsticks. What I should have asked for was napkins and you’ll see why.
Back in the que, my husband started nibbling away happily but the minute I took a bite, my steaming hot, juice filled xlb exploded all over my face, jacket an
d purse! No burns but what a mess- everyone around (including my traitor hubby) had a good giggle at my expense while I unsuccessfully tried to wipe away the oily mess using emergency tissues provided by strangers! Luckily they tasted amazing and made my humiliation more bearable!
Tip: bite a tiny hole in the bun to let some steam escape, suck some of the juice out carefully as its hot and only then eat like you mean it!
Stained but not deterred we were ready to take on the next set of buns.
Jiajia XLB *
Jiajia is a small restaurant with mostly sharing tables which you are in line for once you’ve ordered the food at the entrance. The displayed menu is in Chinese but when the cashier/hostess sees an obvious foreign face she brings out a sheet with the available items on it in English. Jiajia is known for its crab and crab and pork steamed xlb (only other thing we saw being served was some sort of soup) and we ordered a portion of the mixed one to share with some chilled Singtao beer. After waiting a few minutes peering into the tiny kitchen space and watching the xlb being prepared, we were shown to 2 recently vacated seats and squeezed into our places. The receipt was kept displayed in front of us as a marker and soon enough our steaming basket of xlb was delivered. Having recently learned my lesson, I bit gingerly into the steaming pouch in front of me and was rewarded with a hot, tasty crab broth. The second bite yielded the filling and I was in heaven- boy was it yum and so worth the wait. We polished off our basket and vowed to return at a later date and this time order a portion each!
The last place we tried xlb was recommended by a friend in China and was also mentioned in TimeOut Shanghai- Dahuchun.
A quaint little restaurant adorned with pictures of famous diners like Tim Cook, we enjoyed some more delectable xlb and even tired the soup this time. While the soup for us was nothing special, the xlb were fresh and delicious.
As china is the home of xlb, almost every place serves it. The fun part is trying then out and deciding on a favorite! For us Jiajia and Yangs, located on Huanghe Road near the People’s Square, were the best we found in terms of taste and an authentic experience and we returned thrice while in the city!
Giant XLB
Let’s just say I had to try this because I’m a sucker for gimmicks! Google warned me that it was not very edible but …….
A big steamed dumpling served in a small plastic box with a straw inserted into the center. I realized after sucking out the tasty broth that the shell was inedible as it was too thick and tough- and being comparatively expensive it appealed to more to my nerdy side rather than my foodie one!
Giant XLB
Hotpot
Hotpot is a Chinese cooking method, prepared with a simmering pot of soup stock at the dining table, containing a variety of East Asian foodstuffs and ingredients. While the hot pot is kept simmering, ingredients are placed into the pot and are cooked at the table.
The broth can be ordered in varying degrees of spiciness to suit individual palettes.
Hai Di Lao was a hotpot restaurant chain recommended by both hotel staff and locals we met plus it had the noodle show that I’d been waiting to see.
Both branches we went to were located inside malls- not sure if they have stand-alone restaurants -and were pretty much the same.
We were seated at a table with an inbuilt heating trough divided into 4 segments. These are for whatever stocks you choose and between 2- 4 varieties can be selected depending on how many people are dining. We went with a mushroom(mild), a medium spicy and a very spicy soup and took the staffs advice and had plain boiling water in the last.
The spicy versions have a beef stock base so ask before you order in case you have food restrictions.
Next we ordered a variety of vegetables and meats to cook in the stocks as well as the much anticipated fresh pulled noodles.
We were given zip lock pouches for our phones, aprons to protect our clothing and covers were draped over our bags and jackets- guess it was going to be a messy affair!
The staff then showed us to a buffet counter with a few cold appetizers and, most importantly, the huge range of dipping sauces for our meats and veges. As we could take as many as we wanted as often as we wanted, there was ample room to experiment.
Back to the table and our simmering stocks arrived, along with the rest of our order, sans the noodles which we were to call for when we were ready for them.
Quick, freshly cooked items in delicious broth dipped in an assortment of delicious sauces- what could be better???? The noodle show-my bucket list item. We called for it and a young man specialized in the performance arrived. Over the next 2-3 minutes we were spellbound as he proceeded to transform a lump of dough into strips of thin long noodles and drop them into our stocks to cook. It really was an experience and the freshly pulled noodles tasted great. So worth it!
*sorry for the poor videography :(
As with most restaurants in China we were served chilled fresh fruit (which I confess to nibbling on during the meal as well to cut the spice of the mouth numbing schezuan pepper!) to mark the end of the meal.
Interestingly enough, on the way, out I discovered that Hai Di Lao offers free beverages, massages and manicure services if you have to wait for a table during busy times- sadly there was no waiting when we went but I think if you are interested they will bend the rules and give you a treat!
Scallion pancakes *
A traditional snack in China, they are kind of like small laccha parathas or puff pastry with scallion. Served warm/hot and generally fresh from the griddle they were surprisingly delicious and flaky and served in a small packet to eat on the go. We had them twice and I still have a craving for more!
Scallion Pancakes made fresh
Recommendations
I suggest staying on or near The Bund- the area is lively and has good metro connections and is central to a lot of tourist areas.
Wherever you choose to stay make sure it’s near a metro.
Carry your hotel card always
Walk walk walk- this is the best way to explore any city.
Impressions
Shanghai was the most modern of the Chinese cities we visited with historical areas juxtaposing with the new. The skyline in the Bund area was mesmerizing at night and the city’s infrastructure was better than many newer cities.
People were generally very friendly and helpful but the concept of social behavior was missing- people talked very loudly, phones were on speaker blaring music, spitting was rampant and people pushing and shoving seemed the norm.
The usual international fast food chains were visible everywhere so fussy eaters have options but they are often located in traditional buildings which spoils the charm of the area.
Public transport was great except for taxis which were hard to hail, impossible to communicate with (always carry a hotel card to show) and often unwilling to go by meter unless you board from a hotel. This is a problem worldwide but coupled with the language issue it made the metro the best mode of travel for us.
All in all, I really enjoyed exploring Shanghai and would be happy to return someday.