Shanghai is a good city to explore on foot, even though all the construction will make walking in some areas a challenge. If you only have one day in port, you might want to use your time to walk around the city. Get a good guide book and map and plan your day.
Shanghai's most important sightseeing spot is the Bund, which is the area along the western side of the waterfront that still has many colonial buildings from pre-1949. The Bund (Wai Tun) is along Zhongshan Dong Lu, one of the main thoroughfares of the old city. A friend who visited Shanghai a few years ago said to be sure to walk along the Bund early in the morning just after dawn or at night. In the early morning, Shanghai residents (and probably some tourists) use the area for aerobics, tai chi, kung fu, and ballroom dancing. At night, the buildings take on a special aura when they are lit with floodlights, and the lovers come out to stroll along the river.
Other "must sees" in the old city are the Peace Hotel, the Yu Garden, and the Shanghai Museum. The Peace Hotel (once known as the Cathay Hotel and the Palace Hotel) is located at the corner of the Bund and Nanjing Lu, another of Shanghai's main streets. At one time, the hotel was rated as high as Raffles in Singapore and the Peninsula in Hong Kong. Its art deco look and ornate woodwork still make for a wonderful historic hotel, and the outdoor cafe on the rooftop is a good vantage point to watch the action in the city below.
The Yu Garden (Yuyuan) has long been a gathering point, social center and marketplace for Shanghai's citizens and visitors. The garden is at the center of a maze of shops selling traditional Chinese arts and crafts and souvenirs. In addition to this bazaar, there are also small restaurants of all sorts, and a garden with a museum, temple, and some nice stone bridges and carp ponds.
The Shanghai Museum has one of the country's finest collections of Chinese relics and artifacts. The museum has 11 galleries of paintings, sculptures, ceramics, calligraphy, antique furniture, bronzes, and other artwork made by the various Chinese cultures. The exhibits have information in English, which makes the visit more pleasant for those of us who can't read Chinese!
If you have more time in Shanghai, you might want to venture outside the city to nearby Suzhou or Hangzhou. Both of these are considered to be the garden spots of China and are popular with Chinese and foreign tourists.
I visited Shanghai for several days during April 2004 and again in February 2008 found the city interesting and exciting. I was amazed at how much the city had grown in just four years! Here is a link to the Shanghai pictures I made.
River Cruises Visiting Shanghai
We cruised the Yangtze River with Viking River Cruises, and many of their China cruise tours either start or end in Shanghai. Some of their cruise tour packages include 3 days in a hotel in Shanghai, which allows enough time to get a good look at much of the city. Other river cruise operators with Shanghai extensions include Abercrombie & Kent, Grand Circle Small Ship Cruises, INTRAV, Tauck, Uniworld, and Victoria Cruises.
Ocean Ships Visiting Shanghai
Our Silversea Silver Shadow Far East cruise itinerary also overnighted in Shanghai before cruising up the Yangtze to Nanjing. I also overnighted in Shanghai on a world cruise segment on the Regent Seven Seas Voyager that embarked in Sydney, Australia and disembarked in Shanghai. Other ocean going ships that include Shanghai as a port of call include Azamara, Costa, Crystal, Cunard, Holland America, Oceania, Princess, Royal Caribbean, and Seabourn.
