上海市

Why this place

Shanghai was a fishing town until the 1840s, then a treaty port, then the most international city in Asia — and the architecture of every phase is still standing. The Bund faces the Pudong skyline across the Huangpu, which is the single most photographed juxtaposition of old and new in China. Away from the river it is a city of plane-tree streets, lane houses and small neighbourhood restaurants.

What to see

• The Bund at dawn and by night, looking across at the Lujiazui towers
• The former French Concession — plane trees, 1920s villas, Wukang Road and the old lane houses (longtang)
• Yu Garden and the old town, for the Ming-dynasty merchant city underneath everything
• The Shanghai Museum, one of the best collections of Chinese bronzes, ceramics and painting
• Pudong's towers: the Shanghai Tower observation deck, the Jin Mao and the Oriental Pearl

What to eat

• Xiaolongbao — soup dumplings, the city's signature; the queues are worth it
• Shengjianbao — pan-fried pork buns with a crispy base, a breakfast institution
• Red-braised pork (hongshao rou) and Shanghai-style noodles with scallion oil
• Drinks in the French Concession's converted villas, which is its own Shanghai experience

How to plan

Three or four days: the Bund and old town, the French Concession on foot, Pudong, plus one day out to Suzhou or a water town.

Best time

March–May and September–November; summer is hot and humid, winter damp and cold

Practical tips

• The metro is the easiest way around and reaches everywhere you are likely to want
• Shanghai is 25 minutes from Suzhou and 45 from Hangzhou by high-speed rail — build day trips in rather than moving hotels