Our inial Shanghai impressions were that of a city of contrasts, a juxtaposition of the traditional and modern. It was our entry city as we travelled in China.
Located on the south edge of the mouth of the Yangtze River, Shanghai is on China’s eastern coast. It is the world’s most densely populated city, yet it feels inviting.
Our initial impression of Shanghai is that, in general, traditional architecture sits on one side of the river and modern buildings on the other.
Despite its dense population, we fell in love with Shanghai. We believe this is a city to see; therefore, we are sharing our experience through photos.
With some restrictions still in place in China, we have kept this page on Albom Adventures as a historical reference and for possible future planning. Note that many venues are still closed, and some tours are not currently operating. This page will be reviewed when China tourism is fully open.
Shanghai impressions: mix of modern and traditional architecture
A few more interesting places we visited
We visited several traditional sites like Yun Yuan Bazzar and Gardens, Nanjing Road, The Bund, the French Quarter, and the former home of Sun Yat Sen.
We also requested a visit to the Jewish Refugee Museum. Below is a photo of the intricate doors. The museum shared the history and artifacts of a time in history when Shanghai offered refuge during WWII. Shanghai saved an estimated 23,000 Jewish people while much of the world turned a blind eye.
Street food
Street food vendors were prevalent everywhere we went. And to be honest, while normally pretty brave eaters, we were lucky to have a guide to help us make the best choices. Here we define best and traditional, varied, and delicious.
Shanghai impressions of everyday life
Some quick observations of everyday life, often discovered when we stepped off the beaten path:
- Signage appears in both Mandarin and English in the high-tourist areas. When we venture outside of the tourist area, it is only Mandarin. (Not surprisingly, when we did this on our own, we got a bit lost.)
- Like many places we have been, young people often dress colourful and fun.
- We see many creative laundry racks hanging out of windows.
- Music plays, and couples dance in Fuxing Park in the afternoons. Two local men taught our girls a few new steps.
- We were aware of several weddings. The fashionable dress appears to be red for the bride and a modern suit for the groom.
- Electric scooters seem more popular than cars. In general, they don’t seem to follow the same traffic rules. Alongside the bicycles, the scooters typically go straight through red traffic lights. This, coupled with the observation that cars don’t stop at pedestrian crosswalks, makes crossing the streets challenging.
- The city is loud as cars and scooters honk a lot, music blasts from the modern stores and people on the street talk loudly.
- The less fancy stores are very crowded, especially the food/snack stores.
- Begging seems to be a way of life for many. We have been followed, grabbed, and loudly asked for money.
World’s fastest train
The Shanghai Maglev, or bullet train, runs from the Pudong International Airport in Shanghai to the outskirts of town.
Often called “Transrapid”, it’s the world’s fastest commercial train. The name Maglev is short for magnetic levitation, as the train lifts (slightly) from the tracks as it travels at high speed. We reached speeds of 431 km/h.
We also took a bullet train on a day trip to Suzhou, a city well known for it’s gardens.
Finding a guide in Shanghai
Throughout China (and much of the world), we have successfully used private guides from Tours by Locals, and in Shanghai, we used and recommend Sunny C.
Excellent guides, the opportunity to email with the specific guide prior to travel and scheduling flexibility are the three primary advantages. As we pointed out many times above, our fabulous guide is the reason things went so well for us in Shanghai.
Sunny got to know our likes and dislikes quickly and adapted our tour to meet our needs. Plus she was super flexible when we wanted to make last-minute changes in our itinerary.
In general, when choosing your guide, our top recommendations are to check their language ability, read the tour options to see if they do the kinds of things you like, read the specific guide’s reviews, and then make contact before you hire them.
However, in the case of Shanghai, we are comfortable recommending Sunny C. Read about and reserve your tour with Sunny here or check out other Tours by Locals guides.
Where to stay in Shanghai
We stayed at the historic Astor House Hotel, which sadly sold and is being converted to office space. We were impressed by the fact that in 1922 Albert Einstein stayed in room 304.
On our next visit to Shanghai, we plan to stay at the highly-rated iconic Fairmont Peace Hotel. Once the favourite with local elite and foreign celebrities, Charlie Chaplin stayed here. Centrally located, the hotel overlooks The Bund and Huangpu River. Reserve your room at the Fairmont Peace Hotel
Book your China trip: Logistical tips
Book your flights: Use Expedia, our favourite flight search engine. They search worldwide and find the best and cheapest options.
Book your accommodation: We use Booking.com as they consistently return the best rates and their reviews are from actual guests. For self-contained lodging, use VRBO.
Reserve your rental car: Use RentalCars.com to find the best deals and dealer ratings. With no hidden costs and outstanding customer service, we have successfully rented from them worldwide.
Travel Insurance: we start at InsureMyTrip as they are the best option to compare plans and find the right coverage for you.
Private Tours: We are big fans of ToursByLocals and used their private guides in every city we visited in China. All were excellent.
VPN: Here’s a list of the top 7 VPNs that work in China.
Before you book your trip
Check out our travel resources page for the companies we use when you travel. We believe them to be the best in each category. You can’t go wrong using them on your trip too.
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Michele {Malaysian Meanders}
It’s the old Shanghai in your photos that speaks to me the most, especially in that second photo with the skyscrapers in the background. That other one with all the clothes hanging out to dry is another one that appeals to me.
Paula Mcinerney
Shanghai is indeed a juxtaposition. Love the French Quarter photograph.
Rhonda Albom
The French Quarter was a peaceful break from some of the more crowded areas of the city.
indah nuria savitri
An interesting city indeed! I have been wanting to come and visit but haven’t really got a chance..hopefully soon 🙂
Rhonda Albom
I am not sure what type of visa you need, but for us in New Zealand, China takes a bit of planning.
Elisa
I have not been to Shanghai (apart from the airport) but I definitely like this mix of traditional and modern architecture! Actually it demonstrates a sensibility for their past. Cool pictures by the way!
Rhonda Albom
Shanghai is an interesting city, and they mixed the architecture styles and lifestyles so gracefully.
eileen g
That’s an interesting fact about the Jewish refugees. It’s nice when people surprise you in a good way. I had no idea. I do think no one mixes traditional and modern like Chinese cities do. I think it’s interesting. I think in the west we feel like we can preserve the past or move toward the future but doing the former will hold back the latter. The Chinese seem to have no problem being traditional and modern at the same time.
Rhonda Albom
Interesting observation. Here in New Zealand, old is 150 years. Even the native Maori have only been here 1000 years.
Jackie
We loved Shanghai as well and hit all the same spots!
Rhonda Albom
It’s an easy city to love.
Trekking with Becky
I wish I could have seen the Bund with my own eyes at night. What a great shot!
However, the second shot is my favourite with the old and modern in one frame like that. WOW! 😀
The Jewish Refugee Museum doors are stunning! I didn’t know that China helped save European Jews.
Rhonda Albom
Honestly, I was impressed and surprised to learn how much the Chinese helped the Jews in WWII.
David @Travelsewhere
Great snaps Rhonda, it really feels like you’re sharing a glimpse into city life in Shanghai. China is another place I’ve yet to visit, so I appreciate getting these insights and they definitely make me more eager to visit.
Rhonda Albom
That was my goal, to share a glimpse of life in this densely populated city.
Bilyana | OwlOverTheWorld
Nice photos. I think my favorites are the second and the third one.
Rhonda Albom
I think I put them in order of my favourites. So, I would agree. I was really impressed by that door.
Natasha Amar
I am not much of a city person but I am intrigued by your photos of Shanghai!
Rhonda Albom
That’s the beauty of travel blogs, you can see places you might not other get a chance to visit.
Sandy N Vyjay
Shanghai is stunning and it is really a juxtaposition of modern and traditional ways. The streets light up like a christmas tree during the nights. Your pictures bring alive the vibrant life of Shanghai in vivid detail.
Donna Janke
Singapore looks so interesting and lively. I love these photos.
Lydia C. Lee
I love these pictures, especially the the old houses looking onto the skyscrapers. I love how cities evolve.
Rhonda Albom
We living in an area about to get our first tall building (5-stories) and from this side of the fence, I prefer things to stay the same.
Anda
Interesting idea, Rhonda: the juxtaposition of old traditional architecture and the new one gives me a good perspective of what Shanghai may look like. I’m going to have my first ‘taste’ of China in October when we’ll take a cruise on the Yangtze River.
Rachel@safari254
Amazing photos. Love how you captured the Chinese traditional architecture. Nowadays China is associated with huge modern skyscrapers we rarely get to see the traditional structures.
Rhonda Albom
I always seek out the traditional.
Jim ~ Reflections Enroute
Corinne was stuck overnight once in Shanghai, but other than that we haven’t been. It is definitely on our travel radar. Thanks for the inspiration Rhonda! #wkendtravelinspiration
Rhonda Albom
Too bad she didn’t have enough time to enjoy the city.
Jill
Rhonda, I love these photos! Stunning! I’ve not been to Shanghai so on planning our trip to Seoul this year I was trying for a layover so we could go – but it didn’t work out. Definitely gonna get there someday!
Paul F. Pietrangelo
My friend Al and his wife Meilin, she’s from China who told us many thing about her homeland. Al once worked in China and they used to go back visit and relatives, Meilin’s not Al’s. Ha,ha,ha. They slowed us many photos and many of the pictures showed the downtown. I remember one escalator that went from the street down to the depth to the bottom. It was down and down and down but Meilin also showed he beautiful of the place. That one photo about Yu Yuan Garden and Bazaar, small group. I would want to see what a large one would be like.
Rhonda, have a beautiful Saturday my friend. See ya.
Cruisin Paul
Rhonda Albom
LOL – not me for a bigger crowd, that was enough people for me. Your mention of an escalator reminded me of one we took to see what was down there, and it turned out to be a shopping mall, but more of a market-style mall where there were tables and booths selling things. However, I think it was in Chengdu, but I am not sure.
Paul F. Pietrangelo
It was in Chengdu. I just couldn’t remember the name. I would have called Meilin but at the moment they are in Vancouver, BC visiting Al’s mother who is 95 years old. See ya.
Cruisin Paul
Rhonda Albom
Funny that we both found the same random place in such a big country.
Marcus and Mellissa
Some great pictures, they really give you a taste of the city. Love the sign, we’d probably go with the right or maybe the left.
Rhonda Albom
To share a taste of the city was my goal.
Indrani
Shanghai is indeed so beautiful. I have never been there, but I would love to.
I have never seen a door like that before, such intricate design on it.
Rhonda Albom
That door was pretty impressive.
ankita
Fabulous pictures! I have never been to China but I would love to visit someday 🙂
Rhonda Albom
China is so diverse. Shanghai, even with its cultural mix, is still quite different from most of the other cities we visited.
Alouise
Shanghai looks fascinating. That photo of the street signs made me giggle. I haven’t been to Shanghai yet, but I’m sure I’d get hopelessly lost when I go there too.
Rhonda Albom
What surprised me the most about that sign is how many names pointed in each direction. Even if I could read it, I don’t know if it would have helped.
Anne
This place looks fab. I had the impression that all the old, cultural stuff would have disappeared under the skyscrapers but thankfully that isn’t the case. Need to go
Rhonda Albom
The old culture is alive and well. You just have to look for it.
Kavey at Kavey Eats
You are after my own heart – I love to see places that successfully allow both the new and the old, the modern and the traditional, to sit side by side like this. I have not yet been to mainland China (but recently visited Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan) and I am even more keen to visit after seeing your photos of Shanghai.
Rhonda Albom
We are the opposite, I am still waiting to get to Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.
Anisa
I love the mix of modern and ancient in Shanghai (and other places). I also really liked that there were some building in Shanghai that had a European style.
Rhonda Albom
Shanghai was a huge mix of architecture, and a great place to be a photographer.
Pat --Mille Fiori Favoriti
Rhonda, your first photo of Shanghai at night is mesmerizing! It looks like you had wonderful clear skies there–so often photos are not as clear due to China’s smog. Your girls looked like they had a fabulous time–what a wonderful adventure for them! I enjoyed looking at all your photos.
Rhonda Albom
That first photo is why I travel with a tripod. Also, we do get lucky with weather sometimes, but most of my daytime photos clearly show the smog. We love family travel, all of us enjoy it.
Kathy Marris
Oh my yes! I love that you have combined old with new in these photos. It does look like an interesting city, but China isn’t on my bucket list at the moment. 🙂
Rhonda Albom
That’s okay, you can armchair travel there with me. 🙂
budget jan
I do love these photos Rhonda. I read a travel memoir called “no chopsticks required” about an Aussie family who went to live in Shanghai which was a good read. Have you seen the bull like this one in NYC?
Rhonda Albom
Aussie to Shanghai sounds like a much bigger transition than our move to New Zealand. As for the bull, yes I have seen the one in New York, and it was the first thing I thought of when I saw the one in Shanghai.
Lexa Cain
I never knew that about the bullet train. I thought the fastest one was in Japan, and I had no idea how fast Shanghai’s was. I just adore all the buildings with pagoda corners! Your shots look wonderful! Have a great weekend!
Rhonda Albom
I had to look it up before I republished this one, and yes, the Maglev in Shanghai is still the fastest train the world. I love the detail of the old buildings.
tracy collins
Really loved these photographs. I have seen a lot of the Shanghai skyline at night but never any from the city in the day! Looks really interesting – we are hoping to take a train trip around China (on the list which grows ever longer with every passing week) and love the idea of the train from the airport! (Did it feel really fast? Did anyone get motion sickness my train geek husband is asking!?)
Rhonda Albom
Yes, it felt fast, but not as fast as it was – until you look out the window and watch the world zip by. There is an LED display of the speed. Time of day matters. Apparently, the train travels slower in rush hour. LOL – their slower is still 350 km. I could feel the movement, and it shows in my photos (https://www.albomadventures.com/shanghai-china/). As for motion sickness, I would imagine it to be the same as any commuter train.
Sandee
Great shots as always.
I don’t like being in a big city. I’ll go, but I’m ready to leave pretty quickly. Too many people. I like the wide open spaces.
I would go for the traditional.
Have a fabulous day. ☺
Rhonda Albom
If you don’t like crowded big cities, I think you would have a difficult time here. It is quite densely populated. It was difficult to get away from other people.
jo
Those photos are fantastic. I can only imagine the process of transferring 40,000 photos!
I love the juxtaposition between the old and new Shanghai. Also I never knew that there was a French or Jewish quarter. Pinned for a visit to China. Thanks for hosting #Wkendtravelinspiration
Rhonda Albom
Actually, the process isn’t that bad, it happens overnight. It was the reviewing, checking tags, and labels that took a long time. However, I love Lightroom. I should have moved years ago. As for Shanghai, it was filled with surprises.
Tomas
Realy great pics 🙂 I have to go to Shanghai…
Rhonda Albom
Getting a visa is a bit of project, so be sure to visit more cities as China is fascinating and diverse.
Ruth
Shanghai is the only city I have visited in China and I would love to go back (I went by myself, next time I want to go with my husband). The city is something else. I have never seen so many people in my life. But, like you mentioned, I love every minute of it. #TPThursday
Rhonda Albom
For some reason, Beijing felt more crowded to us, although I am pretty sure there are both more people and a higher population density in Shanghai.
Christine Keane
Lovely photographs of Shanghai! Such a vibrant city with the mix of old and new!
Alex J. Cavanaugh
Old and new are both very colorful. And that goes for the people as well as the buildings.
Rhonda Albom
Agreed, making it a great photo location.
Hilary Melton-Butcher
Hi Rhonda – stunning photos and a place I’d love to visit. My god daughter was there recently – Beijing, but got to visit and tour a bit – she loved it … she’s now in Japan … her boyfriend’s choice …
Cheers Hilary
Rhonda Albom
We were also in Beijing. They are quite different cities. Shanghai is faster growing and has a more modern feel to it.
Lolo
Shanghi definitely looks interesting and I would love to go one day! I love the mixture of historic buildings and the modern ones off in the distance! #wkendtravelinspiration
Rhonda Albom
I look for views like that when I am out with my camera.
Photo(Geo)grapher
Lovely selection of photos. Great post!
Mary {The World Is A Book}
Wow! What a beautiful collection of Shanghai photos.I’ve only usually seen the skyscrapers and the city views so it’s great to see some other attractions. I can’t believe that line! Love that pagoda and the French Quarter.
Rhonda Albom
We like to get out of the tourist area of a city and get a different view.
Lyn aka The Travelling Lindfields
Can you believe that we lived in Hong Kong for four years and never once went to China? To be fair, it was a lot more difficult in those days.
Rhonda Albom
LOL – actually I think it is quite normal. It takes planning to go far, but close destinations can always be visited tomorrow.
Julie
That must be such a great place! I’ve never been in China but I wih I ever had the chance to get there…
Lynne
Yes, and KFC and Subway and Dominos. They’re all there. Did you see the men painting Chinese symbols on the pavement with brooms or large brushes and water?
Joan
Beautiful Images
sunny
Great photos! I am glad to hear that you enjoyed Fuxing park !
wish you great trips in following days and hope to hear more news from you!
Take care and all the best,
Sunny
Rhonda
How could we not enjoy the day with you as our tour guide!
Readers: Sunny is a great guide if you are ever in Shanghai 🙂
Steve
Love the photos, trust there to be a Pizza Hut lol 🙂