Top Attractions of Fascinating Shanghai

Spending a holiday hiking in China will give you the opportunity to visit incredible rural landscape along with some fascinating cities, including Shanghai. Filling your time in this incredible metropolis will be an easy task with the range of wonderful activities available to you. Whatever your interests, you will find something to suit you - from sampling the wonderful food to mixing modern culture with the traditional.

Modern China

The architecture of modern China is well represented in Shanghai, and anyone on a holiday hiking in China with an interest in architecture will find plenty to interest them. This is a futuristic city with and endless supply of skyscrapers, but visiting the Oriental Pearl Tower is a must, as it is the building that makes Shanghai’s skyline so distinctive. It stands at 468 metres and has 15 observatory decks, the highest of which is the Space Module, at 350 metres. You can stand on a transparent glass platform and get the most incredible view, but it’s probably not for those who suffer from vertigo as staring down at the city beneath your feet is a unique and quite challenging experience. But it is simply the best view in the city.

If you like to combine sampling wonderful cuisine with interactive experiences you can visit the revolving restaurant in Pearl Tower. It is the second biggest in the world, standing at 267 metres. It takes just two hours for a full revolution, so throughout the course of your meal you will get a 360-degree view of this incredible city. The restaurant offers an international buffet and eating there will give you free access to three spheres and the Municipal History Museum.

If you like to keep up to date with technology, you should definitely pay a visit to the Apple Store in Shanghai, which is said to be one of the company’s most beautiful stores. From the glass cylindrical building at street level, you can head down a glass stairwell to the underground store.

For architecture fans that would like to see a diverse variety of styles in one place, a stroll along The Bund is recommended. This is a beautiful waterfront from which you can view old colonial buildings sitting comfortably alongside modern city buildings. There are many wonderful restaurants and bars too, many of which afford spectacular views of the skyline.

The Traditional City

Shanghai also has plenty to offer fans of the traditional who are on a holiday hiking in China. For example, the Yu Yuan Gardens are a true slice of medieval times. They were created in 1559 and have survived the historical trauma of the Opium War, the Taiping Rebellion and World War, resulting in them being declared a national monument by the Chinese government.

In the gardens is a restaurant called Nan Xiang, which is famous for its Xiao Long Baos. These unique Shanghai dumplings have the soup inside them! They are not the easiest thing to eat but are well worth the effort; fillings range from the traditional pork to crab.

If your feet are aching after all your walking, a visit to a bathhouse should be on your agenda; if you do this you will be taking part in a 5000-year-old cultural tradition. These public bathhouses are to be found in many areas of Shanghai and range from the simple to the luxurious.

While in the country on a holiday hiking in China, a visit to Shanghai is sure to be a highlight and an experience that will stay in your memory long after you return home. Whether your interests are in the modern or the traditional you will find plenty of activities to interest you.

Tony Maniscalco is the Marketing Manager for Ramblers Worldwide Holidays. Join us on a holiday hiking in China to the most scenic locations & landscapes at the best value prices. We offer over 140 guided group walking holidays in over 60 different countries.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.