Yuyuan Garden----- the Happiness Garden

With a long history of more than 400 years, the Yuyuan Garden, also known as the Yu Garden, is the most celebrated classical Chinese garden in Shanghai. The garden is located to the northeast of the old town, not far from the Bund. The garden is typical of the gardening art south of the Yangtze River and is famed as "an architectural miracle in South China".

Located beside the City God Temple in the northeast of the Old City of Shanghai, Yuyuan Garden was built during the Ming Dynasty (1577), 400 years ago. There is a impressive story about the garden. It is a residential garden built by Pan Yunduan, minister of finance in Sichuan Province during the Ming Dynasty. Pan built the garden to "please his parents and let them enjoy themselves in their late years". In ancient Chinese "Yu" means "pleasing", hence the name of the garden.

The garden was inherited by Zhang Zhaolin, Pan Yunduan's granddaughter's husband, and then passed to different owners. A section was briefly organised by Zhang Shengqu as the "Academy of Purity and Harmony" and the Ling Yuan ("Spirit Park"), today's East Garden, was purchased by a group of local leaders in 1709. A group of merchants renovated the increasingly decrepit grounds in 1760 and in 1780 the West Garden was opened to the general public.

A centerpiece is the Currow ancient stone, a porous 3.3-m, 5-ton boulder. Rumours about its origin include the story that it was meant for the imperial palace in Beijing, but was salvaged after the boat sank off Shanghai.

When you penetrate deeper, it seems you are getting lost in a maze: the landscape seems to wind on forever as the gardens are purposefully designed to distort space and distance. And the elegant wood carving or engraving you come arcoss, are the obvious characteristics of the gardening style of the Ming and Qing dynasties. The more you step inside, the more you get fascinated for Yuyuan Garden, a maze of houses, grottoes, pavilions, lotus ponds, and zigzag bridges crossing streams, a maze in a Chinese way.

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Xintiandi

Xintiandi is a car-free shopping, dining and entertainment area of Shanghai. The look and feel of the place resembles a bit of Covent Garden in London, minus the eccentric street performers. This is the place where lots of expats and even local executives hang out. First time goers will definitely be awed with its welcoming atmosphere with fountains and all. It features an area of restored traditional shikumen ("stone gate") houses on narrow alleys, purely old Shanghai style and very nice to see.

The district is composed of an area of reconstituted traditional mid-19th century shikumen ("stone gate") houses on narrow alleys, some adjoining houses which now serve as book stores, cafes and restaurants, and shopping malls. Most of the cafes and restaurants feature both indoor and outdoor seating. Xintiandi has an active nightlife on weekdays as well as weekends, though romantic settings are more common than loud music and dance places. It is considered one of the first lifestyle centers in China.

Xintiandi is the location of the site of the first congress of the Communist Party of China, now preserved at the Museum of the First National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party. Also nearby are the Shikumen Open House Museum and the site of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea when Korea was a Japanese colony.

There is a modern shopping mall with a posh cinema, too. Nightlife flourishes there, though romantic settings are more common than loud music and dance places. Xintiandi is a must-visit 'hang out' place in Shanghai, and also suitable for honeymoon vacations.

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The Bund----- an Epitome of Shanghai's History

The Bund is a waterfront area in central Shanghai. The area centers on a section of Zhongshan Road (East-1 Zhongshan Road) within the former Shanghai International Settlement, which runs along the western bank of the Huangpu River, facing Pudong, in the eastern part of Huangpu District. The Bund usually refers to the buildings and wharves on this section of the road, as well as some adjacent areas. It is one of the most famous tourist destinations in Shanghai. Building heights are restricted in this area.

The Bund is also an epitome of Shanghai's history. Dating back to the time from the 1840's to the 1930's, many foreign businesses snatched the Bund to establish concessions, banks, headquarters, and consulates and so on. Hence, Shanghai, a small seaside town one hundred years ago, rose to be the largest city in China. It also earned the reputation of "The Oriental Wall Street". Even today, visitors can still feel the prosperity of the old Shanghai, when looking at those old buildings at the bund. 

To the west of the Bund, there are group of magnificent buildings standing in various styles, Gothic, Baroque, Rome, Renaissance, Classic and the combination of Eastern and Western style. Although these buildings were completed at different time and are in different styles, the main elements of these buildings are fairly unified and the overall outline is well coordinated.

Near the Nanjing Road intersection stands what is currently the only bronze statue along the Bund. It is a statue of Chen Yi, the first Communist mayor of Shanghai. At the northern end of The Bund, along the riverfront, is Huangpu Park, in which is situated the Monument to the People's Heroes - a tall, abstract concrete tower which is a memorial for the those who died during the revolutionary struggle of Shanghai dating back to the First Opium War.

Strolling on the Bund at night is an amazing experience, as the skyline on both sides of Huangpu River is illuminated, including the grand buildings at the Bund and the Oriental Pearl TV Tower and the skyscrapers arcoss the river.
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Shanghai Zoo with Panda

After half a century of development the Shanghai Zoo has become one of the best ecological gardens in Shanghai. The zoo houses and exhibits more than 6,000 animals, among which are 600 Chinese animals that include the giant panda, golden snub-nosed monkey, South China tiger, hoopoe, black bulbul, scimitar-horned oryx, great hornbills and Bactrian camels. Animals from other parts of the world include, the chimpanzee, giraffe, polar bear, kangaroo, gorilla, ring tailed lemur, common marmoset, spider monkey, african wild dog, olive baboon, mandrill, Canadian lynx and maned wolf. The zoo is constantly developing and improving the animal enclosures in order to provide better environments for the animals and a pleasurable experience for visitors.

The original golf course design has been basically preserved. There are a total of 100,000 trees with nearly 600 species planted in the zoo. The green areas and lawns cover an area of 100,000 square meters. The zoo endeavors to create an ecologically-friendly environment for the animals - the 'Swan Lake' with its natural reed clumps and trees providing shade for pelicans, geese, black swans, night herons and other birds, is a perfect example of this.

The Shanghai Zoo provides areas for amusement and leisure, opportunities for visitors to increase their knowledge of the various animals and combines this with scientific and technical research to help people better understand and protect animals. Since the zoo was established it has been host to over 150,000,000 visitors

When you visit the zoo, you mustn’t miss panda. The cuddly fluffy black and white bears are super stars in the zoo. They are very lovely, especially their smoky eyes, though their eye shadows seem a little bit too heavy. And they appear shy, even coy, covering its face with a paw or ducking its head when confronted by an approaching stranger or camera. Yet, they are very playful when they are tracing each other or eating their favored bamboo. 

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The City God Temple

The City God Temple or Chenghuang Miao is a temple located in Shanghai, China, within the old walled city. Today the "City God Temple" not only refers to the large temple complex, but also the traditional district of commerce in the city, surrounding the temple. There are over a hundred stores and shops in this area, and most of these store buildings are nearly a century old. The temple connects to the Yuyuan Garden, another landmark of the old city.

The temple is colloquially known in Shanghai as the "Old City God Temple", in reference to a later "New City God Temple", which no longer exists.

The City God Temple in Shanghai originated as the Jinshan God Temple, dedicated to the spirit of Jinshan, or "Gold Mountain", an island off the coast of Shanghai. It was converted into a City God Temple in 1403, during the Yongle era of the Ming dynasty.

During the Qing Dynasty, the temple grew popular. Residents of the old city as well as nearby areas visited the temple to pray for good fortune and peace. The temple reached its largest extent in the Daoguang era. The popularity of the temple also led to many businesses being set up in the area, turning the surrounding streets into a busy marketplace.

With a rich history of nearly 600 years, City God Temple of shanghai is the most significant Taoist temple in Shanghai. The lofty temple consists of 9 halls where various statues of immortals that are believed to be in charge of certain aspect of human life receive endless worship. With the temple as the core, the old town of Shanghai (in contrast of the modern Pudong New Area) has formed a well-known City God Temple Scenic Region. Inside it there are the representative classic Yuyuan Garden and world of handicrafts and traditional art works Yuyuan Market. They both are a step away to City God Temple. As a result, the locals and visitors usually go to the temple and the market after they finish touring Yuyuan Garden.

To foreigners, City God Temple of shanghai strongly helps mirror the concepts of immortals of Chinese people. Just have a look at what immortals are being worshipped at the temple - Huo Guang, a famous general in Western Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D. 24); Guan Yu, the most respected general in period of Three Kingdoms (AD 208 to 280) and the national martial icon for centuries; the God that blesses Shanghai along with his parents and wife, the immortals in charges of wealth, fame, literature, luck of voyage, age and so forth.

Perhaps City God Temple of shanghai attracts the visitors with all kinds of tasty snacks around rather than the statues of immortals inside. There is a big snack square next to the temple. Hundreds of the local snacks and great treat to the taste sense are right here to tempt visitors who want to probe into the real Shanghai gourmet. The most famous snack shop at City God Temple snack square is Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant around which there is always a long queue.
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Shanghai Museum

The Shanghai Museum is a museum of ancient Chinese art, situated on the People's Square in the Huangpu District of Shanghai, China. Rebuilt at its current location in 1996, it is often considered China's first world-class museum.

The museum was founded in 1952 and was first open to the public in the former Shanghai Racecourse club house, now at 325 West Nanjing Road. In 1959 the museum moved into the Zhonghui Building at 16 South Henan Road, which previously housed insurance companies and bank offices.

Shanghai Museum owes much of its current existence to Ma Chengyuan, its director from 1985 until his retirement in 1999. When the museum was omitted from Shanghai's five-year reconstruction plan in 1992, Ma lobbied Mayor Huang Ju for its rebuilding. After seeing the dilapidated rooms of the Zhonghui Building, Huang agreed to allocate a prime site on the People's Square, but the museum had to raise its own building funds. Ma raised US$25 million by leasing the old building to a Hong Kong developer. He also made many trips abroad to solicit donations, mainly from the Shanghai diaspora who had fled to Hong Kong after the Communist revolution, raising another $10 million. The money still ran short, but he eventually won another 140 million yuan from the city government to complete the building.

Unlike many museums in China, the Shanghai Museum is arranged by theme rather than by dynasty. Begin your tour on the first floor at the Ancient Chinese Bronze Gallery, which boasts a marvelous collection of more than 400 bronzes from the 18th to the 3rd centuries B.C. typically reserved for use only by nobles and royalty. Standouts include two wine vessels with animal mask designs, one in the shape of an ox (zun) and the other a traditional pot (he) used by the king of Wu, both dating from the Late Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 B.C.). There's also a typical food vessel on three legs (ding) from the Western Zhou Dynasty (1100-771 B.C.), the shape of which is said to be the inspiration for the museum building, which certainly resembles an ancient ding from afar. The Ancient Chinese Sculpture Gallery has sculptures spanning the Warring States period to the Ming Dynasty (475 B.C.-A.D. 1644), including a kneeling clay figure playing a bamboo flute from the Eastern Han (A.D. 25-200) and a Buddhist image of Sakyamuni in stone from the Northern Qi (A.D. 550-577).

On the second floor, the Ceramics Gallery contains many tricolor figurines from the magnificent Tang Dynasty (A.D. 618-907) and delicately painted and fired pots from the Ming Dynasty (A.D. 1368-1644) kilns at Jingde Zhen; the gallery is definitely worth a tour if you love your china.

On the third floor, the Painting Gallery contains many ancient original art works on silk scrolls, including landscapes from the Ming Dynasty and Buddhist scrolls from the Tang and Song (A.D. 960-1279) dynasties. Typical is the ink brush scroll by Emperor Zhao Ji (A.D. 1083-1135) of the Song Dynasty titled for its subjects, Willow, Crows, Reed, and Wild Geese. The Calligraphy Gallery shows the various styles of artistic "handwriting" developed in China over many centuries, with specimens as old as the Tang Dynasty. Altogether, the museum owns some 15,000 of these fine scrolls. The Seal Gallery has intricate carved chops in stone used by emperors and their courts to notarize official documents. On this floor, displays show the basic elements of calligraphy, explaining the relationship between Chinese painting and calligraphy, and demonstrating how the artists' tools were used.

The fourth floor has a splendid Jade Gallery, with intricately carved jade wine vessels, jewelry, and ornaments, some from as early as the Liangzhu Culture (31st-22nd c. B.C.). The Coin Gallery displays coins that predate the First Emperor's reign (221-207 B.C.), as well as gold coins from Persia discovered on the Silk Road. The Ming and Qing Furniture Gallery has elaborately carved screens inlaid with jade from the Qing Dynasty (A.D. 1644-1911), a six-poster canopy bed, and a wonderful folding wooden armchair from the Ming Dynasty (A.D. 1368-1644). The Minority Nationalities' Art Gallery displays some lovely costumes, jewelry, dioramas, and ceremonial creations from the more remote, non-Han Chinese reaches of the Chinese empire, most of them dating from the early 20th century.
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Nanjing Road----- the First Commercial Street in China

Nanjing Road is the earliest and most prosperous shopping street in Shanghai dating back to the 1840s. Regarded as "the first commercial street in China", Nanjing Road offers all-in-one shopping malls, gorgeous restaurants and spectacular night views.

Nanjing Road is the world's longest shopping district; around 5.5km long, and attracts over 1 million visitors daily. Nanjing Road occupies a surprising length of 5.5 kilometers. It is named after the city of Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province neighboring Shanghai.

Today's Nanjing Road comprises two sections, Nanjing Road East and Nanjing Road West. In some contexts, "Nanjing Road" refers only to what was pre-1945 Nanjing Road, today's Nanjing Road East, which is largely pedestrianised. Before the adoption of the pinyin romanisation in the 1950s, its name was rendered as Nanking Road in English. Now the pedestrian street has become the most welcomed commercial area around Shanghai and the most famous among thousands of pedestrian streets in China.

Nanjing Road is also of historical significance, playing an important role in the development of the city. After the Opium War (1839-1842), Shanghai became a treaty port. And the Nanjing Road was a main road to reach the Bund, so it was important. The road was first a British Concession, then the International Settlement. Several standout companies established by Chinese businessmen later nestled their stores at the buoyant Nanjing Road, for instance, Wing On Department Store and East Asia Hotel (developed from Sincere Company ).

On Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street there are trolleys for tourists to ride on. Tourists can walk along Nanjing Road for 5 to 10 minutes and reach the Bund, which is another famous attraction that tourists do not want to miss for their Shanghai travel. To reach Nanjing Road, visitors can take Shanghai metro line 2 and get off at Nanjing Road Station.
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