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Shanghai Attractions

Manifesto

Manifesto is the low-key version of Bar Rouge. Manifesto boasts a fantastic atmosphere, tasty drinks, and awesome décor without the drunken westerners and snobby models. Located on Julu Lu near several gr...

Manifesto is the low-key version of Bar Rouge. Manifesto boasts a fantastic atmosphere, tasty drinks, and awesome décor without the drunken westerners and snobby models. Located on Julu Lu near several great restaurants (including Mesa, which is actually connected to Manifesto), this locale can easily top off a romantic date or exciting night out with friends. Manifesto offers a variety of seating from high seats at the bar to comfy cushioned booths, so you can snuggle up with your sweetheart. The drink menu includes all of the classic choices with cocktails priced around 50RMB beer around 40RMB. In addition to the standard choices Manifesto  offers some creative specialties including a great lychee flavored martini. Manifesto is a cozy yet elegant locale. When I feel the urge to be grown up and get a little dressed up, this is my first choice.

Update: Manifesto just moved upstairs from Mesa to an even cooler space with a lovely terrace.

How to get there: Take Metro Line 1 to Changshu Rd. Station. Exit onto Changshu Rd. and head north. Take a right on Julu Lu. Manifesto is on the left side of the street before the intersection with Fumin Lu.

Vedas

Vedas is the snazzy Indian food restaurant in town. I have never heard a single complaint about it, and there is no question that the food is amazing. Only 3 blocks away from Indian Kitchen, you might choose Vedas over Indian Kitchen if you want to impress a visitor who knows his or her Indian cuisine, or prefers a more serene atmosphere. Dishes averages about 10RMB higher than those at Indian Kitchen, but for connoisseurs of Indian cuisine, the extra 10RMB might make all the difference.

 

I love the Palak Paneer (spinach and Indian style cheese), and it’s always the most popular dish at my table. For meat lovers, the Tandoori dishes and Chicken Tikka Masala are both wonderful. 

 

Reservations are essential, especially on weekends!

 

How to get there: Take Subway line 1 to Hengshan Road Station. Exit onto Yongjia Lu. Then head east on YongJia Lu, then take a right on WuLuMuQi Lu. Take a left on Jianguo Xi Lu, the restaurant will be on the right side. The restaurant is about 10 minutes walk from the subway station.

Mesa

Connected to one of my favorite bars, Manifesto, Mesa is an equally cool Australian influenced restaurant which attracts an upscale Shanghai crowd. I had been looking forward to checking this place ...

Connected to one of my favorite bars, Manifesto, Mesa is an equally cool Australian influenced restaurant which attracts an upscale Shanghai crowd. I had been looking forward to checking this place out, so I may have hyped it up a little too much in my mind. With that said, I have to say I was a little disappointed with my meal, and I think about half the table was as well. 

 

The ambiance is a little cold, yet sophisticated with great floral arrangements and cool lighting. The simplicity is nicely contrasted with the plush bar upstairs. I definitely recommend having a drink at the bar first and then heading to the restaurant. 

 

Our meals in general, as I said before, were mediocre – but the Sea Bass and risotto was delicious, as was the steak.  Everyone else was happy enough to finish their meal, but don’t get too adventurous with your selections. Choose dishes you know you will like on the menu, and you’ll be happy. I have heard nothing but good things from other Mesa customers. Be sure not to skip cocktails, they’re delicious (I like the mango martini the best!)

 

When the bill comes, expect about 300-400 RMB per person, with appetizers and a drink.

 
Making reservations in advance at Mesa is certainly recommended.

 

Take Metro Line 1 to Changshu Rd station. Exit onto Changshu Rd and walk north.  Take a right on Julu Lu about 10 minutes later. Mesa is on the right side of the street just before the intersection with Fumin Lu.

Grape Restaurant



This popular Shanghainese restaurant is a regular for both locals and tourists alike.  Located near Xiang Yang market, Grape has a developed an impressive English menu for the tourists...


This popular Shanghainese restaurant is a regular for both locals and tourists alike.  Located near Xiang Yang market, Grape has a developed an impressive English menu for the tourists that swarm in after shopping. The menu is filled with delicious local dishes whose authenticity is approved by even the most discerning locals. While authentic, the menu still offers plenty of options for visitors not yet completely convinced that boiled intestines is something they’re up to try.  My favorites include the classic Ma Po Tofu (麻婆豆腐), spicy eggplant, pork and peppers stir fry, and shrimp crackers.  The menu also contains many great veggie options. Be sure to check that there is not any meat added as an ingredient to the dish. Ground pork is often used as a minor ingredient, but Chinese cuisine generally refers to these dishes as veggie. Meat and seafood dishes abound as usual. 
 
The restaurant is always busy, but reservations are only necessary on weekend nights or holidays. If you have a large group, call ahead for a room or large table.
 
How to get there: Take metro line 1 to Shanxi Road Station.  Exit onto HuaiHai Road and head east. Take a right on Xiang Yang Rd. One block down, take a left on Xinle Lu.  Grape will be on the left, just after the turn on Xinle Lu.
 
A 2nd location:
 
2606 Yan’an Xilu (长宁区延安西路2606号)
Tel: +86 (0)21 6295 2518.

Top Shanghai Tours

$238 Per Day

Private Hangzhou Day Trip from Shanghai by Bullet Train

Take in the highlights of beautiful Hangzhou on a private full-day tour from Shanghai. After hotel pickup and transfer by high-speed train to Hangzhou, your private guide takes you to see some city attractions, such as Faxi temple. Moreover, enjoy a tasty lunch at a local restaurant before heading to Longjing village. There, learn about the process of farming and producing dragonwell tea, the region’s most famous product. Finally, enjoy a scenic boat cruise on UNESCO World Heritage-listed West Lake before returning to Shanghai.

This is a private, full-day trip from Shanghai to Hangzhou. After you are picked up in your hotel lobby in the early morning, you will take a bullet train to Hangzhou. This is the fastest way to Hangzhou and you can experience train speeds of up to 300 kilometers per hour. Your tour begins at one of Hangzhou's signature sites, the West Lake. Enjoy a lake cruise to see the top ten West Lake scenic views. You will then be taken to experience the wonderful cuisine of Hangzhou at a local restaurant. After lunch, you will visit Faxi temple, a well-known Temple dating back to the Jin Dynasty. See its famous wooden Buddha. Here, you will see fewer tourists and more locals. Finally, enjoy a cup of green tea when you visit the famous Longjing village to see wild fields of Longjing tea bushes where the locals produce the world famous green tea- Longjing Tea. In the village, all locals are tea farmers and you will see the entire procedure of making the famous tea and will get the chance to taste the best quality emperor tea. Afterwards, you will take the bullet train back to Shanghai and you will be returned to your hotel.


$70 Per Day

Bike Tour - "Shanghai by Night"

What would be a better way to experience the “City That Never Sleeps” than hopping on one of our vintage Forever bicycles and explore a whole New World after dark? Follow our foreign expert Tour Leader on a multi-themed route from the narrow streets of the Old Town all the way to the dazzling lights of the Bund. Meanwhile, cycle around the famous landmark Yu Garden, learn about Ghost Wedding rituals, visit a Traditional Chinese Medicine outlet and get to learn more about the "Paris of the East". Finally, tickle your taste buds with some delicious street food in order to immerse yourself deeper into local life. In just one evening, we'll explore the many faces of Shanghai that make this city so unique. Easy and accessible ride for all!

USEFUL INFORMATION

- English-speaking (for other languages, please contact us)  

- About 9 km ride, easy ride for all.

- From 18:15pm to 21:30pm

- Up to 6 participants

- Departure and arrival at our Culture Shock Office in Xintiandi district.

- Minimum height is 1.50m. Tandem bikes are available for kids below 12

- Prices are all inclusive (Snack food, a bottle of water, a foreign experienced guide, a helmet and single-gear vintage bike rental with all lights)

- Join-in Group every Tuesday/Friday/Saturday (USD 70 per person)

- Private Tour possible every day (USD 210 in total for 2 participants)

$2202 Per Day

Beijing - Xi'an - Shanghai 10days study tour

Day 01 Arrival at Beijing

On arrival in Beijing, you will be met by our tour guide and transferred to your hotel in Beijing. Free for the rest of the day.

Day 02Beijing (B L)-- Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Beijing Zoo

After breakfast at your hotel, start your tour with the visit to Tiananmen Square(40minutes), the largest public square in the world. Then move on to the Forbidden City(2hours), the Chinese imperial palace from the mid-Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty.

Lunch at a special restaurant.

Then move on to Beijing zoo(1.5hours), which is one of the oldest zoos in China and has one of the largest animal collections in the country. The zoo and its aquarium has over 450 species of land animals and over 500 species of marine animals. In all, it is home to 14,500 animals. More than six million visitors come to the zoo each year. The zoo was founded in 1906 during the late Qing Dynasty. Like many of Beijing's parks, the zoo's grounds resemble classical Chinese gardens, with flower beds amidst natural scenery, including dense groves of trees, stretches of meadows, small streams and rivers, lotus pools and hills dotted with pavilions and historical buildings.

Day 03 Beijing ( B L )--Mutianyu Great Wall, Olympic Green, outside look the Bird's Nest and Water Cube, Shaolin kungfu school

Morning excursion to the most beautiful section of the Great Wall - the Mutianyu Great Wall. The hike takes about 2-3 hours. After lunch at Chinese Restaurant, Then head to the Olympic Green to have an outside look at the Bird's Nest and Water Cube(1hour). Shaolin Kung Fu is a huge scientific system, not the general sense of the "branches" or "boxing kinds". Chinese martial arts enjoy a huge structure complex with many branches, among which shaolin kung fu has the dominant place by its long history, the complex system and excellent technology boundary. Back to your hotel.

Day 04 Beijing-Xi'an( B L )

Hands-on D.I.Y Chinese dumplings(2hours) at the local family in Gaobeidian, enjoy these with other Chinese dishes and this will be your Lunch. Afternoon learn the Art of paper cutting, visit the gaobeidian school. After the tour, we go to the train station to Xian. Overnight on the train.

Day 05 Xian ( B L )--Big Wild Goose Pagoda square, Muslim Bazaar, Xi'an City Wall

Arrive in Xian, pick up. Breakfast at hotel. The Muslim Bazaar, the Muslim quarters lies 100 meters west of the Bell tower in downtown Xi'an.The 500 meters long avenue paved by bluestones are dotted with many unique stall,souvenir shop,coffee and bars which are mostly run by Muslim people. We visit massive Xian City Wall. Have a nice walk in the North Square to view the fully illuminated Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Musical Fountain Performance.

Day 06 Xian ( B L )-- Qin Terracotta Army, Shaanxi Historical Museum

Morning pick up by local guide. Enjoy your full day visit to the Qin Terracotta Army, one of the world's most important archaeological finds, with troops, horses and carriages in battle formation. Afternoon, visit the Shaanxi Historical Museum. Among the 400,000 items on display are treasures from many of the Dynasties, including some magnificent bronzes and porcelain, many of which have never been on permanent display before.

Day 07 Xian--shanghai ( B L )

Visit Bell tower and Drum tower. Farmer paintings, and learning the painting. Then go to airport to catch a flight. Pick up by shanghai local guide, only transfer to hotel.

Day 8 Shanghai ( B L )-- Jade Buddha Temple, Yuyuan Garden, the Bund

Breakfast at hotel. Visit Jade Buddha Temple. Jade Buddha Temple is a key temple in Shanghai that thriving with flows of disciples every day, especially on the 1st and 15th day of every lunar month as well as all the traditional Buddhism festivals. Visit pearl factory, it's a nice place to buy a necklace or bracelet. It is very good gift from China. Visit the lovely old Yuyuan Garden look nine zig zag bridge with golden fish pond, bridges and pavilions. Explore the Bund in the evening.

Day 9 Shanghai ( B L )--Shanghai Museum, People Square, Nanjing Road, Oriental Pearl TV tower, Children's Palace

The Shanghai Museum which is the largest museum of ancient Chinese art in Shanghai. Visit the People Square and Nanjing Road for shopping. Visit the Oriental Pearl TV tower 2nd level. Visit the Children��s Palace 30-45minutes.

Day 10 Shanghai ( B )

Your China Experience is over all too soon as you transfer to the airport and board the homebound international flight, bidding a fond farewell to this ancient land.