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Shanghai Attractions

Climbing Lupu Bridge

That Lupu Bridge is open to the public is a well kept secret, either that or nobody has any interest in climbing one of the major artieries that links Puxi to Pudong over the Huangpu River. The bridge was deserted even on National Day when the rest of Shanghai was heaving with visitors....

That Lupu Bridge is open to the public is a well kept secret, either that or nobody has any interest in climbing one of the major artieries that links Puxi to Pudong over the Huangpu River. The bridge was deserted even on National Day when the rest of Shanghai was heaving with visitors. Lupu Bridge is the longest arch bridge in the world, the white arches have 367 steps which lead to the top of the bridge with the Huangpu River, teeming with commercial traffic, over 100 metres below.

The view from the top is further removed from the bright lights of Lujiazui. Instead it offers a telling insight into Shanghai’s history and contrasting future. On the Puxi side it offers a look at an old shipyard. It is the last of Shanghai’s heavy industry within the city limits, everything else was moved to the outskirts in an effort to combat pollution and the shipyard will shortly follow suit. The Pudong side is at present nothing more than a building site but a massive construction project is underway along the banks of the Huangpu for the Shanghai 2010 Expo, otherwise trumpeted as the Olympic Games of the economy, science, and technology. The view is interesting if only to the see the scale of the project and knowing the pace of construction will be ready in the time it takes to knock down the shipyard on the opposite bank.

Disc Kart Indoor Karting

Safety first? Not even close, not even a podium position. Some of Shanghai’s taxi drivers have a mixed relationship with traffic lights and speed limits, but surely even some of them would be taken aback by the chaos which regularly ensues at Disc Kart. The management not only permits, but ...

Safety first? Not even close, not even a podium position. Some of Shanghai’s taxi drivers have a mixed relationship with traffic lights and speed limits, but surely even some of them would be taken aback by the chaos which regularly ensues at Disc Kart. The management not only permits, but positively encourages drinking and driving. On the second floor overlooking the track there is a bar where drivers can grab a few beers (28RMB) or cocktails (40-50RMB) before or after a spin on the track. This choice naturally depends on how keen the driver is with head-on meetings with tire walls.

The prices are not cheap by Chinese standards. One 8 minute race costs 50RMB (buy 5 get 1 free), but it is great fun, especially as part of as a group where you don’t mind giving each other a few bumps. Overtaking is difficult without being a bit of a rude boy, although some of the karts are noticeably faster than others. Kart numbers 5 and 7 featured prominently in the fastest times of the day.

It’s a far cry from Shanghai’s F1 circuit. It’s difficult to imagine Alonso downing a pre-race pint, but Dutch Courage might well give you the confidence to take that corner a little bit faster and numb the bruises from the crash when you take it too fast. Overzealous taxi drivers will seem tame in comparison.

If you want to get away from the petrol fumes then a more laid back atmosphere can be found at Simba Coffee (560 Zaoyang Road, 枣阳路560号). Simba is just down the road towards the back gate of East China Normal University.  

Vienna Cafe

This darling café feels so European to me that I hide away here when I need a break from China. The renovated lane house always feels particularly warm and cosy with dark wood paneling and rich striped wallpaper. The back of the restaurant is a historic atrium, which allows for plentiful n...

This darling café feels so European to me that I hide away here when I need a break from China. The renovated lane house always feels particularly warm and cosy with dark wood paneling and rich striped wallpaper. The back of the restaurant is a historic atrium, which allows for plentiful natural light in an otherwise windowless space. The menu is small but appealing, with traditional Austrian dishes like Kaesespaetzle for 60 RMB (FYI: this dish is kind of like a grown-up macaroni and cheese, I’d call it the most amazing comfort food I’ve had in years). The breakfast menu is equally small, but offers eggs in every style conceivable, fruit and cereal. The indulgent dessert menu is includes temptations such as banana cake, cheesecake, and Sacher Cake (a famous Viennese chocolate cake). To make matters worse for you dieters out there, Vienna Cafe lures you in by baking cakes during the day, so it smells wonderful inside. The Viennese coffee, at 30RMB for a latte, is prepared by a gorgeous Gaggia espresso machine.

How to get there: Shaoxing Lu is close to the busy Huaihai Lu, but it still feels miles away. It’s on one of the quietest streets I’ve seen in the middle of the French Concession. Take Metro Line 1 to Shanxi Lu station. Exit onto Shanxi Lu, and head south for 4 blocks. Take a left on Shaoxing, Vienna Café is half way down the block on the right. (Edited by Xiaoqing)

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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.


$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.