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SCENES & SIGHTS
Yuyuan Garden & Bazar
 The
Yuyuan Garden on the road of the same name in downtown is perhaps
the best example of classical gardens of Shanghai. Built in 1559,
or the 38th year of the Jiaqing reign of the Ming, the garden is
laid out in an intricate manner, with buildings out in an intricate
manner, with buildings spaced providently and courtyards mutually
containing, and all the components of the complex zare cunningly
grouped to camouflage a rather camped space. As a paragon of the
south Chinese landscaping style of the Ming and Qing dynasties,
it is a MUST for all visitors to Shanghai. The neighboring Yuyuan
Bazaar, known among old-timers as "Old City God's Temple Market",
is a rising tourist and shopping center where visitors loitering
among a cluster of shops, restaurants and recreation facilities
invariably find themselves making a tour of discovery of local folklore
and Ming and Qing architecture.
 Temple
of Jade Buddha
The Yufo (Jade Buddha) Temple was built in 1882 but after all those
years it remains in perfect condition as a sanctuary of Zen Buddhism.
The temple derived its name from a jade statue of Sakyamuni from
Myanmar. The image of the Buddha, his graceful posture, and the
serene and calm look on his face are, to put it just in one word,
mesmerizing.
The Bund
The picturesque Bund, extending for 1.5 km on the shore of the Huangpu
River, is an emblem of Shanghai. A total of 52 tall buildings of
various heights tower over the river along the western side of the
Bund, looking like a museum of modem world architecture. The wide
riverfront promenade along the eastern side of the Bund provides
a captivating view of Shanghai. When lights are turned on between
19:00 and 21:00 p.m., the Bund has the best nocturnal scene to offer.
Huangpu River Cruise
When the lower section of the Huangpu River, which rises from the
Taihu Lake, flows through the city of Shanghai for 39km, its water
surface extends as wide as 400 metres. A cruise on the river involves
a 60-km-long round trip, which runs past some of the major landmarks
of shanghai as a port city.
Yangpu & Nanpu Bridges
The Yangpu and Nanpu bridges are, at 7,658 and 8,346 metres respectively,
among the longest bridges of the world. Both are of the double cable-stayed
suspension type with a long span. Open 8:30-17:00.
Longhua Temple
Built during the Five Dynasties, the Longhua Temple is the most
venerated and largest temple in Shanghai. Apart from its long history,
the allure of the temple also lies in the Longhua Pagoda and the
peach blossoms in its courtyard.
 Tour
of Residential Quarters
Visitors are invited do "be a Shanghai citizen for a day"
by visiting families often those with several generations living
under the same roof-in some residential quarters. In this way they
can experience the delights of family life the oriental way.
"Pedestrians Only" Nanjing Road
Flanked on both sides by famed shopping centers, department stores,
specialty stores, exotic restaurants and cultural and recreational
facilities, the 5-km-long Nanjing Road is the most sophisticated
shopping and tourist complex in Shanghai. Every day it is thronged
by more than 1 million visitors.
The Oriental pearl TV Tower
The "Oriental Pearl" TV Tower is a new landmark of Shanghai
which faces the Bund across the Huangpu River at Lujiazui, the busiest
part of Pudong new Area. At a height of 468 metres, it is the tallest
TV tower in Asia. An elevator whisks visitors to the tower's observational
deck at a height of 263 metres, where they can feast their eyes
on a panoramic view of shanghai. The tower is equipped with tourist
service facilities, including eateries, shops, recreational including
eateries, shops, recreational centers and a hotel. Open 8:30-21:30.
 People's
Square
The People's Square, which was refurbished and expanded in 1994,
is the political and cultural center of Shanghai. The square is
home to a gigantic music fountain, several dozen thousand square
metres of green patches, the Shanghai New Museum with a unique design,
the magnificent City Hall, a spacious underground shopping center,
and the splendid Grand Shanghai Theatre. A stroll on the square
enables one to gain some idea about the modern chic and refined
elegance of Shanghai and its people.
Grand View Garden
Patterned after the settings of the 18th-century Chinese classic
A Dream of Red Mansions, the Grand View Garden is an 8-hectare affair
by the Dianshan Lake in Qingpu County.
 Shanghai
Museum
The Shanghai Museum at the People's Square is in the possession
of a collection of 123,000 cultural artifacts in 21 categories,
but bronze ware, ceramics, calligraphy and painting are its forte.
A vast collection of exhibits, world-class architecture, and high-tech
facilities explain why the Shanghai Museum can attract visitors
who come in a constant stream from every nook and cranny of the
world.
Arts & Crafts Research Institute
Situated on Fenyang road and established in 1956, this is China's
first comprehensive center for the research of Chinese arts and
crafts. Its 19 departments are staffed with a galaxy of virtuoso
craftsmen in such fields as woolen needlepoint tapestries, embroidery,
ivory carving, jade carving, dough modeling, and porcelain carving.
Visitors are in for quite a few rare artistic delights.
Shanghai tourist Festival
Time: From mid-October to November every year
What's On: Large-scale float parade, open-air concert, demonstration
of Chinese and foreign tea ceremonies, international symposium on
tourism, exhibition of culture and art associated with the classic
A Dream of Red Mansions. Other programs include the tour to "be
a Shanghai citizen for one day" and evening cruises on the
Huangpu River. There are also tours for those who return from overseas
to seek out their ancestral roots.
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