Home > Destinations > Asia > China

Things to do in Shanghai

Explore the Oriental Pearl Tower

Be ready for an action-packed time inside the iconic Oriental Pearl Tower. Visitors can look down and get a full view of the Huangpu River through the glass-bottomed walkway, don a VR headset and enjoy a short (but trilling) indoor roller-coaster ride, or learn about the city in the Shanghai History Museum in the basesment.

Find some peace with a river cruise

For some serenity away from the city's gnarly traffic, take a cruise down the Huangpu River. With the Bund's concession architecture floating past and Pudong's skyscrapers towering above you on the other side, there's plenty to see. The Suzhou Creek open-top cruise will take you through the city centre.

Learn the force of yin and yang

Early in the morning, residents gather at numerous parks dotted across Shanghai to practice Tai Chi, a health-promoting exercise. Head to Fuxing Park on Fuxing Zhong Lu or the broad pavement on the Bund to join the locals who immerse themselves with the philosophy of yin and yang forces.

Let your hair down at a theme parks

For when the kids are showing signs of sightseeing mutiny, Shanghai has a couple of huge amusement parks. Three parks worth checking out are Happy Valley (http://sh.happyvalley.cn/) with rides and roller coasters, Shanghai Disney Resort (www.shanghaidisneyresort.com) and Dino Beach (www.dinobeach.com.cn), a water park with wave pool and slides.

The Bund Sightseeing Tunnel

Even when you jump into the automated car, nothing can quite prepare you for this brightly lit experience ahead. The Bund Sightseeing Tunnel takes visitors on a trance-inducing lightshow beneath Huangpu River; a marvellous, surreal trip.

Comment Record: