Discover the best neighborhoods to visit in Shanghai, China

Shanghai is China's city of the future – the third-largest metropolis on the planet, home to a staggering 24.9 million people – but it also has a highly visible past. You’ll sense the centuries in Shanghai's temples, or on a laid-back stroll through the laneways and shikumen (gateway-houses) of the former French Concession, or a promenade along the Bund, with its art deco and neoclassical towers. 

With an inexpensive public transport system, this vast megacity is easy to explore – indeed, this is one of the reasons many people choose Shanghai as their first stop in China. But with such a big area to cover, it pays to think ahead about where you will be based and the areas you plan to visit. 

Many tourists focus on Puxi – the city’s historic heart on the west bank of the Huangpu River, but there are many more neighborhoods to explore, from temple-topped Jing’an and the 16th-century Old City at Nanshi to futuristic Pudong on the east bank of the river.

Whether you’re looking for a quick taste of Shanghai’s highlights or a longer stay to soak up everything there is to see and do, here are the best neighborhoods to explore in Shanghai.

1. The Bund & People’s Square

Best for a sense of Shanghai’s 19th-century heyday

At the heart of Puxi, People’s Square (Renmin Guangchang) is one of Shanghai’s most iconic meeting places. A green park and city landmarks like the cooking-pot-shaped Shanghai Museum and the neoclassical General Post Office Building sit ringed by towering modern skyscrapers. 

From People’s Square, the pedestrianized thoroughfare of East Nanjing Rd (formerly Nanking Rd) threads east toward the river, lined with historic buildings that housed grand stores during the colonial period. The road turns into a fluorescent forest of neon billboards by night, and leads to a killer view of futuristic Pudong across the Huangpu River. 

Tracing the west bank of the river, the Bund (Waitan) was once known as the “Wall Street of the Orient.” It was here that companies went boom and bust in less than a century, as international merchants and bankers built and squandered fortunes based on trading with – and extracting wealth from – China. A row of resplendent (and strikingly un-Chinese) art deco and neoclassical buildings sits as a reminder of the former thriving British colonial trading port. 

Where to eat: Inexpensive fast food and chain restaurants line East Nanjing Rd, but it’s the high-end eating that really shines here. At legendary Three on the Bund, you’ll have a choice of Michelin-recommended fine-dining restaurants, from French-Asian fusion at Jean-Georges to Chinese banquets at Canton Table. Over at People’s Square, dine with a view at the Radisson’s Epicure on 45, or Roof 325 above the Shanghai Historical Museum. 

Where to stay: Both People’s Square and the Bund area offer plenty of places to stay, though prices tend to be higher here than in other parts of the city. The grandest hotels lie along the Bund, where properties such as the Fairmont Peace Hotel and Peninsula Hotel combine gorgeous art deco details with some of the city’s best rooms and restaurants.

People’s Square has its share of international chain hotels, plus quirky (though still pricey) boutique hotels such as the Yangtze Boutique Shanghai and Shanghai Edition. For slightly cheaper accommodation, head north of the Bund across Suzhou Creek, or try around People’s Square, home to cheapies such as the Phoenix Hostel and Dayin International Youth Hostel and the comparatively pocket-friendly Park Hotel, set inside a landmark art deco tower.  

2. Jing’an

Best for experiencing authentic Shanghai life 

One of the coolest areas in the city, Jing’an sits north of the historic (and much restored) Jing’an Temple, and west of People's Square and the Bund. While the neighborhood is slightly less polished, the tree-lined streets here are similar to those in the former French Concession. The area is well-stocked with independent restaurants and boutique shops, and it’s also home to the popular Shanghai Natural History Museum. Following the closure of expat-loved party streets further south, many bars and restaurants have found homes among the longtang alleyways of Jing’an. 

Much like the former French Concession, big sights are few and far between – coming here is more about the atmosphere. This is somewhere visitors can kick back and simply experience real Shanghai life – it’s easy to spend days wandering or cycling the vibrant streets. Further north is M50, a dynamic arts district occupying former factory buildings in the Moganshan Rd area near Suzhou Creek, where you’ll find many of the city’s top art galleries, including the respected ShanghART.

Where to eat: For upscale Shanghainese eats, head to Fu 1088, set in a 1930s villa filled with Chinese antiques, or the strikingly named Bastard, serving superb contemporary Chinese cuisine. Good spots for cheaper eats include Xibo off North Maoming Rd (good for lamb skewers and traditional bread) and Brut Eatery on Yuyuan Rd, with its California vibe and shared tables. Don’t overlook the inexpensive Jen Dow Vegetarian Restaurant at the rear of Jing’an Temple. 

Where to stay: Jing’an has rooms for all budgets, from the unpretentious and well-located Meego Youth Hotel to URBN – China’s first carbon-neutral boutique hotel – featuring recyclable products and open-plan rooms in a shikumen-style building. At the top of the price bracket are the luxe Portman Ritz-Carlton and the design-chic Puli, with dark-wood features, bamboo plants and a sense of Zen calm.

3. Former French Concession

Best for cool cafes, art studios and vintage architecture 

With leafy tree-lined avenues, 1920s mansions and French-influenced architecture, this neighborhood is the place to find calm in Shanghai’s swirling modern metropolis. The roads of the former French Concession are sprinkled with traditional lane house complexes, pop-up independent fashion boutiques, uber-hip cafes, cocktail bars and an ever-rotating selection of restaurants and cafes. 

From 1849 to 1943, this was the French-administered quarter of Shanghai, an engine for French trade with East Asia. Today, however, the colonial-era term “French Concession” means little to modern citizens of Shanghai, who know the area as Luwan or Huangpu. Spending time here is less about attractions and more about soaking up the vibe of the city’s most stylish area and enjoying its shady terraces and courtyards. 

One area worth exploring in depth is the entertainment district of Xintiandi, an incredibly popular rejuvenated shikumen-style district. Today, it houses upmarket restaurants, boutiques and cafes, but in the 1920s, this was the first meeting place of China's National Communist Party. Similar in appearance but much less contrived is Tianzifang, constructed in the 1930s and still filled with lived-in homes, art studios and small cafes and tea-shops. 

Where to eat: For an upmarket introduction to Shanghainese food, book a table at the French Concession’s stylish Yongfoo Elite Residence, or enjoy quality xiaolongbao dumplings at Taiwanese chain Din Tai Fung. Gourmands should seek out the suckling pork and superior dim sum at Michelin-starred T’ang Court in the Langham Xintiandi hotel.

The French Concession is well-stocked with less pricey eateries serving Shanghainese cuisine. Jesse on Tianping Rd is a good spot to graze on Shanghainese dumplings, salted chicken, spicy beef, liquor-soaked crab and braised pork. For scallion oil noodles, head to Imperial Noodle House on Changle Rd; find scrummy scallion oil pancakes with eggs at Xiang Cai Ren Jia on North Xiangyang Rd.

Where to stay: The former French Concession offers accommodation at all price points. Budget and mid-range travelers favor Xintiandi’s modern WeFlow Hostel, with its capsule-style dorm beds, or the not-overly-expensive rooms at the Okura Garden Hotel Shanghai, a historic landmark with original art deco features and corridors lined with pics of esteemed guests, including Mao Zedong. With money to spend, try the opulent Langham Xintiandi, for the full fine-dining, luxe sleeping and spa indulgence package. 

4. Old City (Nanshi)

Best for a sense of pre-colonial Shanghai 

Known to locals as Nanshi, meaning “Southern City,” this area dates to the 16th century and is one of the last places where you can still see traces of the original settlement of Shanghai. Once circled by a defensive wall, it continued to be a center for Chinese political activity even after the Opium Wars, when the British and French created their self-administered concessions nearby. 

Although much of the Old City has been torn down and replaced by modern developments, there are still some charmingly scruffy areas of laneways with traditional architecture – including a horizon of curved eaves and more temples than the rest of Shanghai put together. The highlight is the Yuyuan Gardens & Bazaar, a restored 16th-century pleasure garden with snaking pathways, elegant pavilions and fish-filled ponds. 

Where to eat: This is a great area to try traditional Chinese dishes, from Shanghainese dumplings to hand-pulled noodles, with numerous eateries in the lanes of the Yuyuan Gardens & Bazaar. This is where you’ll find the Mid-Lake Pavilion Teahouse, a Shanghai landmark and institution founded in 1784 – check if it has reopened after renovations. 

Other worthy stops in the bazaar area include Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant, where crowds queue for tasty soup dumplings with pork and crab, and Da Hu Chun on Yuchun Rd, loved for its pan-fried pork buns. Vegetarians and vegans should seek out Chunfeng Songyue Lou on Jiujiaochang Rd – Shanghai’s oldest plant-based restaurant. 

Where to stay: The Old City isn't flush with hotels targeting foreign visitors. If you have a healthy budget, Hotel Indigo sits at the south end of the Bund, offering rooms with modish furniture and mesmerizing Bund and Pudong views, plus the superb Char bar and restaurant.

5. Pudong

Best for future China vibes and skyscraping views

Thanks to its busy international airport, Pudong on the east bank of the Huangpu River is where most international visitors first set foot in Shanghai, some arriving from the airport in just minutes on the superfast Shanghai Maglev train. This is where the city puts on its most futuristic face, with colossal neck-craning skyscrapers – some so tall they pierce the clouds – offering a glimpse of China’s architectural future. 

Fantastical-looking buildings here include the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, with its three bulbous pink balls, and the Shanghai World Financial Center, with its bottle-opener top. The tallest tower of all is the spiral-shaped Shanghai Tower, China’s tallest building at 632m (2073ft). For an epic overlook over Shanghai, head to one of Pudong’s many observation decks (the Oriental Pearl’s is the most famous) or grab a drink or posh meal at the Grand Hyatt hotel inside the pagoda-like Jinmao Tower, climbing to a more modest 420.5m (1380ft). 

Don’t overlook Pudong’s impressive collection of fantastic art galleries – check out the Museum of Art Pudong, Aurora Museum and China Art Museum – and drop by the Shanghai History Museum at the base of the Oriental Pearl to learn about the city's back story. Families are drawn to Pudong’s enormous, shark-filled aquarium and the whooshing rides of Shanghai Disneyland; find a calmer escape in green Century Park. 

Where to eat: For inexpensive eats, try the food options in the Superbrand Mall on West Lujiazui Rd, or visit Yang’s Fry Dumplings on the Lujiazui Ring Rd for phenomenal fried dumplings. Posh meals are served with aplomb at the Grand Hyatt’s Club Jin Mao, the Ritz-Carlton’s Michelin-starred Jin Xuan, and Jade on 36 at the Shangri-La hotel.  

Where to stay: Modestly priced accommodation is sparse on the Pudong side of the river, but affluent Lujiazui near the Oriental Pearl TV Tower has the Shanghai Hidden Garden Youth Hostel, with capsule-style dorms and doubles around a lovely courtyard garden.

If you have the funds, Pudong is the place to splurge. Get a room with a dizzying view at the Grand Hyatt inside the looming Jinmao Tower, or find chic elegance, dramatic Bund views and possibly the best service in the whole of Shanghai at the Ritz-Carlton Shanghai.

This article was adapted from the China guidebook published in August 2025.