Must see attractions in Shanghai Old City

  • Top Choice

    Yuyuan Gardens & Bazaar

    With its shaded alcoves, glittering pools churning with fish, plus pavilions, pines sprouting wistfully from rockeries, and roving packs of Japanese…

  • C

    Chenxiangge Monastery

    Sheltering a community of dark-brown-clothed monks from the Chenhai (Sea of Dust) – what Buddhists call the mortal world, but which could equally refer to…

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    Temple of the Town God

    Chinese towns traditionally had a Taoist temple of the town god, but many fell victim to periodic upheaval. Originally dating from the early 15th century,…

  • W

    World Expo Museum

    Located at the former site of the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, this museum showcases the history of world expositions. Using old video footage, interactive…

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    Fazangjiang Temple

    This simple but very active temple is curiously accessed from the west, rather than the south, where the entrance to Buddhist temples usually lies. The…

  • Confucius Temple

    A modest and charming retreat, this well-tended temple to Confucius is cultivated with maples, pines, magnolias and birdsong. The layout is typically…

  • Dajing Pavilion

    Dating from 1815, this pavilion contains the only preserved section of the 5km-long city walls. Also within the pavilion is a small Guandi temple, which…

  • Dongjiadu Cathedral

    Just outside Shanghai Old City and once known as St Francis Xavier Church, this magnificent whitewashed cathedral is Shanghai’s oldest church, built by…

  • Power Station of Art

    The vast Power Station of Art in the disused Nanshi Power Plant holds modern large-scale installations, design shows and other temporary exhibitions, some…

  • C

    Cool Docks

    The riverside Cool Docks consist of several shíkùmén (石库门, stone-gate houses) surrounded by red-brick warehouses, near (but not quite on) the waterfront…

  • S

    Sunny Beach

    Life’s a beach, even in the middle of Shanghai. If the sun comes out, pop down to this small but amusing artificial strip of sand right by the river and…

  • B

    Baiyun Temple

    The port-red and relatively new Taoist Baiyun (White Cloud) Temple is fronted by an entrance with twin eaves and separated from Dajing Pavilion, a…

  • P

    Peach Garden Mosque

    Originally dating to 1917, this famous mosque is the main place of worship for Shanghai’s Muslims.