Shanghai With My Tween (Teenage Boy) - Part 4 - Touristy Places Not To Be Missed

Previous Posts:
Shanghai With My Tween (Teenage Boy) - Part 1 - Novotel Hotels
Shanghai With My Tween (Teenage Boy) - Part 2 - Visiting The Museums
Shanghai With My Tween (Teenage Boy) - Part 3 - Visiting Starbucks And Apple



Shanghai offers quite a few touristy places I feel not to be missed. We did not manage to visit all (#timenotenough), of course, so here are the only three :p

The Oriental Pearl Tower

This unique and iconic TV and radio tower is definitely a MUST to visit.

The Oriental Pearl TV Tower has double-decker elevators, though you will not be able to see them anyway. Its elevator will first bring you up to the Sightseeing Floor at 263metres. On that level, you will get to admire the panoramic views of Shanghai's skyline (night or day, depending of your visiting hour). BUT, the hype of this visit is when you walk 4 metres down to 259metres when you land yourselves on the Transparent Observatory! Check out the video and photos below:

Though we have been the Komtar Rainbow Skywalk in Penang, the glass floor is only but a cantilever bridge. But this one is an entire circle, so Oriental Pearl Tower is definitely worth the visit!

I fell in love with this view. Just admiring the awesome job in Shanghai urban route planning.

The bridges you see here are for pedestrians. How amazing!

The admission ticket includes an animated show on Shanghai's historical development at the Shanghai City Historical Development Exhibition Hall, do watch. You might be inspired to visit the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition after this. At least I was, but couldn't squeeze out the time to.

How to get there by MRT:
Take the train to 陆家嘴 LuJiaZhui station and walk the underground connecting linkway that leads you to Oriental Pearl Tower. 
You may purchase your Oriental Pearl Tower entry ticket here.

Yuyuan

Yuyuan Bazaar

The Yu Garden is a classic Chinese garden with rich history and culture. It is quite big, so expect about 2-3 hours tour. This is a place where you will spot not just beautiful architecture, you got to take note of those tiny carvings and sculptures, they are so detailed!

The Yuyuan Bazaar is a good place to sample some local snacks and buy some souvenirs. Bargaining is a must unless you do not mind to be slaughtered. Do visit the garden only on a weekday as it will be less crowded than on a weekend. Still, expect many tourists and even locals from other States/Province. It is a place where you have to be careful with pickpockets too. We did not stay long here because AJ wasn't interested. So do take note also, while it might be interesting for the adults, the children might feel bored.


How to get there by MRT:
Take the train to 豫园 Yuyuan station and follow the signage along Fuyou Road.

The Bund

The Bund is a long stretch of charming waterfront promenade along the Huangpu River with many century-old buildings of various architectural styles. It is the symbol of Shanghai, if you have not been to The Bund, you have not been to Shanghai. 

The best way to appreciate these buildings is to have a walk along The Bund. At night, when these century-old buildings are illuminated, the view is gorgeous. 

Huangpu River Cruise

When there is a river, always take a cruise along it. We did it when we were in Sarawak, in Ho Chi Minh and in Bangkok. On the cruise, you will see the historical architecture of The Bund, as well as the modern skyscrapers opposite the Huangpu River (Pudong). I would strongly recommend taking a night cruise as it gives you a distinctive contrast between modern life and the past.

The selection of the river cruise ranges from a 30-minute cruise to a 3½-hour cruise. We booked an hour's one from Klook here. The best time to visit is just before sunset. You would be able to enjoy the sunset over the Huangpu River and Shanghai's spectacular skyline when the lights of buildings on both banks of the Huangpu River are illuminated

How to get there by MRT:
Take the train to 南京路 Nanjing Road station and follow the signage along Nanjing Road.
You may purchase your River Cruise ticket here.

Are you planning to bring your kids to Shanghai soon? I'll be sharing with you some tips when traveling to Shanghai. Stay tuned!



This is an affiliated post with Klook