Shanghai is a vast municipality on the Yangtze estuary on China's east coast, home to almost 25 million people. The Huangpu River splits it into Puxi, the historic west bank, and Pudong, the newer east bank. A market town that became a treaty port in 1842, it grew into Asia's great commercial city of the 1930s and was rebuilt again from the 1990s.
Visitors come for the contrast between the colonial-era riverfront of the Bund and the towers of Lujiazui across the water, for the plane-tree streets of the former French Concession, for classical gardens, museums and Shanghainese food, and for easy fast trains to Suzhou and Hangzhou. Serviced apartments and flats in lane-house neighbourhoods, high-rise apartments in Pudong and larger homes in the suburbs suit families, longer stays and business trips alike.
The Bund and People's Square, in Huangpu district, put the riverfront, Nanjing Road and the Shanghai Museum within walking distance and are the classic first-visit base. The former French Concession, spread across parts of Xuhui and Huangpu, is greener and calmer, with plane trees, villas and shikumen lane houses, cafés and small parks; it suits couples and longer stays.
Jing'an, around Jing'an Temple and West Nanjing Road, is central and well connected, a good choice for shopping and business. Lujiazui and the rest of Pudong offer newer high-rise apartments with skyline views, more space for families and a shorter trip to Pudong airport and the Disney resort. Hongqiao, in the west, is practical for short business trips because the airport and the high-speed railway station sit side by side.
Wherever you stay, foreign guests' accommodation must be registered with the local police, as explained below.
The Bund is a waterfront promenade on the west bank of the Huangpu, lined with banks, trading houses and consulates built between the 1860s and the 1930s in styles from Neoclassical to Art Deco. Across the river, Lujiazui has been developed as a financial district since the early 1990s; the Oriental Pearl Tower, completed in 1994, was its first landmark, and the skyline is lit up at night.
South of the Bund lies the old walled city, whose walls were pulled down in 1912. Here Yu Garden, first laid out in 1559 under the Ming dynasty, fits pavilions, rockeries and ponds into about two hectares beside the City God Temple. People's Square holds the Shanghai Museum, known for its ancient bronzes and ceramics. Jing'an Temple, a Buddhist temple on a site used since 1216, stands among the shopping streets of West Nanjing Road.
Shanghai was a county town and port of the lower Yangtze for centuries before the Treaty of Nanking opened it to foreign trade in 1842, after the First Opium War. British, American and French settlements grew up outside the walled town; the first two merged in 1863 as the International Settlement, while the French kept their own concession. The Chinese Communist Party was founded in the French Concession in July 1921, and the site is now a museum.
By the 1930s the city was a cosmopolitan commercial and financial centre, and tens of thousands of Jewish refugees from Europe found shelter here, a story told at the Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum in Hongkou. Japanese occupation followed, then the People's Republic from 1949. Reforms from 1990 brought the development of Pudong. Shanghainese, a Wu Chinese language, is still spoken alongside Mandarin, and UNESCO named Shanghai a City of Design in 2010.
Shanghai sits in the low, canal-laced country of the Yangtze delta, and some of China's best-known sights are close by. Zhujiajiao, in the city's own Qingpu district, is a water town with dozens of stone bridges and old houses along its canals, reached directly by metro Line 17.
Suzhou, about 25 to 30 minutes away on the fastest high-speed trains, is famous for its classical gardens; nine of them were inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1997 and 2000. Hangzhou, around an hour away by high-speed train, is built around West Lake, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2011, whose causeways, temples and pagodas influenced garden design across East Asia.
All three make easy day trips, though Hangzhou also rewards a night or two. Trains are popular at weekends and holidays, so buy tickets in advance with your passport.
Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG), about 30 kilometres east of the centre, handles most international flights. The maglev train runs from the airport to Longyang Road station in Pudong in about eight minutes, where you change to the metro; metro Line 2 and taxis also reach the city. Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA), around 13 kilometres west of downtown, serves mainly domestic and regional routes, and an airport link railway between the two airports opened in December 2024.
High-speed trains leave mainly from Shanghai Hongqiao station, next to the airport, and from Shanghai station. Within the city, the metro has more than 800 kilometres of lines reaching every central district, and buses, ferries across the Huangpu and taxis fill the gaps. Ride-hailing and mobile payment apps are widely used; set them up before you arrive. A car is unnecessary, and driving requires a Chinese licence.
Shanghai has a humid subtropical climate with four distinct seasons. Spring, from about March to May, and autumn, from about October to November, are generally the most pleasant times to visit, with autumn usually the sunnier and drier of the two.
Summers are hot and humid, with several days a year above 35°C, and the plum rain season, usually from about mid-June to early July, brings long spells of damp, grey weather. Typhoons can affect the city in summer and early autumn, so follow official weather warnings. Winters are cool to cold and damp, with occasional frost but rarely any snow.
Public holidays matter as much as the weather: around Chinese New Year and the National Day holiday in early October, trains, sights and accommodation are at their busiest, so book early or plan around those weeks.
Under Article 39 of China's Exit and Entry Administration Law, the accommodation of every foreign visitor must be registered with the local police. Hotels do this at check-in. If you stay in a private home or apartment, you or your host must register within 24 hours of arrival, either at a police station or online: the National Immigration Administration piloted online registration from March 2026 and extended it nationwide in September 2026. Ask your host how they will handle it, and check the current rules before you travel.
Some nationalities can visit visa-free for short stays and the 240-hour visa-free transit policy covers eligible travellers heading on to a third country, but both change often, so check the National Immigration Administration before booking. Carry your passport, as it is needed for train tickets and many sights.
Spring, from about March to May, and autumn, from about October to November, are the most comfortable seasons. Summer is hot and humid, with plum rains from about mid-June and occasional typhoons, and winter is cold and damp. Avoid the Chinese New Year and early October holidays if you dislike crowds.
First-time visitors often stay near the Bund or People's Square. The former French Concession suits couples and longer stays with its leafy streets, Jing'an is central for shopping and business, Pudong offers space and skyline views for families, and Hongqiao is practical for short trips by plane or train.
Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) is about 30 kilometres east of the centre. The maglev reaches Longyang Road station in about eight minutes, where you change to the metro, or you can take metro Line 2 or a taxi. Hongqiao airport (SHA), around 13 kilometres west of downtown, is much closer.
Yes. Hotels register foreign guests with the police automatically. In a private home or apartment, you or your host must register with the local police within 24 hours of arrival, at a police station or online through the National Immigration Administration's services, offered nationwide since September 2026.
It depends on your passport. Some nationalities can enter visa-free for short stays, and eligible travellers heading on to a third country can use the 240-hour visa-free transit policy. Rules change often, so check the National Immigration Administration or your nearest Chinese embassy before you book.
Three to four days covers the Bund, Lujiazui, Yu Garden, the Shanghai Museum and a walk through the former French Concession. With a week you can add day trips to Zhujiajiao by metro, or to Suzhou's gardens or Hangzhou's West Lake by high-speed train.
Yes. The metro makes the city easy to cross with children, and parks, riverside promenades, museums and the Disney resort in Pudong give plenty to do. Apartments in Pudong or the suburbs offer more space than central flats, and spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons for sightseeing.
The currency is the renminbi, counted in yuan. Mobile payment apps are used almost everywhere, and visitors can usually link an international bank card to them; set this up before arrival. Carry some cash and an international card as a back-up for smaller shops and taxis.
Researched and written with AI assistance, then fact-checked against the sources below. Last checked .