TEAR OUT GUIDE
From the rickety charm of the Old Town to the space-age architecture of Pudong, Shanghai is a city that’s hard to pin down. It abounds in energy and excitement, and there’s no shortage of interesting things to do.
West meets East along Shanghai’s Bund
WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM DAMIAN HARPER AND CHRISTOPHER PITTS. PHOTOGRAPH: NIKADA/GETTY IMAGES
LONGHUA TEMPLE & PAGODA
Shanghai’s oldest and largest monastery is named after the pipal tree under which Buddha achieved enlightenment. Trees are decorated with red lanterns, incense smoke fills the front of the grounds and monks can regularly be heard chanting, making this one of the city’s most atmospheric sites. The muchrenovated temple is said to date from the 10th century.
SHANGHAI MUSEUM
shanghaimuseum.net
This must-see free museum escorts you through the craft of millennia and the pages of Chinese history. Impressive collections range from the green patinas of ancient Chinese bronzes through to the exquisite beauty of the ceramics in the Zande Lou gallery and timeless flourishes captured in the calligraphy displays.
CHINESE MASSAGE
Double Rainbow Massage House is perhaps Shanghai’s best. Choose soft, medium or hard, and the visually impaired masseuses will work out your knots and seek little-visited pressure points. Try the traditional massage and herbal foot bath (45 Yongjia Rd).
THE BUND