Shanghai

China's most international city, with the Bund's multinational architecture, the Pudong skyline, Disney and café culture, a top first stop for both inbound and domestic travelers.

Shanghai sits at the mouth of the Yangtze River at the midpoint of China's coastline. It is a municipality directly under the central government and China's largest economic center, covering about 6,340 sq km. The Huangpu River divides the city into Puxi (the Bund, the Old City, and the plane-tree-lined French Concession) and Pudong (Lujiazui, Disney, Pudong Airport). The climate is subtropical monsoon: Mar–May is warm and full of blossoms and Sep–Nov is crisp and clear, the best travel seasons; from mid-June to early July the plum rains linger, Jul–Aug is scorching and humid (often above 35°C), typhoons occasionally strike in Aug–Sep, and winter is damp and cold with little snow. The core sightseeing areas fall into five groups: first, the Bund–Nanjing Road–Lujiazui along the Huangpu River, for multinational architecture and skyscrapers; second, Yu Garden and the City God Temple in the Old City, for Jiangnan gardens and Shanghainese snacks; third, the Hengfu Historic Area (Wukang Road, Anfu Road, Sinan Road), with plane-tree streets and old villas ideal for a city walk; fourth, cultural venues around People's Square such as the Shanghai Museum and Shanghai Grand Theatre, plus creative districts like Tianzifang and Xintiandi; and fifth, Disney Resort in Pudong and the ancient water town of Zhujiajiao in the western suburbs of Puxi. Getting there: Hongqiao Airport and Hongqiao Railway Station are integrated with the city, reached directly by Metro Lines 2, 10 and 17; from Pudong Airport, the maglev takes 8 minutes to Longyang Road, or Metro Line 2 takes about 70 minutes to People's Square. The city's 20 metro lines cover almost every attraction, and you can also take the Huangpu River ferry (2 yuan) to cross the river. Plan on 3–4 days: Day 1 the Bund–Nanjing Road–Yu Garden–Lujiazui; Day 2 a city walk in the plane-tree district plus the Shanghai Museum; Day 3 Disney; Day 4 Zhujiajiao or cycling along Suzhou Creek. Notes: the Bund's night lights run until 22:00 on weekdays and until 23:00 on weekends and holidays; the Shanghai Museum and other venues require advance reservations; most local restaurants use QR-code ordering, so it is advisable to set up WeChat Pay or Alipay.

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