Popular Places & Neighbourhoods

Two major Chinese holidays happen right in the middle of Champions Shanghai: Mid-Autumn Festival (Sept 25–27) and National Day Golden Week (Oct 1–7). The event also overlaps with the Shanghai International Light Festival and Shanghai Tourism Festival.

Shanghai is busy on a normal day, but around these dates it can get really busy. Just something to keep in mind, this is one of the busiest times of the year.

Download AMap (高德地图) before you arrive. It’ll be your best friend for getting around the city, especially since Google Maps isn’t reliable in China and AMap is much more detailed than Apple Maps. We’ll also use AMap links throughout this guide to point you to each place.

Lines 2 & 10 East Nanjing Road

Time Needed

1–2 hours

Best Time

7–10pm

Cost

Free

The Bund is basically the postcard view of Shanghai, and yes, it’s absolutely worth seeing in person. There are plenty of benches along the waterfront, so honestly, you can just sit there and stare at the skyline for as long as you want. If you want proper photos, you’ll usually find photographers offering shoots on the spot. Back in 2025, we paid around RMB 100 for five edited photos, which was pretty reasonable. Prices vary and you can usually negotiate a little, so check their work first and go with someone whose photos you actually like.

Why Visit
Shanghai’s defining waterfront view, with the historic Bund buildings on one side and the Pudong skyline across the Huangpu River.

Main Things to See
The riverside promenade, the historic buildings along the Bund, and the Lujiazui skyline including Shanghai Tower and the Oriental Pearl Tower.

Lighting Hours
The skyline usually lights up from around 7pm, with lighting usually ending around 10–11pm. Hours can change during holidays and major events.

Nearby
Yu Garden is easy to go on one trip with The Bund on the same afternoon or evening.

Line 10 & 14 Yuyuan Garden

Time Needed

2–3 hours

Best Time

6–9pm

Cost

Free to explore, food & shopping extra

One of Shanghai’s biggest tourist spots, but still one we’d happily recommend. Personally, we’d come for the wider Yuyuan area rather than the actual garden. Once everything lights up at night, the whole place feels completely different, and you can easily spend a few hours just walking around, eating, shopping, and taking photos. Also, I once paid RMB 20 for a tuk-tuk ride from Yuyuan to The Bund, and somehow it ended up being one of the most fun rides of the trip. If you happen to see one around, give it a shot.

Garden vs. Yuyuan
Yu Garden itself is the ticketed classical garden. The wider Yuyuan area around it is free to explore and is where you’ll find the traditional-style buildings, shops, restaurants, snacks, souvenirs, and little streets.

Main Things to Do
Walk around the illuminated buildings and waterways, browse the shops, try some snacks, and take photos bear the bridge and surrounding bazaar.

Yu Garden Hours
The garden is currently open 9am–4:30pm, with last entry at 4pm. It is generally closed on Mondays except public holidays. During September and October, adult admission is RMB 40.

At Night
The garden itself will already be closed, but the wider Yuyuan area stays active into the evening. Honestly, this is the part we’d recommend visiting anyway.

Lines 1, 2 & 8 People’s Square
Lines 2 & 10 East Nanjing Road

Time Needed

1–2 hours

Best Time

5–9pm

Cost

Free to walk, shopping & food extra

You’ll pass huge malls, international brands, old-school Shanghai department stores, restaurants, snack shops, and way too many souvenir stores along the way. Late afternoon into nighttime is probably the best time to go. Once everything lights up, you’ll get that busy Shanghai city vibe.

Why Visit
One of Shanghai’s most famous shopping streets and an easy place to experience the busy, commercial side of the city.

The Pedestrain Street
The famous East Nanjing Road pedestrian section runs for around 1.5 km, eventually taking you all the way toward The Bund.

Shopping
Expect a mix of major malls, international brands, long-running Shanghai stores, restaurants, snacks, and plenty of souvenirs.

At Night
The signs, storefronts, 3D billboards, and surrounding buildings all light up after dark, which is when we think the street is at its best.

Line 2 Lujiazui

Time Needed

1–2 hours

Best Time

4–8pm

Cost

Free to explore, observation decks extra

This is the Shanghai you see in all the futuristic skyline photos. Step out of the station and you’re immediately surrounded by some of the tallest buildings in China, and walking underneath them is honestly one of those moments where you feel how futuristic China is. Hopefully you get a clear day too, because low clouds can completely swallow the tops of the towers.

Main Things to See
Shanghai Tower, Shanghai World Financial Center, Jin Mao Tower, and the Oriental Pearl Tower are all clustered around the area.

Photo Spots
There are plenty around the pedestrian bridges and streets near Lujiazui Station. You probably won’t even need to look them up, just follow the crowd.

When to Go
Late afternoon works best so you can see the area in daylight, then stay as the skyline and surrounding buildings light up after dark.

Observation Decks
If you have some extra budget, you can head up one of the towers for a view over Shanghai. Shanghai Tower is the obvious option, with its main observation deck sitting more than 500 meters above the city.

Line 1 South Huangpi Road
Lines 10 & 13 Xintiandi

Time Needed

2–3 hours

Best Time

Anytime

Cost

Free to walk around, cafés, dining & shopping extra

Probably one of our favorite parts of Shanghai. You can easily spend a few hours here without planning much: grab a coffee, walk around, get something to eat, browse a few shops, and just take your time. We personally prefer Xintiandi to Nanjing Road. It feels a bit calmer and more put together, but there’s still plenty happening.

Why Visit
A mix of Shanghai’s historic architecture with modern restaurants, cafés, malls, international brands, beauty stores, and smaller lifestyle shops.

Main Things to Do
Walk through the pedestrian lanes, stop for coffee or food, browse the shops, and take your time exploring the surrounding streets.

Architecture
Xintiandi is known for its restored shikumen-style buildings, with many of the old residential structures now converted into restaurants, cafés, and shops.

Photos
There are plenty of smaller lanes, courtyards, and street corners that photograph well without the area feeling like one giant tourist attraction.

At Night
The restaurants and outdoor seating make it a good place to stay into the evening, especially if you want something more relaxed than Nanjing Road.

Lines 1, 10 & 12 South Shaanxi Road
Line 10 Shanghai Library

Time Needed

2–4 hours

Best Time

Late morning to afternoon

Cost

Free to walk around, cafés, dining & shopping extra

This is probably the area we associate most with Shanghai during the daytime. Honestly, we wouldn’t come here with much of a plan. Pick an area, start walking, stop somewhere when it looks good, and take it slow. It’s one of the prettiest parts of the city and one of our favorites for photos, especially if you prefer leafy streets and older neighborhoods over skyscrapers and huge landmarks.

What to Expect
Tree-lined streets, historic villas and lane houses mixed with cafés, restaurants, boutiques and smaller local shops.

Where to Start
Wukang Road and Anfu Road are two of the best-known streets and an easy starting point if it’s your first time exploring the area. Wukang Road alone has dozens of protected historic buildings.

Best Way to Explore
Walk. Some of the more famous streets can get very busy, especially on weekends, but wander a few blocks away and things usually calm down quickly.

Photos
Come for leafy streets, older architecture and smaller neighborhood scenes rather than Shanghai’s usual skyscraper backdrop.

Lines 2, 7 & 14 Jing’an Temple

Time Needed

30–60 min

Best Time

Morning

Cost

Free to see from outside, temple entry extra

One of the craziest contrasts in Shanghai. You have this historic Buddhist temple sitting right on West Nanjing Road, surrounded by skyscrapers, offices, luxury malls, and some of the biggest international brands in the world. Even if you’re only passing through Jing’an, it’s worth stopping by just to see the temple against the modern city around it.

Why Visit
Golden temple roofs and traditional architecture surrounded by modern Shanghai.

History
Jing’an Temple dates back to 247 AD, giving it a history of more than 1,700 years, although it has been relocated, rebuilt, and restored repeatedly over the centuries.

Photos
The pedestrian overpass on Huashan Road is one of the better-known spots for photographing the temple with the surrounding high-rises in the background.

Around the Temple
You’re right in the middle of West Nanjing Road, with malls, restaurants, cafés, and Jing’an Park all nearby.

Line 1 South Huangpi Road

Time Needed

3 hours to entire night

Best Time

10pm onwards

Cost

Varies by clubs, entry passes & drinks extra

Save at least one night for Shanghai nightlife. INS is a multi-floor nightlife playground inside Fuxing Park, packed with clubs, bars, live music, food, and completely different vibes under one roof. Show up, walk around, see what catches your attention, and go from there.

What’s Inside
10 nightclubs, ranging from hip-hop and electronic clubs to live music venues, bars, lounges, and restaurants.

Entry & Passes
Different nights and venues can have different prices and events, with multi-venue passes also available starting from US$25.

How Late?
INS itself currently operates into the early morning, while individual venues have their own hours. Expect plenty of places to still be going around 3am or later.

Bring ID
Bring your physical passport or ID with you just in case, especially if you’re planning to enter clubs or drink.

Club Lawson
There’s also a DJ-themed Lawson at INS, with neon lighting, its own DJ area, music, and a much bigger drinks selection alongside all the normal Lawson snacks and convenience-store stuff. It’s open 24 hours, so it works pretty well for a pre-game, quick break, or late-night snack.

Line 1 Shanghai Circus World

Time Needed

1–2 hours

Best Time

Daytime

Cost

Free to explore, food extra

Lingshi Road has been one of Shanghai’s major esports hubs for years, with clubs, tournament organizers, game companies, and other parts of the industry clustered around the area. For us though, the most interesting part is the connection to EDG and a tiny rice noodle shop across the road.

Shanghai’s Esports District
Lingshi Road is often seen as Shanghai’s esports hub (宇宙电竞中心), and over the years, the area has really grown into that reputation.

EDward Gaming
EDG has long been based on Lingshi Road at the Zhujiang Creative Center. You can see the EDG building and signage from outside, but keep in mind that this is a working team facility, not a public area or attraction.

The EDG Rice Noodle Shop (09:00-02:00)
Right across the street from EDG’s base is 香港肥锅米线, a small Hong Kong-style rice noodle shop that has become a bit of a pilgrimage spot for EDG fans. Former players used to eat here regularly, and Viper has even talked on stream about the restaurant and the memories he still has from his time with EDG.
AMAP Link: https://surl.amap.com/jKvBVxQ184xp

The Fan Wall at the Restaurant
Walk inside and you’ll immediately see how connected the place is to EDG. The walls are covered with Polaroids, sticky notes, signed photos, memorabilia, and messages left by fans. There’s plenty of VALORANT stuff mixed in too, and on match days, the restaurant has even put EDG games on the TV.

How Fans Helped Save It
The restaurant almost closed in 2025 after struggling with business. Once fans heard about it, they started showing up in large numbers, and former EDG players Flandre and Jiejie even came back to eat there together. The sudden support gave the restaurant a second life, and the owner eventually decided not to close.