Shanghai Travel Guide: The Bund, Wukang Road and a Day in the Water Town of Zhujiajiao
Photos in this guide are AI-generated images of fictional POPORO CITY characters, made to illustrate the places; they are not real travel photos. Opening hours, prices and transport details change, so please check official sources before you go.
Shanghai is China's biggest city and one of Asia's most photogenic: a riverside of 1920s European buildings faces a skyline of futuristic towers, while quiet tree-lined streets and old canal towns are never far away. Flights from Seoul and Busan are short, which makes it a popular three- or four-day trip.
The Bund and Lujiazui
The Bund is the promenade along the west bank of the Huangpu River, lined with historic banks and hotels. Across the river, the Lujiazui skyline includes the Oriental Pearl Tower, the Jin Mao Tower, the Shanghai World Financial Center and the Shanghai Tower, one of the tallest buildings in the world. Come at dusk and stay until the lights come on; a short river cruise or the ferry across the river gives another angle. For views from above, the observation decks in Lujiazui are open into the evening.
Wukang Road and the former French Concession
The leafy streets west of the center are perfect for walking. Wukang Road is known for the wedge-shaped Wukang Mansion and rows of old villas, cafes and small shops under plane trees whose leaves turn gold in late autumn. Nearby, Tianzifang and Xintiandi turn traditional shikumen lane houses into shops and restaurants.
Yu Garden and old Shanghai
Yu Garden is a classical Chinese garden of rockeries, ponds and pavilions, surrounded by a busy bazaar. Try xiaolongbao soup dumplings nearby, but be ready for queues. Nanjing Road is the main shopping street, connecting the Bund with People's Square.
Day trip: Zhujiajiao water town
Zhujiajiao is an old canal town on the city's western edge, reachable by metro and bus. Stone bridges arch over canals lined with wooden houses, and small boats take visitors along the water. Weekday mornings are calmer. Other water towns such as Zhouzhuang and Tongli, or the garden city of Suzhou, make longer day trips.
Practical tips
- Check current visa or visa-free entry rules for your passport before booking.
- Mobile payments dominate; set up an international card in a Chinese payment app or carry some cash.
- Many international apps and websites are blocked; plan maps and messaging in advance.
- The metro is cheap and covers almost everything; avoid rush hours.
- Late autumn (November) is mild and dry, with colorful plane trees; summers are hot and humid.
Sample 3-day route
- Arrive, Nanjing Road and the Bund at night.
- Yu Garden in the morning, Wukang Road and Xintiandi in the afternoon, Lujiazui views at night.
- Zhujiajiao day trip, then a Huangpu River cruise.
If you join a package tour, many Shanghai itineraries also include Suzhou or Hangzhou; free time in the evenings is the best moment for the Bund.
Budget notes
Metro rides and street food are cheap, while observation decks, river cruises and international hotel chains cost about the same as in other big Asian cities. A comfortable plan is to splurge on one skyline view and eat local dumplings and noodles the rest of the time.
Nearby places worth adding
- Suzhou: classical gardens such as the Humble Administrator's Garden and canal streets, about 30 minutes by high-speed train.
- Hangzhou and West Lake: lakeside walks, pagodas and Longjing tea villages, around an hour by train.
- Shanghai Disney Resort: in Pudong, reachable by metro, popular for a family day.
- Jing'an Temple and West Nanjing Road: a golden temple between shopping malls, easy to combine with cafe hopping.
- Qibao Old Town: a small canal town on the metro for travelers short on time.
Where to stay
Near People's Square or along East Nanjing Road for walking access to the Bund; the former French Concession for a calmer, cafe-filled neighborhood.
POPORO picks
Maya, a fashion stylist from Germany, would shop the small boutiques around Wukang Road; Cevo, a reporter, would ride the ferry across the Huangpu for the best skyline photo for a few coins; and Nala, a florist, would head straight to the gardens of Suzhou.
More travel planning: POPORO BLOG. Our characters also share Korean-language trip notes on the KPOPORO Naver blog.
