Joanna James
Dubbed as 'Oriental Paris', this record-breaking contemporary metropolis with an underlying flavour of historic romanticism that caters to tech-savvy innovators and nostalgic culture buffs alike. Here are some exhilaratingly offbeat allurements that this eclectic mega-city has to offer.
In a city of dynamic contrasts, hosting glamorous skyscrapers cutting an impressive and crumbling district slowly being graduated into contemporary hubs that give the fast-progressing cityscape a bit of rustic charm. The Bund, for instance, is a harmonious hodgepodge of over 52 distinctive buildings from different eras and architects, and walking through its timeless Colonial-style streets is very much like experiencing an exposition in world architecture! From Shanghai Old Town with its classic oriental grandeur to the intriguing maze of the timeless Shikumen Residence, roaming Shanghai is like living a fascinating history lesson. Tianzi Fang is the ideal artistic enclave for those who can't get enough of Shanghai's dual-personality of dynastic elegance and industrial-chic modernity. Here, you can find quirky blasts from the past while dropping in for coffee or designer wear at one of the many cafés and boutiques along its storybook alleyways.
Whether it's peeking into vibrant enclaves like the gritty M50 showcasing diverse versions of creative expression, admiring the graceful if tragic angles of the Normandy Apartments, or visiting the anciently serene Guilin Park to listen to its famed bird singing contest, your itinerary can be spruced up by zooming through the iconic city huddled in an old-fashioned motorbike side-car!
Another off-the-beaten-track look into Shanghai's colourful past is its now derelict 'Art Deco City' commissioned in the late 1920s and featuring lonely but impressive structures like waiting to be populated. If you're feeling a bit blue after perusing the vacantly picturesque, you can also venture into the hip and cutting-edge West Bund, full of life and potential with quirky innovations and culture-infused art.
'Sky Walk' or at least that's what it feels like atop the glass deck of the Oriental Pearl Tower, towering at a good 259 metres, and if you're really daring, experience the 'Sightseeing Skywalk' from the observatory of the World Financial Centre, which surpasses the Burj Khalifa at 1,555 feet. If you're a bit queasy about looking down on skyscrapers through a glass floor and watching ant-size traffic flow across The Bund, this innovative cosmopolis has more dizzying excitement up its laneways. Head on over to the Jiading District, where you will find an absurdly realistic skydiving simulation machine at the Wind Tunnel Flying Experience Centre, whose name says it all!
After enjoying the wild and adventurous side of Shanghai, you won't find a better place to unwind than the Qi Let Cat Café, which proves that good coffee and fluffy felines have therapeutic qualities! And if you're looking for plush holiday apartments in Shanghai offering home-like indulgences and prime amenities, venture no further than Somerset Gubei Shanghai.
The Bund Sightseeing Tunnel offers a ride to be reckoned with; equal parts wondrous and terrifying, your breathless 5-minute ride in an alien rail car will be punctuated with a universe of unearthly lights, colours, and sounds that will leave you pumped with plenty of adrenaline for the rest of your trip!
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
