City of the Week: Shanghai

April 4, 2016

Shelly Clemente

Shanghai used to be just another fishing village, then it expanded into a trading centre and metropolis it is today. There are countless attractions in Shanghai, but the real beauty is experiencing the city on street level in the everyday lives of the locals. For the foodies, try out Jishi, the best place to try local foods, like radish pickled in soy sauce (jiang luobo), red-braised pork with bamboo shoots (hongshao rou he zhusun) and if it’s crab season, the crab with vermicelli sheets (xiefen fenpi). Shanghai is known for their steamed soup dumpling, or xiaolong bao. To try the best quality version of this favourite, head to Din Tai Fung, known for their thin dumpling skins that contain a delicious broth containing either crab or pork meat. For the art enthusiasts, Dongtai Road and 50 Moganshan Road are the places to be. The former is a treasure trove full of antique and curio shops where you can see everything from art-deco pieces to Cultural Revolution memorabilia. The latter is the centre of Shanghai’s art scene that houses the best contemporary art galleries, particularly ShanghART, one of the city’s oldest and most respected galleries. For the chance to stroll alongside locals and tourists, head to the Bund, the waterfront area of the city that offers great views of the Financial District. For a taste of history, visit the Yu Yuan Garden, the only surviving Ming Dynasty garden in Shanghai. For a bit of shopping, hit up the Tianzifang, formerly the French Concession, one of the most vibrant shopping districts, with a European flair that harkens back to its days as a French-controlled enclave. The must-do of Shanghai is the Shanghai World Financial Center, the tallest and best viewing point in the entire city. There is also a glass floor walkway on the 100th floor that offers amazing views of just about everything.