From the restored Shikumen compound of Zhang Yuan along tree-shaded Yuyuan Road to the 1920s country-club pool of Columbia Circle.
Jing’an
From the restored Shikumen compound of Zhang Yuan along tree-shaded Yuyuan Road to the 1920s country-club pool of Columbia Circle.
Essays
A curated map of SHUSHU/TONG, LABELHOOD, UMA WANG, Lost in Echo, To Summer, DOCUMENTS, and Le Labo Xintiandi—complete with ¥200+ instant VAT refund instructions.
Where to recover after 15,000 steps: The Peninsula and PuLi spas, English-guided TCM moxibustion and facial gua sha, plus our interactive Show-to-Therapist pressure & no-cupping card.
Why Didi’s 3-minute waiting limit fails on a four-meeting day in Lujiazui, where to open a laptop in peace between calls, and how to exit Shanghai International Circuit or Qizhong Tennis Center without waiting two hours for a cab.
Shanghai holds one of the world’s greatest concentrations of 1920s and 1930s Art Deco architecture. Here is the insider protocol on how to legally walk past the brass doors.
Goings On
Century-old Shikumen brickwork meets botanical Eastern perfumery and Shanghai’s sharpest fashion houses. Eligible for ¥200+ instant tax refund.
Tables & Bars
A twenty-yuan masterclass in beef broth and hand-sliced shank. Proof that in Shanghai, a plastic stool can compete with white linen.
Flaky,炉-baked scallion and sesame flatbreads pulled blistering hot from the barrel oven—best eaten standing on the sidewalk with a bowl of savory soy milk.
The gold standard of Taizhou seafood; famous for hairtail fish and sea anemone.
Beloved Yuyuan Road staple serving plump xiaolongbao, pork chops, and late-night wontons.
Thin-skinned, soup-bursting shengjianbao; bite a tiny vent first or you will splash your shirt.
Agave and mezcal sanctuary in a three-story Jiaozhou Road townhouse.
Hotels
The original urban resort overlooking Jing’an Park; famous for its 32-meter Long Bar and TCM-integrated Valmont spa.
Piero Lissoni’s masterwork of Milanese restraint and Shanghainese craft, steps from Zhang Yuan.
The twin pillars of West Nanjing Road executive travel, with 24-hour butler pressing and quiet lobby lounges.
Warm terrazzo, diatomaceous earth walls, and brass accents by Neri&Hu right off Weihai Road.