All that glitters in Shanghai

Yuyuan is an oasis at the heart of Shanghai's Old City. (Image: chuyu via Getty Images)

BY Carla Grossetti

Last updated . 20 March 2024

Hidden under the shimmering skyline of Shanghai are places to pause and appreciate the city’s past, present and future.

In a city of more than 26 million, the scenes playing out around Shanghai’s Fuxing Park make for a pleasing tableau. There are elderly couples performing their daily routine of tai chi under a big-leafed wútóng tree.

A group of women dressed in tracksuits twirling their diabolos in the bright sunshine. And an elderly gent wearing a jaunty cap sending soulful riffs towards the sky with his saxophone. This serene oasis is the first stop on a half-day Shanghai itinerary curated by Wendy Wu Tours.

It is, says my English-speaking guide Troy Zhang, a beautiful example of “the importance of nature and tradition,” which sets the tone for the tour.

“This park was a private garden during the Ming Dynasty. It was taken over by the French in 1909 during the French Concession era … but these days is open to everyone,” says Troy.

“Aside from all the exercise and social activities happening in this park, it’s a very popular place for local people to connect to nature. Many of the elderly people of Shanghai lived through the trauma of the Cultural Revolution and they come here to find peace,” Troy explains.

Fuxing Park provides a calming refuge. (Image: Carla Grossetti)

The history of Shanghai is alive

New and Old Shanghai are divided by the Huangpu River. The tug-of-war between Shanghai’s past and present is evident as we exit historical district the Bund and watch a fleet of EV vehicles hum past.

Be at the centre of Shanghai’s shimmering skyline.

Seeing the traffic move and not hearing the droning of engines is like a glimpse into the future: about 7.8 million electric vehicles were on the roads in China at the end of 2021. And a law banning the honking of horns along the concrete arteries of the downtown area ably demonstrates how Shanghai has evolved.

While pockets of the city – dubbed the Paris of the East – are cutting edge, a lot of Shanghai’s allure is still found in its ancient temples, heritage shikumen (stone gate) houses and bustling markets.

The charm of Shanghai is built into its heritage shikumen houses.

The must-see highlights of a Wendy Wu tour

Mengxi Market

This whistlestop tour with Wendy Wu also includes a visit to the unmissable Mengxi Market, where we stand transfixed in front of a bucket of glistening eels, slimy and slithering. Queue for dumplings. And exchange smiles with stallholders who sit in plastic chairs gossiping with their neighbours.

a market selling local street food and popular spices

Bustling markets sell local street food and popular spices. (Image: Carla Grossetti)

Tianzifan

The past and future converge in Tianzifang, an enclave known for residential shikumen houses which have been transformed into craft shops, galleries and cafes in the French Concession.

Xintiandi has also reinvented its old-style shikumen to accommodate upscale bars, eateries and fashion boutiques.

the stone door architectural complex in Tianzifang

Past and present collide in Tianzifang. (Image: cyoginan via Getty Images)

Wukang Road

The Wendy Wu Tours itinerary includes a wander along historic Wukang Road and its backstreets, where influencers are taking elaborately styled selfies to post on Douyin (social media) feeds.

How old and new collide in Shanghai

That collision of old and new is also keenly felt when bouncing between the 400-year-old City God Temple hidden away in Yuyuan Garden and the neon-lit observation deck of Shanghai Tower, the city’s tallest building.

Despite being in the heart of Shanghai, Wukang Road feels like it’s a world away from the city’s beige condos and soaring skyscrapers. “There are 14 historical buildings and 37 preserved architectural gems in this area and it is in contrast to the city’s skyscrapers, which are very futuristic,” Troy says.

Yuyuan is an oasis at the heart of Shanghai’s Old City. (Image: chuyu via Getty Images)

There are parts of Shanghai that shout, other pockets that whisper. While much of the city has been polished and pruned, it’s the stories that emerge, like flowers growing in the footpath, that give visitors a deeper understanding about the megapolis. And be it a tea-tasting ceremony, a meander along neon-lit East Nanjing Road or eating xinjiang ali shaokao (lamb barbecue) street-side, Shanghai is at its very best when it segues between its past, present and future.