How to travel Shanghai: One day three ways

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This was published 9 years ago

How to travel Shanghai: One day three ways

By Stephen Phelan
Card players gather for a game or two at Fuxing Park in Shanghai.

Card players gather for a game or two at Fuxing Park in Shanghai.Credit: Getty Images

PENNY-PINCH

In a city of almost 25 million, the best cheap eats tend to draw a crowd. Get up early to beat the rush for a quality dim sum breakfast at a branch of Crystal Jade (various locations, about $20). Take a stroll through Fuxing Park amid the chorus of singing, dancing locals. Then wander into the French Concession, towards the memorial house and museum of Dr Sun Yat-sen, the "father of modern China" ($3.50). At the nearby Propaganda Poster Museum, you can see colourful utopian visions of communist artists under Chairman Mao (shanghaipropagandaart.com, $3.50). From there you can disappear into the maze of art galleries and cafes of Tianzifang (tianzifang.cn), stopping for snacks and drinks at the friendly Bell Bar (bellbar.cn $25). Save room - and make a reservation - for dinner at Chun, a home-style restaurant with only four tables. (124 Jinxian Lu, $20). The Koala Garden House is a cosy, arty hostel at the end of the historic arcade on Duolun Road (koala-house.com, from $50).

TOTAL: $122

EASY DOES IT

The relatively new Sunflour Bakery fits right into the French Concession with its superior croissants and coffee, and also does a fantastic full breakfast (sunflour.com.cn, $20). Then take a super-fast train ride out to Hangzhou (chinatrainguide.com, $20) for a long walk around the West Lake, a classical Chinese landscape of pagodas and misty peaks. Back in town, sample the city's best craft beers and bar food at the Boxing Cat Brewery (boxingcatbrewery.com, $25), followed by the best Shanghainese massage right next door at Sooth Wind (enjoyshanghai.com, $30 for a two-hour package). Round out your day with dinner on the terrace at M on the Bund, a retro-modern landmark with a superb menu and a clear view to the ultra-modern financial district (m-restaurantgroup.com/mbund, $150). From there, stroll down the Bund to the Astor Hotel, an old-world institution that once hosted Albert Einstein and Charlie Chaplin (astorhousehotel.com, rooms from $100).

TOTAL: $345

SPLASH OUT

The brunch at Jade On 36 is pretty jaw-dropping - with guests invited to choose their dishes straight from the kitchen stove, dessert served from the wine cellar, and free-flowing Taittinger champagne throughout (shangri-la.com, $150). Shanghai is fashion conscious almost to a fault, but the most worthwhile outlet is Dong Liang Studio, which showcases Chinese designers in-store, and local artists in the adjoining mini-gallery (184 Fumin Lu, budget about $150 for lowest-cost items). If you haven't brought your swimmers, you can buy some off the menu at The Vue Bar, and take your cocktail in the whirlpool on the terrace (hyattonthebund.cn, $70). Then descend to the Huangpu River for a private dinner cruise and evening tour (trekiz.com, $225), before rising again to the Mandarin Oriental Pudong Hotel, where you can take a room that seems to float on Shanghai's futuristic skyline (mandarinoriental.com/shanghai, from $455).

TOTAL: $1050

The writer was a guest of M on the Bund.

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