Shanghai Hotels & Tourism

Shanghai has thrown on its Armani to strut on the global stage.

Shanghai is a scintillating city swirling with rapid cultural change. Since market restrictions were lifted, it has embraced the forces of business and design and rewritten its rule book shaping a fresh, new city that is sophisticated, innovative and living a life it has never lived before.

While it can't match the epic history of Beijing or Xi'an's grander sights, Shanghai is the hotspot of modern China; a cosmopolitan city buzzing with the concept of 'lifestyle revolution', showcased in the architectural temples of art, fine dining and contemporary urban living on the Bund.

Shanghai municipality covers a huge area, but the city proper is more modest. Broadly, central ShànghÇŽi is divided into two areas: PÇ”dÅng (east of the Huangpu River) and PÇ”xÄ« (west of the Huangpu River). The First Ring Rd does a long elliptical loop around the city centre proper.

The historical attractions belong to Pǔxī, where Shanghai's personality is also found: the Bund (officially and more prosaically called East Zhongshan No 1 Rd), major sights, the principal shopping streets, the former foreign concessions, and Shanghai's trendiest clusters of bars, restaurants and nightclubs are all in Pǔxī. The area around the Bund is the historical heart of the former International Settlement. From here East Nanjing Rd, China's busiest shopping street, runs west to People's Sq, a centre of gravity of sorts overlooked by the startling Tomorrow Square building, and home to the Shanghai Museum, Grand Theatre and the frantic Metro Line 1 and Line 2 interchange. West Nanjing Rd continues west from here.

South of the Bund, the Old Town is a ragged maze of narrow lanes. The location of the original town of Shanghai, this is the oldest part of the city. South of Yan'an Rd, and west of the Old Town, the former French Concession is a large and leafy quarter of shops, bars and restaurants, popular with expats and white-collar Chinese.

East of the Huangpu is the kit-city of PÇ”dÅng, a special economic zone of Maglev trains, mega-malls, banks, glistening skyscrapers, building sites and residential complexes, eventually petering out into farmland.

In the central district (around Nanjing Rd), the provincial names run north-south, and city names run east-west. Some roads use compass points, such as South Sichuan Rd and North Sichuan Rd. Encircling Shanghai proper, Zhongshan Rd is split by sectors, such as East Zhongshan No 2 Rd and East Zhongshan No 1 Rd.

Travellers to Shanghai, China can expect to find accommodation of all types, from upmarket Shanghai hotels and resorts to more budget-focussed and unique options. For your next holiday accommodation in Shanghai, make sure you check the regular and special offers on hotels.com.au first. China is host to a wide range of travel experience, suitable for all budgets. And Shanghai is a great place to visit, blending experiences such as getting a feel for classical Chinese architec with famous attractions such as the Pearl Tower skyscraper and the Shanghai M. And don’t forget shopping shopping along Nanjing Road, and sample the famous small steamed buns for an unforgettable Shanghai experience. Wherever you’re staying, hotels.com.au offers a huge range of Shanghai hotels and Shanghai accommodation options.