Shanghai is home to an abundance of sights and sounds that most tourists will never have experienced. A definitive example of Chinese culture at its best, Shanghai offers traditional local markets, old winding lanes, stunning parks and the famous Bund.

Bird and Flower Market
This market can be found just off the main tourist track and as such, it largely remains undiscovered to most visitors. It offers a glimpse into everyday life in Shanghai, something which is well worth a view. The street is alive with hawkers selling fish and birds, orchids and bonsai trees. Women can be seen airing out their bed linens and students mingle in the alleyways.

Bund Tourist Tunnel
If you really want to discover Chinese kitsch, it is worth taking a trip under the Huangpu. You get to travel in plastic cars and are accompanied by a Disney light show, complete with flashing strobes, colourful tinsel and swirling images projected onto the concrete walls. The 5-minute ride will certainly wake you up and offers some unique fun for the entire family. Phone: +86 2158 886 000

Cang Bao Antiques Building
This fascinating local market takes up the entire four-storey Cang Bao Antiques Building. During the week, visitors can explore permanent stalls which sell everything from relics to crossbows and porcelain to jade. Every Sunday, the market gets going before sunrise. Hawkers from surrounding provinces arrive early in order to secure a spot on the pavement in which to sell their wares.

Dongtai Lu Antiques Market
A few blocks away from the Old City, antiques dealers can be seen lining the streets with their stalls. Keen collectors will find porcelain, jade and countless relics. Many of the same items pop up in a number of stalls, so if you’re unsuccessful with your first attempt at bargaining, you’ll find plenty of other opportunities.

Duolun Lu
This famous street is often referred to as Shanghai’s ‘Cultural Street’ and is guaranteed to impress most visitors. The street will take you back in time to the 1930s, when it was a favoured destination of writer Lu Xun and social activists. Bronze statues of literary personalities can be seen dotting the lush gardens between the well-preserved villas and houses. Many of these buildings house antique shops, cafés and art galleries on their first floors. As the street turns the corner, you will find the impressive seven-storey Shanghai Duolun Museum of Modern Art.

Grand Theatre
This impressive theatre boasts a front wall made entirely of glass which sparkles as the sun catches it. It is home to three stages which host the best in domestic and international performances. The theatre is covered by a curved roof which reminds people of the ancient Chinese saying: ‘the earth is square and the sky is round’.

Huangpu Park
This government park was once banned for all Chinese. Today however, this has all changed and every weekend many Chinese families can be seen enjoying the park’s facilities. It is located at the meeting point of the Suzhou Creek and the Huangpu River and as such, offers stunning views of both sides of the river. In the centre of the park, you will find a memorial dedicated to the Heroes’ of the People, which is a reminder of those who fought for China’s liberation. The Bund Museum can also be found here, which chronicles the role of the Bund in Shanghai's history.

The Bund
The Bund is the name given to Shanghai’s waterfront area. The name is Anglo-Indian and literally means ‘muddy embankment’. In the 1920s, the Bund became the city's first foreign street. Americans, British, Japanese, French, Russians, Germans and other Europeans built banks, trading houses, clubs, consulates and hotels along it. As Shanghai grew to become a thriving trading centre, the Bund's warehouses and ports played host to the heart of the action. With the onset of communism and the mass-exit of foreigners, the Bund became desolate until the Chinese government moved its own banks and offices here. 

Today, the municipal government has renovated many of the old buildings, restoring them back to their former glory and thus creating a popular tourist attraction. The riverside area of the Bund has become a lively meeting place with a new promenade and an abundance of both tourists and locals. In the mornings, the Bund is full of people exercising, practicing kung fu, waling dogs and enjoying breakfast. The rest of the day, people can be seen milling about the embankment, taking photos or simply sitting back and watching the world go by.

Enjoy some local cuisine at the countless eateries found throughout the city. Look out for restaurants frequented by Chinese, where you will be guaranteed a good meal. Local delights include xiang you shan hu and xie ke huang pancakes. For a truly authentic experience, head to Yunnan South, Huanghe and Zhapu roads.

Sample the nightlife in a city that never sleeps. Bars and clubs stay open until the early hours, and many people are still bar-hopping way after midnight. Much of the nightlife is formulated, but this does not mean that it is any worse. If there's live music in a venue, it's probably a Filipino cover band; hotel bars will likely have jazz and cigars; gay bars will be merely hinted at, never promoted out in the open and drink prices will strike you as expensive.

See in the Chinese New Year, with celebrations being renowned throughout the world and include dancing, fireworks, firecrackers, feasting and lots of colour. Shanghai is one of the best cities in the country to travel to for New Year, although beware, you will have to book many months in advance to secure one of the city’s hotels.

Go shopping in ‘Oriental Paris’ and pick up a few treats. Designer outlets can be found on many street as well as unique Asian boutiques. For those whose pockets are not so well lined, head to the local markets where you will find countless stalls selling everything from clothing to handicrafts and food.

Take a trip into China’s rich and colourful past. The many museums that can be found in Shanghai offer fascinating insights into the development of Shanghai and the advancement of this powerful nation.