Shanghai - Shanghai Landmarks Tour
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Discover one of China's most dynamic and vibrant cities, a city buzzing with the economic development sweeping the country yet full of the relics of a more decadent past. We start our tour with a walk on Shanghai's great landmark, the Bund, where the great foreign commercial houses and banks built their imposing office buildings in the first half of the twentieth century. We then cross over the river to ultra-modern Pudong area. Lunch is at the bustling Yu Gardens and Bazaar, where you can taste a light lunch of Shanghai's famous dumplings, "xiao long bao." The rest of the day you can choose to visit the famous Jade Buddha Temple in a meditative mood, or mingle with the crowd on Nanjing Lu or Xintiandi, two of Shanghai 's hottest new shopping and dining areas.
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Some places are forever associated with a single landmark and in the case of Shanghai it is surely the Bund. Also known as Zhongshan Lu, the Bund was at the heart of colonial Shanghai , flanked on one side by the Huangpu River and on the other by the hotels, banks, offices and clubs that were the grandiose symbols of western commercial powers. Most of the old buildings are still in place and a walk along here can easily absorb a couple of pleasant hours.
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A testimonial to China's great economic boom, Pudong, facing the Bund on the other side of Huangpu River, is an immense ulltra-modern business zone, with some of the highest buildings in the world. The 1,500 ft (457 m) Oriental Pearl TV Tower offers astounding views across the city from halfway up. The 1,379 ft (421 m) Jinmao Mansion has a 88th floor observation deck with views down on the Pearl.
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Yu Garden and Bazaar
The old-style buildings of the Yu Garden and bazaar are not really old, but the fanciful roofs are nevertheless very appealing. The shops here peddle everything from tourist souvenirs to traditional medicines and, despite inflated prices, the area is incredibly popular. Visit first the relatively peaceful Ming-dynasty Yu Gardens, and then a dumpling lunch will set you up for a hectic afternoon of shopping and haggling, followed by a cup of tea in the some quaint teahouses.
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