There is a method to eating the hot, juicy little parcels (xiao long bao) with a step-by-step guide on the table detailing how diners should dip the dumpling first, then pierce it to release the piping hot soup stock inside, then slurp it down in one go. 12.30pm –ĭumplings are big business in these parts so a trip to one of Din Tai Fung’s dumpling restaurants is a must. The space is largely empty: Max explains that the locals believe it has bad feng shui because of all the blood that used to flow here. The architecture here is completely foreign to its surroundings, but completely compelling: it was the first reinforced concrete building in the city, a riot of curved and geometric concrete lines zig-zagging this way and that. My guide, the insanely handsome Belgian ex-pat Max (blue eyes, blonde quiff, Raybans), takes me to 1933, a former abattoir that has been converted into a retail, restaurant and exhibition space. One of the most fun ways to see large bits of the city in a relatively short space of time is from a sidecar Insiders Expeditions ( ) conducts tours on vintage bikes with sidecars concentrating on different parts of the city. If you have time, pop next door to Mao Space (), a little house that stands incongruous but resolute amongst all the modern buildings.Ĭhairman Mao slept here in 1920 before he was Chairman Mao, and it is now a tiny but fascinating museum. (While you’re here take a look at the sweets counter with its pastries, macarons and gelato and make a mental note of what you want later in the day.) Head back to the Shangri-La for breakfast at Café Liang & Mezzanine, with its booth seating and myriad buffet choices. More quiet can be found across the road in Jing’an Park, where crowds of smiling senior citizens form exuberant dance troupes under the wide trees that line the footpaths or squish together on benches gossiping and laughing. The stunning gilt-roofed Jing’an Temple, with its hulking lions standing guard at its entrance on West Nanjing Road is a delightful respite from the peak hour bumper-to-bumper traffic outside. Wake up nice and early in the brilliantly situated and suitably luxe Jing An Shangri-La (), in the heart of the buzzing West Shanghai area, and head straight out to take in the local neighbourhood. The hyper-lit metropolis of Shanghai is a fascinating city to survey from afar all those flashing lights and sharp-edged skyscrapers each trying to be taller than the last – but hit the streets (face mask optional) and you will find a modern city thriving on change but still retaining its soul. Planning a super-speedy trip to Shanghai? We’ve got your itinerary sorted… Words by Leigh-Ann Pow. 100 tips, tricks and hacks from travel insiders.
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