Shanghai World Financial Center
The Shanghai World Financial Center is a skyscraper in Pudong, Shanghai, China. It is a mixed use skyscraper which consists of offices, hotels, conference rooms, observation decks, and shopping malls on the ground floors.
On 14 September 2007, the skyscraper was topped out at 492.0 meters (1,614.2 ft) and became the second tallest building in the world; as well as the tallest structure in the People's Republic of China, including Hong Kong. It is currently the world's tallest completed building by roof.
On 28 August 2008, the SWFC officially opened for business. On August 30 the Observation Deck opened with a view from 3 levels. The highest view is at 474 m (1,555 ft) above ground level.
The Oriental Pearl TV Tower
The Oriental Pearl TV Tower is located in Lujiazui Financial Trade Zone, Shanghai. The Tower, surrounded by the Yangpu Bridge in the northeast and the Nanpu Bridge in the southwest, creates a picture of 'twin dragons playing with pearls'. The entire scene is a photographic jewel that excites the imagination and attracts thousands of visitors year-round.
The 468 meters high (1,536 feet) tower is the world's third tallest TV and radio tower surpassed in height only by towers in Toronto, Canada and Moscow, Russia. However, even more alluring than its height is the tower's unique architectural design that makes the Oriental Pearl TV Tower one of the most attractive places anywhere. The base of the tower is supported by three seven-meter wide slanting stanchions. Surrounding the eleven steel spheres that are 'strung' vertically through the center of the tower are three nine-meter wide columns. The entire structure rests on rich green grassland and gives the appearance of pearls shining on a jade plate.
Jin Mao Tower
Jin Mao Tower, which literally means “Gold Luxuriance Building” in Chinese, is reputed as “the first high-rise in China” and also one of the landmarks indicating that Shanghai has stepped into the 21st century, located at the financial trade zone of Lujiazui, new district of Pudong. It is a perfect combination of traditional Chinese architectural style and the world's modern architectural technology.
The building comprises many offices rooms, a hotel, a sightseeing hall, etc., with a floor space of 290,000 square meters and 88 stories for the main body of the building (additional three floors underground).
Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street
Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street, the car-free central section between People's Park and Henan Zhonglu, is known for its stationery and book stores. One of the largest is the Shanghai Book City which is all Chinese language, or the the Foreign Book Store just down the street which caters to Western tastes.
Temple of the Town Deity
Temple of the Town Deity forms the core of the old city of Shanghai,China. Today the "City God Temple" not only refers to the large temple complex, but also the traditional district of commerce in the city, surrounding the temple. There are over a hundred stores and shops in this area, and most of these store buildings are nearly a century old.
The temple is colloquially known in Shanghai as the "Old City God Temple", in reference to a later "New City God Temple", which no longer exists.
The Bund
The Bund is located at Zhongshanyi Road, as the financial center of Shanghai, was reputed as “eastern Wall Street” because of the numerous Chinese and foreign banks there in the early 1900s.
Its building complex extends 1,500m in length, from the Waibai ferry bridge at Suzhou estuary in the north to Jinling Road (East) in the south. Though there are different architectural styles such as Gothic, Baroque, Romanesque, Classic, Renaissance-style, and Chinese-western style, their architectural pattern is basically consistent. The complex is reputed as “exhibition of all countries' buildings”. Adopting the unique compartment design, the floodwall of Waitan, which is 6. 9m high and 15.4m wide, can resist any extremely huge tidewater occurring in a period of a thousand years.
The Bund has become the centre of international finance as well as the touring resort thus forms as a colorful picture of the Shanghai City now.
Xintiandi
Located in central Shanghai just south of Huaihai Zhong Road, Xintiandi is a redevelopment of a once rundown part of town based on the layout of an old Shanghainese neighborhood.
Now it is a state-of-the-art warren of upscale shops, bars and restaurants based on the theme of “where old meets new”. Here you find the oddly complimentary combination of the traditional houses of old Shanghai (the “Shikumen”) hosting ultra modern restaurants, bars and shops. The exterior of these shikumen style houses of 1920's Shanghai have been tastefully restored, whilst inside they have been fully renovated to accommodate the tastes of the modern Westerner.
From Starbucks to international chains of Chinese restaurants you will find plenty to soothe a homesick expat, and with a price tag to match.
Moreover Xintiandi is most famous for its nightlife when the Western style bars open their doors for business. No doubt every Westerner that comes to Shanghai will pay at least one visit here, if not more.
