SHANGHAI
Tourist Tips:
 Shanghai is China's largest city, well known as the "Paris of the East" for its intrigue and glamour. The city's roots go back some 5,000 years to its origins as a small fishing village. Its desirable geographic location on China's eastern seaboard has made it a major port throughout its history, providing easy access to a vast hinterland.
Today, this city of over 20 million people is writing new history to add to its centuries-old traditions. Asia's born-again international boomtown, Shanghai is at the forefront of China's drive for modernisation. Huge developments and an influx of foreign capital and business have become the norm as China looks ahead to a new millennium. It's a dynamic metropolis waiting to be explored!
Wen Miao Market:
Wen Miao is also an ancient temple more than 1000 years old, which was built to pay homage to Confucius. There market opens every Sunday morning just inside the temple. The temple is a place of interest under protection, so the authorities charge a token fee for visitors. Hundreds of people come here ever Sunday morning for old books. Even if you can not read Chinese, some old books are really good souvenirs and presents.
People's Square:
 Previously a racecourse, People's Square is now a beautiful square with a fountain at the centre and extensive landscaped lawns. It is a popular gathering spot, especially on weekends.
An underground shopping "street" and subway stop are located here. Also here are the Shanghai City Hall, Shanghai Museum and the stunning Shanghai Grand Theatre. Across People's Square over Yanan Express Way is the Shanghai Concert Hall.
Yu Yuan Garden:
 Yu Yuan Garden (Garden of Leisurely Repose) is a tranquil, traditional courtyard-style garden, dating back to the 16th century. Surrounding it is a maze of restaurants and local specialty shops selling souvenirs, clothing and jewellery.
Taste some of China's best teas in the city's oldest teahouse, or explore antique warehouses at famous Old Shanghai Street. Bargaining is recommended.
Longhua Temple:
The Longhua Temple (literally "Luster of the Dragon Temple") is a Buddhist Temple dedicated to the Maitreya Buddha in Shanghai Municipality, and is the largest, most authentic and magnificent ancient temple complex in the city of Shanghai.
 The temple, the pagoda, the temple fair and the evening bell chiming constitute a religious tourist attraction. Many Buddhist scriptures, gold seals and statues from the Tang Dynasty, the Five Dynasties, the Ming dynasty and the Qing Dynasty are housed in a hall built during the Song Dynasty. Longhua Temple was destroyed several times throughout history, and today's temple was rebuilt during the Daoguang Reign of the Qing Dynasty. However, the octagonal, seven-storey pagoda, measuring 40 metres (430 feet) high, was rebuilt in the Song Dynasty.
Statues of the 500 Lohan Artworks in the temple include statues of the Maitreya Buddha in his Bodhisattva form and in his Cloth Bag Monk incarnation, statues of the 18 arhats and 20 Guardians of Buddhist Law, as well as statues of the 500 Lohan. The temple grounds also contain a small traditional garden.
The Longhua Pagoda has an octagonal floor layout. The size of the seven storeys decreases from the bottom to the top. The pagoda consists of a hollow, tube-like brick core surrounded by a wooden staircase. On the outside, it is decorated with balconies, banisters, and upturned eaves. These outer decorations have been reconstructed in keeping with the original style.
The Longhua Temple is located on the western bank of the Huangpu River, in the Longhua District of Shanghai, its street address is No. 2853 Longhua Road (Longhua Lu).
Jade Buddha Temple:
 The Jade Buddha Temple houses a two-metre-high (seven-foot-high) seated Buddha, carved from a single piece of white jade. The statue weighs 1,000 kilograms (2,200 pounds) and is ornamented with jewels.
The temple also houses many ancient carvings, paintings and Buddhist cultural relics. Built in 1918, the Song Dynasty-style temple is open daily.
Oriental Pearl Tower:
 Shanghai Oriental Pearl Tower is located at the tip of Lujiazui in the Pudong district, by the side of Huangpu River, opposite the Bund of Shanghai. The design of the building is based on a Tang dynasty poem about the haunting sound made by a lute.
The tower features 5 spheres. The 2 biggest spheres have a diameter of 50 m, for the lower one, and 45 m, for the higher one. They are linked by 3 columns, each are 9 m in diameter. The smallest sphere at the top is 14m in diameter.
The tower has three observatory levels. The highest one (Space Module) is at 350 m. The lower ones are respectively at 263 m (Sightseeing Floor) and at 90 m (Space City). There is a revolving restaurant at the 267metre level. The project also contains exhibition facilities, restaurants and a shopping mall. There is also a 20 room hotel called the Space Hotel between the two big spheres. An antenna extends the construction by another 118 m and transmits TV and radio programs.
Century Boulevard:
 The 4.2-kilometre (2.6-mile) Century Boulevard is a central avenue in the Pudong New Area, lined with stunning modern skyscrapers. Measuring 100 metres (328 feet) across, the boulevard is Shanghai's widest street. Eight traffic lanes occupy one-third of the width, and the rest is given over to sidewalks and landscaped gardens. Along the northern sidewalk is Century Park, a 140-hectare ecological preserve featuring an extensive array of flora including white magnolias - the city flower - camellias, cyprea and willows. The southern sidewalk is planted with camphor trees.
Huangpu River:
 The Huangpu River is a potent symbol of Shanghai and the key to Shanghai's success as a prosperous port. Cruises on the river offer stunning views of the Bund as well as the Nanpu Bridge, Yangpu Bridge, the docks and the site of Wusong Fort at the river's mouth. Best seen at dusk or in the evening when the buildings are lit.
Other suggestions for sightseeing in the area:
- Jin Mao Tower
- Shanghai Ocean Aquarium
- Shangahi Municipal History Museum
- Xin Tiandi (New Heavan and Earth)
- Shanghai Botanical Gardens
- Shangahai Urban Planning Exhibition Centre
- Huangpu River Cruise
- Shanghai International Golf & Country Club
- Suzhou, city of gardens
- Hangzhou & West Lake
- Shanghai Science & Technology Museum
- Moller Mansion
China is such an exciting and diverse destination you can be a culture vulture with visits to Beijing and the Great Wall, explore the Silk Road, or just chill out in the Hawaii of the east; Hainan Island.
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