| Shanghai boasts a rich and, often troubled, history and has kept many relics of it intact, with municipal conservation policies preserving large swathes of the colonial architectural inheritance. Add to this a city government that has implemented grandiose urban planning on an unprecedented scale and the result is one of China’s most elegant and futuristic cities, and certainly its most sophisticated and cosmopolitan. The Huangpu River separates the west (Puxi) and east (Pudong) Shanghai, with the historic Bund promenade on one side and the futuristic Pudong New Area on the other. The Old Town contains some cultural delights, such as the Yuyuan Gardens and Bazaar, while People’s Square (formerly a racecourse, and in the 1980s a location for protest) is once again the focus of the city’s cultural and entertainment scene. no sightseeing passes currently available in Shanghai. |