Urban Shanghai Chronicle Day Tour

What's included

What you'll see and do

1. Shanghai Ancient City Wall

   The old city area of Shanghai had city walls, which were built in 1553 and demolished in 1914. Now this location is one of the two remaining sites of the city walls. Starting from here, we will enter the ancient city in the northwest.

   Pass by without stopping

2. Yuyuan Old Street

   After the completion of the city wall in Shanghai, the gentlemen in the city began to build private gardens in a safe environment. The outstanding one among them was the Yu Garden in the north of the city. However, after the death of the first owner of the garden, the family began to split up and decline. The Yu Garden changed hands and started to be occupied by various chambers of commerce in the late Qing Dynasty. Meanwhile, around the periphery of the Yu Garden and its neighboring areas, various commodity trading markets took shape and it became the most important commodity trading center within the old city of Shanghai. Before the civil unrest in 1853, this area was also the political, religious and cultural center of the old city of Shanghai and was one of the landmarks of Shanghai.

   30 minutes here · Admission not included

3. Shanghai Temple Of the Town God (Chenghung Miao)

   The Shanghai City God Temple was the only public building that was not relocated after the civil unrest in 1853. Before 1945, the City God of Shanghai made three inspection tours within the city every year. That is to say, he was carried through every important area of the old city and received the worship of the citizens. The Shanghai City God Temple is also the only City God Temple in China that enshrines two City Gods. It is the religious center of the old city of Shanghai.

   30 minutes here · Admission included

4. Bund22

   The Butterfield & Swire Co. house was completed in 1872. Why should we come to visit this building? Because most people are only aware that the British occupied a large area of land along the Huangpu River. However, the sphere of influence of the French in the area along the Huangpu River extended from the Swire House all the way to the East Gate of the Old City of Shanghai. And for a long time, the Swire Company was the most powerful company in the French Concession, though its founder was a man from Liverpool.

   Pass by without stopping

5. Shanghai Municipal Archives

   This building was originally the building of the French Messageries Maritimes. What we can see now is the new building rebuilt in 1939, which is in the modernist style. It became the Shanghai Municipal Archives in 2003.

   Pass by without stopping

6. When we cross Renmin Road from the direction of the New North Gate of the ancient city, we will enter the French Concession from the old city area of Shanghai. Like the International Settlement, it began its colonial life on the banks of the Huangpu River. It covered the northern part of the old city of Shanghai like a Napoleon hat. Along this most important passageway from the old city into the French Concession, there are important institutions of the French Catholic Church in Shanghai as well as the St. Joseph's Church. Of course, nowadays it is no longer a church but part of a primary school complex.

   Pass by without stopping

7. The former site of the French Concession Municipal Council in Shanghai. We can only pass by this place and are not even allowed to take pictures, because it is now the location of the Huangpu District Police Station in Shanghai. The main building used to be the old building of the French Concession Municipal Council and was later changed into the General Police Station of the French Concession.

   Pass by without stopping

8. Xintiandi

   Shanghai Xintiandi, located in the eastern part of the French Concession, is a renowned leisure and entertainment destination. It was transformed from two blocks that originally housed a typical Shikumen lilong architectural complex and is adjacent to the site of the First National Congress of the CPC.

   Pass by without stopping

9. Birthplace of Chinese Communist Party

   The Site of the First National Congress of the CPC is the witness to the birth of the Communist Party of China. On July 23, 1921, the First National Congress of the CPC was held here (and later adjourned on a boat on South Lake in Jiaxing). Representatives of the early communist organizations from various regions gathered to discuss crucial matters such as the Party's program, proclaiming the formal establishment of the Communist Party of China.

   20 minutes here · Admission included

10. Shanghai History Museum

    Shanghai History Museum (the former site of the Shanghai Race Club) The racecourse in the public settlement area was relocated twice and finally settled at today's People's Square. The current complex of buildings was completed in 1932 and was confiscated by the then Shanghai Military Control Commission in 1951. Since 1954, it has been converted into the Shanghai Library.

    20 minutes here · Admission included

11. What we are visiting here is the Park Hotel designed by the famous architect Laszlo Hudec. From its completion in 1934 until 1982, it had always been the tallest building in Shanghai. There is an identification mark of the plane coordinate origin for Shanghai's surveying and mapping in the lobby.

    Pass by without stopping

12. Before 1949, the official name of Renji Hospital was the Chinese Hospital. Its history is even older than that of the Municipal Council. Before the current site was incorporated into the British Concession, William Lockhart, a missionary of the London Missionary Society, founded this hospital in 1844. In the early days of the International Settlement, there were two hospitals in the north and south. The one in the north was a regular hospital where foreign residents paid for medical treatment, while the Chinese Hospital in the south was a charitable hospital. For more than fifty years after its establishment, it provided free medical services for Chinese people, completely free of charge. It didn't start to charge some medical fees symbolically until the financial pressure grew. After the death of the prominent businessman Henry Lester, this hospital received part of his estate and built the building that we can see today.

    Pass by without stopping

13. This building was rebuilt at the site of the old Municipal Council Building in the early 20th century. The original Municipal Council Building occupied a relatively small area. The current building is magnificent in scale. This area was the administrative core of the International Settlement from 1854 to 1943, surrounded by numerous administrative and functional institutions. After 1943, it was occupied by the Japanese invaders. After 1949, it used to be the building of the Shanghai Municipal Government.

    Pass by without stopping

14. The Holy Trinity Church in Shanghai was a neighbor of the Shanghai Municipal Council Building. Before 1943, it was the cathedral of the Anglican Church's North China Diocese, which was conferred by the Queen of the United Kingdom and was under the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

    Pass by without stopping

15. Waitanyuan

    No. 33 on the Bund The British Consulate Building was completed in 1846 and remained the British Consulate until 1966 when the Cultural Revolution broke out. The British Consulate Building is the oldest building on the Bund. Today, we can visit the old consulate building and the old consular residence (of course, they have been put to other uses now).

    Pass by without stopping

16. The Shanghai Municipal Council Rowing Club. The current building was rebuilt with the bricks of the old club building. The old rowing club building was constructed in 1860. It was in a dilapidated state due to years of disrepair and was rebuilt before the 2010 World Expo.

    Pass by without stopping

17. The Shanghai Municipal Council Rowing Club. The current building was rebuilt with the bricks of the old club building. The old rowing club building was constructed in 1860. It was in a dilapidated state due to years of disrepair and was rebuilt before the 2010 World Expo.

    Pass by without stopping

18. Shanghai General Post Office Building At the beginning of the opening of the port to foreign trade, British merchants in Shanghai launched postal services (in 1843). Later, on the suggestion of Robert Hart (the Inspector General of the Chinese Maritime Customs), the Manchurian government established the Great Manchurian Post Office under the jurisdiction of the customs, with its headquarters located in the Shanghai Customs House. The Manchurian government collapsed in 1911. The Northern Warlords Government constructed this magnificent building in 1922 and completed it in 1924. Today, it is still the location of the Shanghai Post Office.

    Pass by without stopping

19. Shanghai Embankment Building This building was completed in 1935. Due to its huge size, it was known as "the First Apartment in the Far East" at that time. The owner of the building was the Sassoon family, which was renowned in Asia. In the third year after its completion, World War II broke out. Baron Victor Sassoon evacuated this luxurious apartment with 282 units and used it to receive Jewish refugees who fled to Shanghai from Europe.

    Pass by without stopping

20. The former site of the Japanese Navy Special Marines Command It was the base camp of the Japanese invaders in Shanghai before the victory of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. The barracks were built in 1924, covering an area of about 6,130 square meters. There were office buildings and warehouses around it, and a playground of 2,200 square meters in the middle. The whole building looked like a warship sailing on the sea from a distance.

    Pass by without stopping

21. Hongde Church of Christianity in Shanghai This church was founded by the Presbyterian Church in North America and completed in 1928. The year it was completed was the first year when the Greater Shanghai Plan for the northeastern part of Shanghai was initiated. At that time, nationalistic sentiment was running high. Therefore, this church broke the traditional church architectural model and adopted the then-popular Chinese temple style, featuring a distinct Chinese architectural style of the Republic of China period. In 1932, the pastor and his wife of the church as well as ten believers were brutally killed by the Japanese. During the Cultural Revolution, religious activities were suspended. It was officially reopened in 1992.

    Pass by without stopping

22. The Old Shanghai Municipal Government Building There are actually several Shanghai Municipal Government Buildings. There were also several municipal government buildings during the period of the Republic of China. The one we are going to visit now is the most distinctive one located in the northeast of Shanghai urban area. In 1928, the Nationalist Government launched the "Greater Shanghai Plan" and built a new city center in the northeast of the public settlement area in Shanghai. And this municipal government building, known as the "Shanghai Forbidden City", was at its core. The construction of the entire "Greater Shanghai Plan" lasted for ten years and ended when the war broke out in 1938. (This building is now located within the Shanghai University of Sport. It is not accessible on Mondays, and there may be irregular restrictions on entry at other times. You can only view it from outside the school gate.)

    Pass by without stopping

23. The current Yangpu District Library was the Municipal Library in the new city center during the period of the Republic of China, and there is a brief exhibition of the "Greater Shanghai Plan" in it.

    15 minutes here · Admission included

24. Jiangwan Stadium was the municipal stadium in the new city center of Shanghai during the period of the Republic of China. It is a complex of buildings, consisting of a stadium, a basketball court, a swimming pool and other buildings. Today, it is also an ideal place for the general public to engage in sports activities.

    Pass by without stopping

25. East China University of Political Science and Law (Changning Campus) Before 1949, this university was the renowned St. John's College, a well-known missionary university both at home and abroad. It was founded in 1879 by Samuel Isaac Joseph Schereschewsky, the Episcopal Bishop of the American Episcopal Church. This school has perfectly preserved its old appearance. Once you enter the school, it gives you the illusion of traveling back to the previous era. On the night before General Chen Yi led the People's Liberation Army into the center of Shanghai, they camped and took a rest in this school. Therefore, we place this spot in this time period. It is the timeline separating Shanghai during the period of the Republic of China from Shanghai under the Communist regime.

    30 minutes here · Admission included

Where it starts and ends

Before you book

Cancellation

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Languages

en

Ticket

Mobile Only

Runs on

Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun

Group size

Up to 15 travelers per booking

Operated by

Shanghaiology Expert Tours

Know before you go

• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Not recommended for pregnant travelers
• Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
• Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

Photos