Discover Shanghai's blend of history and modernity on this engaging tour. Your exploration begins at the 16th-century Yu Garden, where you'll admire the "Rock of Exquisite Jade" and calligraphy pavilions. As you stroll past arched bridges and lotus ponds, your guide will explain how rockeries and lattice windows embody "cosmic harmony" and reveal Taoist design elements. On Mondays, the Yu Garden tour is closed, and you'll visit the Shanghai Zoo Panda House.
Next, you'll visit the Jade Buddha Temple, home to two rare jade statues from Myanmar. Here, you can marvel at the impressive Sitting Jade Buddha and the reclining Buddha while learning about the temple's history and Buddhist rituals. The tour continues through the Former French Concession, where you'll see Art Deco villas and traditional shikumen lanes. Your guide will point out landmarks like Cathédrale Saint-Ignace and Sun Yat-sen's residence, sharing stories from the area's past.
The final stop is The Bund, Shanghai's iconic riverside. You'll gaze across the Huangpu at Pudong's modern skyline while admiring colonial-era buildings on the west bank. As the sun sets, watch the city light up, capturing the striking contrast between old and new Shanghai.
