Shanghai, China Hotels and City Guide

Shanghai - Going Out

Shanghai Entertainment

Shanghai has earned the name, "The Paris of the Orient", for its romantic and lively nightlife. New clubs seem to open daily in the Xin Tian Di district and along the Bund, Tongren Lu, Nanjing Lu and Huaihai Lu. Always a dependable choice for secluded settings and extensive wine lists, Shanghai’s fine hotels offer many high-class lounges.

Theatre, Music and Dance

You can occasionally enjoy performances of traditional classical music inside the Yu Gardens on Yuyuan Lu, although the best place to see both Chinese and Western concerts, ballets and plays is the Shanghai Grand Theatre in the People's Square. The theatre has successfully staged operas, musicals, ballets, symphonies, chamber music performances, dramas and Chinese operas. The Shanghai Grand Theatre has three theatres, and boasts 1,800 seats including six balconies.

During the Shanghai Portman Acrobatic Show, you will enjoy juggling, body contortion and nearly impossible to believe feats of flexibility, strength and endurance, all performed in beautiful costumes, leaving you breathless and completely astounded. The show is performed daily at the Shanghai Center Theatre, on the fourth floor of the Portman Ritz-Carlton Hotel.

The Shanghai Children's Palace is an elite school for gifted children, located on West Yanan Road in central Shanghai. It is also called, "The Marble Mansion," and the orate building itself is worth a visit; however it is the children’s dance performances that attracts thousands each year.

The Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center was established in 1995 through a merger between two theater companies -- the Shanghai People's Art Theater and the Shanghai Youth Drama Troupe. It stages dramas by classical, modern, and contemporary playwrights, from both the East and the West. It currently has a modern drama plaza with three separate stages: The Arts Theater, Drama Salon and Studio D6. The center is located in the Xuhui District, and has drawn some of the most brilliant playwrights, directors, producers and actors from across China to participate in the acclaimed performances staged here.

The Shanghai Art Theatre, also named Yihai Theatre, is located in the Jing'an District and is a multi-functional cultural complex theatre which has a seating capacity of nearly 1000. Many varieties of performing arts, such as ballet, drama and concert are performed here, and there is a restaurant and a coffee house within the theatre.

Shanghai Oriental Art Center, located at the Pudong Administration and Culture Center, stages many concerts, exhibitions and operas. A Saturday Brunch Concert is held here every week, highlighting various kinds of performances, including opera, a children chorus, and classical masterpiece. The center also offers jazz concerts and performances by a wonderful folk music band comprising five young ladies, called Oriental Charm.

Arts and Events in Shanghai

The Shanghai Museum houses an extraordinary collection of Chinese ancient art. Three special exhibition halls and eleven galleries on four floors are required to display the 120,000 highly prized Chinese works of art and archaeological findings.

The Shanghai Science and Technology Museum is located in Pudong, close to Century Park and features over 14 interactive multimedia exhibits.

The Shanghai Art Museum often features high-quality international art exhibitions as well as good exhibitions by Chinese artists. The gallery hosts the Shanghai Biennale Art Show, and is in a wonderful old clock tower building on Nanjing West Road. The Zendai Museum of Modern Art, in Pudong, is entirely focused on new, innovative media, and often holds exhibitions of non-Chinese artists.

Annual Events in Shanghai

The dates of special events in China follow the Chinese lunar calendar, meaning they take place at different times each year according to the Gregorian calendar. To verify the exact dates of events before traveling, contact the Shanghai Tourist Office at Tel: +86 (0)21-6439-3615.

January

New Year's Holiday
Held on both January 1st and 2nd, this is a national holiday and it is celebrated throughout the city, with lion and dragon dances performed at the Longhua Temple.

February

Early February: Chinese New Year
The Chinese New Year usually takes place in the first half of February and is a major celebration in Shanghai, lasting five days. The city will be an explosion of parades, dragon dancing and fireworks.

Mid-February: The Lantern Festival
Following about a week after Chinese New Year will be the Lantern Festival, based at the Yu Yuan Gardens, in which parks and temples are lit up with lanterns, often accompanied by fireworks and dancing.

March

Longhua Temple Fair
This event goes back over 300 years, celebrating when the laughing Buddha was born under the Longhua tree. The annual fair offers shopping stalls and various festivities held around the complex.

April

Shanghai International Tea Culture Festival
Lasting over a week, this takes place at the end of April at the Songyuan Tea Art Hall. Designed to promote Chinese traditional culture and foster international friendship, this is a grand festival.

May

The Dragon Boat Festival
On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, this festival is held to commemorate the death of the great Chinese poet Qu Yuan who drowned himself in the 3rd century BC to protest against the corrupt emperor. To celebrate his life, dragon boat races are held on rivers throughout the country and zongzi eaten in remembrance of this event.

Mid-May: Shanghai International Music Festival
This festival, lasting around one week, features a wide variety of music-related events and well-attended concerts.

June

Shanghai Film Festival
The Chinese film industry is finally gaining more attention from the international film industry, and each year more worldwide celebrities attend this event.

July

July 1: Birthday of the Chinese Communist Party
This event features various celebrations throughout the city.

September

Shanghai Tourism Festival
This event features a colorful opening ceremony parade usually along either Nanjing Donglu or Huaihai Zhonglu. The festival offers a vast amount of traditional and non-traditional entertainment at venues scattered around the city, including a rose wedding ceremony.

Shanghai Grand Prix
The Shanghai Formula One Grand Prix race is a tremendously popular three-day event.

October

October 1: National Day
This is a national holiday commemorating the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Shanghai International Arts Festival
This event lasts the entire month and features live music, dance, theatre, magic and other exhibitions at various venues throughout the city.

Mid-Autumn Festival
Sometimes referred to as the Moon Festival, this event has the participants watching the moon and eating sweet moon cakes. Some people also gather to write poems and recite them to each other.

The Double-Ninth Festival
As the name suggests, this is celebrated on the ninth day of the ninth month of the lunar calendar, nine being a lucky number according to the rules of yin and yang. It is now a festival for the aged, when people pray for long life and traditionally climb hills or towers, drink chrysanthemum wine and eat "double ninth cake."

Tennis Masters Cup
A weeklong event and the season finale, featuring the top eight male players, held at the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena.

November

International Art Festival
Each November there is an international art festival at various galleries around town, which open their doors to showcase a wide variety of artwork.

Shanghai Marathon
18,000 people from more than 41 countries will get an eyeful of Shanghai along with their run during the Shanghai International Marathon. The route is a sightseeing delight, and is always lined with thousands of spectators who enthusiastically cheer the runners on.

December

Deceber 31 to January 1: Longhua Temple Bell Ringing
Longhua Temple is famous for its midnight bell-ringing every New Year's Eve, which takes place in the three-storied Zhong Lou (Bell Tower) near the entrance. The tower's 3,000-kilogram (3.3-ton) bronze bell, cast in 1894, is struck 108 times to rid the world of all its worries.

New Year’s Eve
Every nightclub in Shanghai has a party going on for this epic event; make your plans early to be sure you have the right place with the right vibe.

Shanghai After Dark: Shanghai's Bars and Nightlife

The scenery at night in the Bund district is spectacular. The ornate classical and modern buildings take on a whole new look when they are lit up by the wealth of colored lights. Looking across the Huangpu River to the Oriental Pearl TV Tower and Jinmao Tower is an enchanting sight, and many different boats offer evening river cruises providing a wonderful opportunity to appreciate the view. These include luxury boats, pirate boats, dragon boats of the ancient Ming and Qing styles and boats of the Shikumen style of old Shanghai.

Historically a city that prefers the blink of neon to the noonday brightness, Shanghai's high-rise landscape really comes alive when the sunsets. Mainland China's most diverse, trendiest and captivating night scene is also its costliest. Be prepared to pay cover charges at most nightclubs and high-end drink prices. Shanghai nightlife is sheer indulgence, so dress up and enjoy the extravagant ambiance. The Luwan/Xin Tian Di district is a pedestrian only area, with an active nightlife every day of the week. The following are a few of the clubs in this vibrant district:

Ying Yang was one of the first bars to open in Shanghai. The Face Thai Club offers food and drink in a relaxing and romantic Buddhist atmosphere. Delifrance is very popular with the locals. 59 Milestone, on the 11th floor of the Jinjiang Hotel, is Shanghai's first Indian style nightclub.

Many of Shanghai's first bars were opened on Hengshan Road, and those have maintained their popularity. Near to the Xujiahui Commercial Circle are numerous bars and nightclubs, ranging from romantic to rowdy. Maoming South Road has become a hot spot for the hip and happening clubs, with the top one being Babyrichie, also known as Babyface. Babyrichie's Shanghai location is one of the most consistently busy clubs in the city due to its massive following among the locals. The music varies from hip-hop to house. In the People's Square, above the iconic Grand Cinema, the ARK Lounge is a great laid-back place to enjoy the lovely rooftop terrace.

The bars and lounges located within the better hotels are always a good choice for ambiance, since many of them offer live jazz and allow cigar smoking. Try either the 100 Century Avenue Bar, within the Park Hyatt, or Le Royal Meridien's highly fashionable, upscale bar and lounge, 789 Nanjing Road, both with stunning views. Live music and locally brewed beers along with an eclectic blend of German and Asian snacks all blend to make Bar 505 inside Hotel Sofitel a sheer delight.

Hotels in Shanghai, China