Huangpu River

With Pudong to the East and Puxi to the west, the Huangpu river connects both sides of the city.

TravelCurious Tip

If you take the cruise along the river, be aware it is three hours long. Take snacks and something to drink!

The Huangpu runs for 113 kilometres, cutting through Shanghai and forming a tributary of the Yangtze before it empties into the East China Sea. It was excavated by Lord Chunsen, one of the Four Lords of the Warring States during the Warring States period (475 BC - 221 BC). It is the largest river in Shanghai, on average 400 metres wide and nine metres deep.


A Tale of Two Cities

The Huangpu slices Shanghai in two: giving us Pudong on the east bank and Puxi on the west. Puxi is the older cultural and residential centre of Shanghai. Along the west bank you can find the Huangpu Park, the Bund and the Monument to People’s Heroes. But it is the east bank that will hold you attention. Pudong has shot up in the last twenty years and is home to Shanghai’s most magnificent steel and glass skyscrapers. Shanghai Tower is no less than 565.6 metres tall!


Cruise Control

Many of Shanghai’s great attractions are assembled along the Huangpu, and river cruises have become a popular tourist activity with good reason. Moving along the river, and looking from left to right, is like looking at a cross-section of Shanghai’s history through its architecture. But it’s not just the marvellous buildings you can admire: a cruise is the perfect way to see the famous “three-colour waters” when the grey-blue Huangpu converges with the yellow silt Yangtze and the green waters of the East Sea during high tide.

Nearby Attractions

See all attractions in Shanghai
Tianzifang
Known as the 'Soho of Shanghai', this area was originally a lane factory but now an entertainment hotspot.
Ferry Ride
With their century old transport history in Shanghai, ferry boats remain a popular choice.
Xiao long bao
A type of steamed bun stuffed with meat and cooked in a bamboo steaming basket.
Sheng jian bao
Similar to the Xiao long bao, these dumplings are pan fried and dangerously delicious.
Xie ke huang
A pastry shaped like a crab shell. It is a speciality in the region and comes with a variety of fillings.
Flower and Bird Market
This is where locals go to buy turtles, fish and flowers and it is one of few traditional markets left.

Related Tours

Highlights of Shanghai: Private full day tour including Tickets & Transport
Experience all the major highlights of Shanghai on this all-inclusive, full-day private tour. On your private full-day tour, you will:

  • Enjoy the personalised attention of your private guide.
  • Commence your tour at the iconic Jade Buddha Temple, with entrance tickets included. 
  • Take in the tranquil surroundings by People's Square. 
  • Venture through the atmospheric Shanghai Old Town.
  • Visit the beautiful Yuyuan Garden (tickets included).
  • Enter the revered Old City of God Temple (tickets included).
  • Learn about Shanghai in the 21st century, at Tianzifang.
  • Walk along the picturesque Bund.
  • Enjoy a ferry ride across the Huangpu River to the futuristic Pudong on the east.
  • End at the iconic Television Tower.
Known as the ‘Paris of the Orient, Shanghai is steeped in culture, history, and glamour in equal measure. Throughout the day, you’ll see the architectural marvels of the city, and learn all about its cultural heritage, its history, its religion, and its contemporary daily life. 

Your day begins at the famous Jade Buddha Temple, home to a priceless collection of jade statues. The temple is designed in the breathtaking architectural style of the Song Dynasty and is the headquarters of the Shanghai Buddhist Institute. Your guide will then continue on to People’s Square. This beautiful green space is a hub of activity and is surrounded by monuments and museums. 

Next, your private guide will take you to Shanghai Old Town and the enchanting Yuyuan Garden. You will see the old-style buildings of the Ming and Qing Dynasty and have the chance to stop and try delicious local delicacies recommended by your guide. You will also visit the revered Old City of God Temple and learn about its statues in Taoism.

Move on from the traditional and learn more about Shanghai’s present as you head down to the exciting Tianzifang - the ‘Soho of Shanghai’. Walk along with the most famous landmark, the Bund. From this beautiful waterfront, enjoy a perfect end to your day as you take a ferry ride across the Huangpu River to the futuristic Pudong on the east shore. There your guide will orient you around the area and take you to the distinctive Oriental Pearl Radio & Television Tower, where the tour ends, allowing you to enjoy free time in the Pudong area, with the glorious views over the river towards the Bund. 
Highlights of Shanghai: Half-Day Private Tour with Tickets
As China's largest and most affluent city Shanghai is rarely static, a city of mind-blowing proportions and an ever-changing urban footprint. Sky-bound superstructures, gleaming designer malls and sweeping, futuristic bridges characterise this modern megalopolis yet Shanghai - meaning City of The Sea - has a history that spans over a thousand years. On your private guided tour of Shanghai, you will: 

  • Enjoy the old, the new, and everything spanning in between with the personalised attention of your private guide. 
  • Take advantage of skip-the-line tickets (included) to the peaceful Jade Buddha Temple, idyllic Yuyuan Garden and the important Old City of God Temple. Your guide will also have public transport tickets for you. 
  • Experience the contrasting quietude of the iconic Jade Buddha Temple built in 1882, and the vibrant buzz of the city in leafy People's Square.
  • Admire Ming and Qing Dynasty architecture and the hallowed Old City of God Temple. 
  • Stroll historic Shanghai Old Town to Yuyuan Garden and the bustling Bazaar. 
  • Soak up views across the Huangpu River at the Bund, a stunning 1.5km waterfront promenade.
Beginning life as a tiny fishing village, the city now showcases China’s 21st Century dynamism in art and design. Upscale apartments, glitzy bars and restaurants overshadow Shanghai’s humble origins. Yet the city owes much to the Yangzi River delta where China's main waterway completes its 5,500-km journey to the Pacific - the trade route on which Shanghai blended East-meets-West culture was born. 

Parts of Shanghai were once independently ruled by British, French, and American colonists, which has left its telltale mark on the architectural and societal character of the city. This contrasting mix of cultures has paved the way for openness to Western influences found in modern Shanghai. See the ancient and the modern, beginning with the Jade Buddha Temple, a beautiful Song Dynasty-era building flanked by statues. Denoting the geographical heart of the city, leafy People’s Square forms a lively daily hub in the thick of it. In Old Shanghai, see the enchanting Yuyuan Garden and the city’s historic Bazaar amidst a storied building of the Ming and Qing Dynasty. In the 15th century, the Old City of God Temple is a grand place of Taoist worship while the Bund, a mesmerizing 1.5 km esplanade along the Huangpu River—is lined with cafés, restaurants and chi-chi boutiques— boasts prized views of the Lujiazui skyline. Enjoy all of this and more on this fabulous all-inclusive half-day private tour. 
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