Pudong

Sights

Eating

Drinking & Nightlife

Entertainment

Shopping

Pudong

Neighbourhood Top Five

1View Shanghai from low-orbit altitude in the observation decks of the Shanghai Tower and adjacent SWFC.

2Sink an evening alfresco cocktail and bathe in Pudong’s neon glow at Flair.

3Aim your point-and-shoot westwards from the Riverside Promenade as the sun sets over Puxi.

4Leaf through the colourful pages of history at the Shanghai History Museum.

5Take a crash course in haggling at the Science & Technology Museum metro station’s AP Xinyang.

Explore: Pudong

With its neck-craning tourists, scurrying suits and dazzling evening neonscapes, Pudong is a place name many Westerners know before setting foot in China. More than 1.5 times bigger than urban Shanghai, the economic powerhouse of the Pudong New Area (Pudong Xinqu) swallows up the eastern bank of the Huangpu River.

The high-rise area directly across from the Bund is the Lujiazui Finance and Trade Zone, where China’s largest stock market (the Shanghai Stock Exchange) makes or breaks China’s nouveau riche. There’s no obvious focal point where people congregate, although a swirl of sightseers rotates around the elevated walkway by the Oriental Pearl TV Tower.

For visitors, the main attractions are the high-altitude observation decks, hotels, restaurants and bars in the rocketing towers, offering ringside seats onto some of China’s most mind-altering urban panoramas.

And what of the next top sight? Aiming for a 2015 launch date, the Shanghai Disney Resort in Pudong promises to suck in legions of thrill-seeking tots and young ones.

Local Life

AShop Flee the slick malls and make a beeline to the AP Xinyang Fashion & Gifts Market to haggle among local shoppers.

ATake a ferry Hop aboard the ferry across the Huangpu River with a scrum of Shanghai workers (and take your bike with you).

Getting There & Away

AMetro Line 2 powers through Lujiazui, Century Ave and the Science & Technology Museum. Line 9 cuts through the southern part of the French Concession and on to Century Ave. Lines 4 and 6 also slice through Pudong, all four lines converging at Century Ave. Other connections include metro lines 7, 8, 11 and the Maglev train.

AFerry Run regularly between Puxi and Pudong for the six-minute trip across the river (¥2). It’s a 10-minute walk to the Jinmao Tower from the dock.

ABus Both City Sightseeing Buses and Big Bus Tours have lines to Lujiazui from Puxi.

ATaxi A taxi ride from the Bund will cost you around ¥30, as you’ll have to pay the ¥15 tunnel toll heading eastwards. There is a useful taxi queue in front of the Science & Technology Museum.

ABund Sightseeing Tunnel Travel underneath the Huangpu River in a tunnel dedicated to kitsch.

Lonely Planet’s Top Tip

The best time to see Lujiazui’s modern architecture is during late afternoon or at twilight/early evening, especially during summer (the wide Pudong roads make the sun merciless). Sky-high views from observation decks, bars and restaurants allow you to contrast day, dusk and evening views. Walk around the elevated walkway by the Oriental Pearl TV Tower for show-stopping evening visuals.

Best Places to Eat

AHai Di Lao

ASouth Beauty

AYi Cafe

ABaguo Buyi

ASproutworks

Best Places to Drink

ACloud 9

AFlair

A100 Century Avenue

ABrew

TOP SIGHT

Shanghai World Financial Center (SWFC)

AMANDA HALL / GETTY IMAGES ©

Although trumped by the adjacent Shanghai Tower as the city’s most stratospheric building, the awe-inspiring 492m-high Shanghai World Financial Center (SWFC) is an astonishing sight, even more so come nightfall when its ‘bottle opener’ top dances with lights.

There are three observation decks – on levels 94, 97 and 100 – each with head-spinningly altitude-adjusted ticket prices and wow-factor elevators thrown in. The top two (located at the bottom and top of the trapezoid) are known as Sky Walks. It’s debatable whether the top Sky Walk (474m) is the best spot for Shang-high views, though. The hexagonal space is bright and futuristic, and some of the floor is transparent glass, but the lack of a 360-degree sweep – windows only face west or east – detracts somewhat. But you get to look down on the top of the Jinmao Tower, which might be worth the ticket price alone.

A clear, smog-free day is imperative, so check the weather and pollution index up front. If you want to make a meal (or a cocktail) of it, or if lines are long, you can sashay into restaurant-bar 100 Century Avenue on the 91st floor instead. Access to the observation deck is on the west side of the building off Dongtai Rd; access to the Park Hyatt is on the south side of the building.

Don’t Miss…

AObservation decks

A100 Century Avenue

Practicalities

AShanghai Huanqiu Jinrong Zhongxin

A MAP GOOGLE MAP

A%5878 0101

Ahttp://swfc-shanghai.com

A100 Century Ave; 100

Aobservation deck adult 94th fl/94th, 97th & 100th fl ¥120/180, child under 140cm ¥60/90

Ah8am-11pm, last entry 10pm

AmLujiazui

TOP SIGHT

Shanghai Tower

YONGYUAN DAI / GETTY IMAGES ©

China's tallest tower dramatically twists skywards from the firmament of Lujiazui. The 121-storey, 632m-tall Gensler-designed Shanghai Tower topped out in August 2013 and is set to fully open in 2015. The spiral-shaped tower will house office space, entertainment venues, retail outlets, a conference center, a luxury hotel and 'sky lobbies'.

The gently corkscrewing form – its nine interior cylindrical units wrapped in two glass skins – is the world's second-tallest building and will remain so unless plans for the superhigh 'Sky City' in Changsha reach fruition. The twist is introduced by the outer skin of glass that swivels though 120-degrees as it rises. Atrium 'sky gardens' in the vertical spaces sandwiched between the two layers of glass open up a large volume of the tower to public use. The tower is sustainably designed: as well as providing insulation, the huge acreage of glass will vastly reduce electrical consumption through the use of sunlight. The tower's shape furthermore reduces wind loads by 24%, which generated a saving of US$58m in construction costs. Before the tower even went up, engineers were faced with building the 61,000 cu metre concrete mat that would support its colossal mass in the boggy land of Pudong.

Uppermost floors of the tower will be reserved for that obligatory Shanghai attraction – the world's highest skydeck above ground level – with passengers ferried skywards in the world's fastest lifts (40mph), designed by Mitsubishi, in the world's tallest single-lift elevator. Visitors will be able to gaze down on the both the Jinmao Tower and Shanghai World Finance Center below. A six-level luxury retail podium will fill the base of the tower.

Don't Miss

AObservation deck

ASky gardens

ARetail podium

Practicalities

AShanghai Zhongxin Dasha

A MAP GOOGLE MAP

Awww.shanghaitower.com.cn

Acnr Middle Yincheng & Huayuanshiqiao Rds

AmLujiazui

1Sights

1Pudong

Shanghai Tower Shanghai World Financial Center

Jinmao TowerBUILDING

(Jinmao Dasha MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %5047 5101; 88 Century Ave; 88 adult/student/child ¥120/90/60; h8.30am-9.30pm; mLujiazui)

Resembling an art deco take on a pagoda, this crystalline edifice is a beauty and by far the most attractive of the Shanghai World Financial Center (SWFC), Shanghai Tower, Jinmao Tower triumvirate. It’s essentially an office block with the high-altitude Grand Hyatt renting space from the 53rd to 87th floors. You can zip up in the elevators to the 88th-floor observation deck, accessed from the separate podium building to the side of the main tower (aim for dusk for both day and night views).

Alternatively, sample the same view through the carbonated fizz of a gin and tonic at Cloud 9 on the 87th floor of the Grand Hyatt (accessed on the south side of the building), and photograph the hotel’s astonishing barrel-vaulted atrium.

Oriental Pearl TV TowerBUILDING

(Dongfang Mingzhu Guangbo Dianshi Ta MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %5879 1888; h8am-10pm, revolving restaurant 11am-2pm & 5-9pm; mLujiazui)

Love it or hate it, it’s hard to be indifferent to this 468m-tall poured-concrete tripod tower, especially at night, when it dazzles. Sucking in streams of visitors, the Deng Xiaoping–era design is inadvertently retro, but socialism with Chinese characteristics was always cheesy back in the day. The highlight is the excellent Shanghai History Museum, in the basement. You can queue up for views of Shanghai, but there are better views elsewhere and the long lines are matched by a tortuous ticketing system (Click here).

Boat tours on the Huangpu River operate from the Pearl Dock (Mingzhu Matou MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 1 Century Ave; tickets ¥100), next to the tower.

Shanghai History MuseumMUSEUM

(Shanghai Chengshi Lishi Fazhan Chenlieguan MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %5879 8888; Oriental Pearl TV Tower basement; admission ¥35, English audio tour ¥30; h8am-9.30pm; mLujiazui)

The entire family will enjoy this informative museum with a fun presentation on old Shanghai. Learn how the city prospered on the back of the cotton trade and junk transportation, when it was known as ‘Little Suzhou’. Life-sized models of traditional shops are staffed by realistic waxworks, amid a wealth of historical detail, including a boundary stone from the International Settlement and one of the bronze lions that originally guarded the entrance to the HSBC bank on the Bund.

Some exhibits are hands-on or accompanied by creative video presentations. The city’s transport history gets a look-in, where you can size up an antique bus, an old wheelbarrow taxi and an ornate sedan chair.

Riverside PromenadeWATERFRONT

(Binjiang Dadao MAP GOOGLE MAP ; h6.30am-11pm; mLujiazui)

Hands down the best stroll in Pudong. The sections of promenade alongside Riverside Ave on the eastern bank of the Huangpu River offer splendid views to the Bund across the way. Choicely positioned cafes look out over the water.

Shanghai Ocean AquariumAQUARIUM

(Shanghai Haiyang Shuizuguan MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %5877 9988; www.sh-aquarium.com; 1388 Lujiazui Ring Rd; 1388 adult/child ¥160/110; h9am-6pm, last tickets 5.30pm; mLujiazui)

Education meets entertainment in this slick and intelligently designed aquarium that children will love. Join them on a tour through the aquatic environments from the Yangzi River to Australia, South America, the frigid ecosystems of the Antarctic and the flourishing marine life of coral reefs. The 155m-long underwater clear viewing tunnel has gobsmacking views. Feeding times for spotted seals, penguins and sharks are between 9.45am and 11.10am, and 2.15pm and 3.40pm.

Wu Changshuo Memorial HallHISTORIC BUILDING

(Wu Changshuo Jinianguan MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 15 East Lujiazui Rd; 15 admission ¥10; h9.30am-4pm Tue-Sun; mLujiazui)

The lack of English captions badly hobbles the displays of this small museum detailing the life and work of artist, poet, calligrapher and seal carver Wu Changshuo (1844–1927). Nevertheless it's well worth exploring for the architecture of the historic building itself, once the residence of Chen Guichun, a rich merchant. Built between 1914 and 1917, there’s some superb tiling on its floors, an old fireplace, lovely woodwork and carved door frames plus a gorgeous courtyard.

PuDoNG TO PuXi FERRY

To get to the Cool Docks in the South Bund area from Pudong, consider taking the ferry (¥2, every 10 to 20 minutes from 5am to 11pm) from the Dongchang Rd dock to the Fuxing Rd dock. For the Old Town and the Bund, hop on the ferry (¥2, every 15 minutes from 7am to 10pm) to the Jinling Rd dock.

1Century Avenue Area

Shanghai Science & Technology MuseumMUSEUM

(Shanghai Kejiguan MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %6862 2000; www.sstm.org.cn; 2000 Century Ave; 2000 adult/student/child under 1.3m ¥60/45/free; h9am-5.15pm Tue-Sun, last tickets 4.30pm; mScience & Technology Museum)

You need to do a huge amount of walking to get about this seriously spaced-out museum but there are some fascinating exhibits, from relentless Rubik’s-cube-solving robots to mechanical archers. There's even the chance to take penalty kicks against a computerised goalkeeper.

Four theatres (two IMAX, one 4-D and one outer space) show themed films throughout the day (tickets ¥20 to ¥40; 15 to 40 minutes). When you need a break, there’s a good food court for lunch.

Himalayas MuseumMUSEUM

(Ximalaya Meishuguan MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.himalayasart.cn; Himalayas Center, 1188 Fangdian Rd; 11881 h10am-6pm Tue-Sun; mHuamu Rd)

In the eye-catching Himalayas Center (attached to the Jumeirah Himalayas Hotel) and formerly the Zendai Museum of Art, this art gallery has become a fixture on the Pudong art scene, with an emphasis on contemporary exhibitions in a modern art space.

Century ParkPARK

(Shiji Gongyuan MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 1001 Jinxiu Rd; 1001 admission ¥10; h7am-6pm; mCentury Park)

This modern park at the eastern end of Century Ave is strong on hard edges and synthetic lines, but there’s an attractive central lake (with expensive boat hire). Children will enjoy themselves, and the spacious paved area between the Science & Technology Museum and the park is great for flying kites (for sale from hawkers) and rollerblading. You can also hire tandem bikes.

1World Expo Site

China Art PalaceMUSEUM

(Zhonghua Yishugong GOOGLE MAP ; 205 Shangnan Rd; 205 h9am-5pm Tue-Sun; mChina Art Museum)F

This 160,000 sq metre five-floor modern-art museum has invigorating international exhibitions and the inverted red pyramid building is a modern icon of Shanghai; however, the permanent Chinese art collection is prosaic and there's lots of propaganda. Occasional quality surfaces, such as Virgin by Xiang Jing, a moving, tender and comic sculptural work depicting awakening sexuality, while the Shanghai and Paris gallery looks absorbingly at the influence of impressionism on Shanghai art.

Captions are clumsily translated. From the Power Station of Art, hop on bus 1213.

WORLD EXPO SITE

Most pavilions at the 2010 World Expo site (Shibo Hui Qu) were dismantled. However, at least five structures on the Pudong side of the river remain standing and continue to host exhibits and events, including the iconic China Pavilion (Zhongguo Guojia Guan), Expo Center (Shibo Zhongxin) and the galactically styled UFO Mercedes-Benz Arena (Meisaidesi Benchi Wenhua Zhongxin GOOGLE MAP ; www.mercedes-benzarena.com).

Also Pudong-side, there's the underwhelming Moon Boat (Yueliang Chuan GOOGLE MAP ; Mon-Fri ¥60, Sat & Sun ¥80, holidays ¥100; h9am-6pm Tue-Sun) – the former Saudi Pavilion – and the Shanghai Italian Centre (Shanghai Yidali Zhongxin admission ¥60; h9am-5pm Tue-Sun) in the former Italian World Expo Pavilion. With 64,000 sq metres of exhibition space, the China Pavilion was relaunched as the China Art Palace and is the only thing worth visiting (though it is also missable). If you only have five days or less in Shanghai, don't bother.

Things are more interesting on the other side of the river. Hosting the Shanghai Biennale, the Power Station of Art (Shanghai Dangdai Yishu Bowuguan GOOGLE MAP ; Lane 20 Huayuangang Rd; h9am-5pm Tue-Sun; mSouth Xizang Rd) in the disused Nanshi Power Plant has seen some thought-provoking exhibitions. Check to see what is showing.

Engaging highlights of the Expo are displayed in the Expo 2010 Commemoration Exhibition (Shanghai Shibohui Jinianzhan GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Mengzi & East Longhua Rds; admission ¥30; h9am-5pm Tue-Sun; mLuban Rd) on the Puxi side, including exhibits and parts of the original pavilions. Sadly, there are no English captions.

2Neighbourhood Walk
Pudong

Start Lujiazui metro station

Finish Shanghai World Financial Center (SWFC)

Length 3.5km; two hours

Looming above you like a sci-fi control tower a short walk from the Lujiazui metro station is the 1Oriental Pearl TV Tower, one of Lujiazui’s most opinion-dividing edifices. Make sure you take a walk around the circular overhead walkway above the main intersection south of the tower, especially at night. Inside the tower, the absorbing Shanghai History Museum on the basement level is worth exploration.

Walk up Fenghe Rd past the Natural Wild Insect Kingdom on your right and turn left on to Riverside Park to reach a section of the 2Riverside Promenade for glorious images of the Bund across the water.

Follow a further stretch of the Riverside Promenade before cutting through Riverside Park and exiting onto Fucheng Rd by the Citigroup Building. Note the dramatic V-form of Tower Two of the 3Pudong Shangri-La hotel.

Immediately after the Citigroup Building, turn onto Huayuanshiqiao Rd to walk past the twin towers of the International Financial Centre (IFC) on your left; you will see the vast Shanghai Tower on your right before reaching the elegant 4Jinmao Tower. You’re spoiled for high-altitude views all about – you can rocket to the 88th-floor observation deck of the Jinmao; cross the street to the decks in the 5Shanghai World Financial Center, or top them all with views from the top of the awesome 6Shanghai Tower. Alternatively, select a bar or restaurant in either tower, but have a table booked for sunset visits. To return to metro line 2, the Lujiazui metro stop is a short walk west along Century Ave.

5Eating

Most dining in Pudong is about feasting on priceless views through floor-to-ceiling windows in five-star hotel restaurants. The gargantuan Superbrand Mall in Lujiazui has restaurants spread out across 10 floors. For hole-in-the-wall dining, try roads such as the eastern end of Dongchang Rd (off South Pudong Rd), where budget dongbei (northeastern) and Xinjiang eateries are concentrated. The spectacular new Himalayas Center complex (attached to the Jumeirah Himalayas Hotel) also boasts an impressive selection of restaurants.

5Pudong

oSouth BeautySICHUANESE, CANTONESE

(Qiao Jiangnan MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %5047 1817; 10th fl, Superbrand Mall, 168 West Lujiazui Rd; 16810 dishes from ¥20; h11am-10pm; mLujiazui)

This smart restaurant with vermilion leather furniture and silky white table cloths on the 10th floor of the Superbrand Mall cooks up classic dishes from fiery Chongqing, Chengdu and the south. The scorching boiled beef with hot pepper in chilli oil (¥48) opens the sweat pores, while the piquant mapo doufu (¥38) arrives in a scarlet oily sauce. Divine.

Alternatively, if you don't like it hot, go for the delicious pan-fried scallion buns (¥26). Check the back pages of the menu for the cheaper dishes. You’ll need to reserve for the coveted Bund-facing window seats on the terrace. Branches throughout Shanghai.

oSproutworksHEALTH FOOD

(Doumiao Gongfang MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.sproutworks.com.cn; B2-06-07, Superbrand Mall, 168 West Lujiazui Rd; 168B2 mains from ¥35, lunch sets from ¥50; h10am-10pm; mLujiazui)

For a healthy recharge, Sproutworks offers a natural and earthy focus on fresh, wholesome food, in a clean-cut (but rather square) setting. Cleanse your insides with delicious smoothies; load up with brown rice, tasty soups and crisp, panini sandwiches; try freshly tossed salads, fresh juices, homemade desserts and lunch sets. Most dishes are pre-prepared and ready to go.

At the time of writing, a branch was about to open in Xintiandi.

Yang's Fry DumplingsDUMPLINGS

(Xiaoyang Shengjian Guan MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 1406 Lujiazui Ring Rd; 1406 4 dumplings ¥6 ; h8.30am-9pm; mLujiazui)

A short walk from the Oriental Pearl TV Tower brings you to a string of restaurants, including the city’s best sesame-seed-and-scallion-coated fried dumplings (shengjian), ideal for snacking on the move around Lujiazui. Per liang (4 dumplings) costs ¥6.

oBaguo BuyiSICHUANESE

( GOOGLE MAP ; %3111 8055; Rm 110, 1368 Shibo Avenue; 1368110 mains from ¥35; mChina Art Palace)

Pretty much the most authentic Sichuan food in town is cooked up by the diligent chefs at this famous restaurant in the World Expo Site, originally founded in Chengdu. With no concessions to the dainty Shanghai palate, prepare for a spicy firecracker of a meal. Make it an evening visit and catch the spectacularly lit Mercedes Benz Arena next door.

Ramen PlayNOODLES

(Lamian Wanjia MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.ramenplay.com.sg; B2, Superbrand Mall, 168 West Lujiazui Rd; 168B2 mains from ¥30, sets from ¥49; h10am-10pm; mLujiazui)

Located within Food Opera in the Superbrand Mall and founded in Niigata, Japan, in 1967, this noodle spot has a simple and steady focus on tasty Japanese ramen in a utilitarian and unfussy setting. The spicy shoyu ramen (¥32) is a good place to start. There are also stone-pot rice dishes and good-value sets.

Food OperaASIAN

(Shidaiguan MAP GOOGLE MAP ; B2, Superbrand Mall, 168 West Lujiazui Rd; 168B2 dishes from ¥15; h10am-10pm)

Grab a card from the booth (¥10 deposit), load up with credits and then spend, spend, spend on a whole host of open kitchens in this hopping food court. There's Korean, teppanyaki, nasi padang, Hong Kong dishes, Japanese noodles, pasta and much more. Just point at what you want and hand over your card.

oYi CafeCAFE

(Yi Kafei MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %5877 5372; 2nd fl, Pudong Shangri-La, 33 Fucheng Rd; 332 meals lunch/dinner ¥298/368; hbreakfast, lunch & dinner; W; mLujiazui)

If you’re squabbling over what to eat for lunch, brunch or dinner, settle your differences at smart-casual Yi Cafe. With 10 open kitchens and a walk-through layout, it’s a veritable Asian/Southeast Asian/international food fest with endless menus. Be sure to cultivate a real hunger before you stop by. The buffet breakfasts easily match Pudong’s sightseeing calorific demands.

On 56INTERNATIONAL

(Yilu MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %5047 1234; 54th-56th fl, Grand Hyatt, Jinmao Tower, 88 Century Ave; 88 meals from ¥200; h11.30am-2.30pm & 5.30-10.30pm; W; mLujiazui)

This swish selection of restaurants all come with breathtaking vistas into the Shanghai void from the Grand Hyatt. Cucina serves delectable Italian dishes from Campania, with breads and pizzas fresh from the oven. The line at Grill is fine imported meats and seafood, while Kobachi features excellent sushi, sashimi and yakitori. The flagship Canton showcases Cantonese food and afternoon dim sum.

Sit in any restaurant of your choosing and order food from another. After dinner, retire to the Patio Lounge (Grand Hyatt, Jinmao Tower, 88 Century Ave; 88 afternoon tea ¥248; h11.30am-11pm Sun-Thu, to midnight Fri & Sat) on the same floor for a drink with the spectacular 33-floor atrium towering above you.

On the 54th floor (the Grand Hyatt lobby), the Grand Cafe (Grand Hyatt, Jinmao Tower, 88 Century Ave; 88 lunch/dinner from ¥248/358; h24hr) offers stunning panoramas through its glass walls and a good-value lunchtime buffet during the week, which allows you to choose a main course and have it prepared fresh in the show kitchen. To reserve a table by the window, book well in advance.

Kitchen Salvatore CuomoITALIAN

(MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %5054 1265; Riverside Ave, 2967 West Lujiazui Rd, near Fenghe Rd; 2967 mains lunch/dinner from ¥128/198; h11.30am-2.30pm & 6-10pm; W; mLujiazui)

The hefty price of the wood-fired pizzas will have your eyes as big as the margaritas at this swish riverside restaurant, and the views of fairy-light-festooned boats gliding up and down the night-time Huangpu River could keep them that way. The pizzas are sublime, however, and alfresco tables out front beckon for long summer evenings, with the Oriental Pearl TV Tower rocketing overhead.

5Century Avenue Area

oHai Di LaoHOTPOT

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %3871 3936; 6th fl, 588 Zhangyang Rd; 5886 hotpot per person ¥100; h24hr; W; mShangcheng Rd)

Faultless and resourceful service is the name of the game at this Pudong outpost of the West Nanjing Rd restaurant chain, which concocts an effortlessly enjoyable Sichuan hotpot experience. Not for solo diners or romantic soirees.

6Drinking & Nightlife

Most Pudong bars are in hotels (where you occasionally have to deal with condescending staff).

oFlairBAR

(MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 58th fl, Ritz-Carlton Shanghai Pudong, 8 Century Ave; 858 cocktails ¥90; h5am-2am; W; mLujiazui)

Wow your date with Shanghai’s most intoxicating nocturnal visuals from the 58th floor of the Ritz-Carlton, where Flair nudges you that bit closer to the baubles of the Oriental Pearl TV Tower. If it’s raining, you’ll end up inside, but that’s OK as the chilled-out interior is supercool and there's a minimum price (¥400) for sitting outside.

Cloud 9BAR

(Jiuchongtian Jiulang MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %5049 1234; 87th fl, Jinmao Tower, 88 Century Ave; 8887 wine from ¥65, cocktails ¥88; h5pm-1am Mon-Fri, 11am-2am Sat & Sun; mLujiazui)

Watch day fade to night as the neon slowly flickers on. After an espresso martini or two, you’ll probably find out what it means to be shanghaied (in the very best sense of the word). Access to Cloud 9 is through the lobby of the Grand Hyatt.

100 Century AvenueBAR

(100Shiji Dadao Yibai Hao MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %3855 1428; 91st & 92nd fl, Park Hyatt, Shanghai World Financial Center, 100 Century Ave; 10091-92 coffee/cocktails ¥65/85, wine ¥110-180; h8pm-1am Mon-Thu, to 2am Fri & Sat; W; mLujiazui)

Pudong keeps its edged honed with one of the highest bars in the world at 100 Century Avenue. It's pretty impressive inside, but the restaurant on the 91st floor has better views than the bar (on the floor above), as you can get up close to the windows. The bar is closed on Sunday.

Access is through the lobby of the Park Hyatt, on the south side of the building. There are six open kitchens in the restaurant area, but there's a minimum spend per table of ¥500 on Wednesdays (ladies' night), Fridays and Saturdays.

BrewBAR

(Niang MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %6169 8886; Kerry Hotel, 1388 Huamu Rd; 1388 beer half/pint ¥48/68; h11am-2am; W; mHuamu Rd)

Ale connoisseurs can earmark this nifty microbrewery bar in the Kerry Hotel, where resident brew-master Leon Mickelson dispenses six on-tap handmade beers (Skinny Green, pils, White Ant, Indian pale ale, Dugite vanilla stout, Mash) and a cider (Razorback). There’s a huge range of other bottled beers, and Heineken for those who prefer it.

The bar is sleek and cool without being impersonal and you can hit the terrace for alfresco park views. Prices are steep, though, so target happy hour (from 4pm to 8pm Monday to Friday).

CamelBAR

(MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.camelsportsbar.com; 116 West Weifang Rd; 116 mCentury Avenue)

If the slick and serene five-star hotel bar scene leaves you cold, two-floor sports pub Camel has a huge lively branch in Pudong. It covers all the sporting action, on 17 screens, backed up by a strong showing of draught beers and cider, plus pub grub.

3Entertainment

Oriental Art CenterCLASSICAL MUSIC

(Shanghai Dongfang Yishu Zhongxin MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %6854 1234; www.shoac.com.cn; 425 Dingxiang Rd; 425 tickets ¥30-680; mScience & Technology Museum)

Home of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, the Oriental Art Center was designed to resemble five petals of a butterfly orchid. There are three main halls that host classical, jazz, dance and Chinese and Western opera performances. Saturday brunch concerts (10am, held on the first and third Saturday of the month) cost from ¥30 to ¥80. Free tours of the centre are conducted on the first Saturday of the month (from 1.30pm to 4.30pm).

Daguan TheaterTHEATRE

(Daguan Wutai MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.daguantheatre.cn; Himalayas Center, 1188 Fangdian Rd; 11881 mHuamu Rd)

This new state-of-the-art 1100-seat theatre in the impressive Himalayas Center, attached to the Jumeirah Himalayas Hotel, stages Chinese opera, other traditional performance arts and Western theatre. The theatre has retractable seating, and also hosts films from the Shanghai International Film Festival.

7Shopping

Pudong is mostly about glittering malls, exclusive hotel arcades and heart-stopping prices, but further out, all the material goods you’ll ever need in one lifetime converge in the market in the Science & Technology Museum metro station.

IFC MallMALL

(IFCShanghai IFC Shangchang MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.shanghaiifcmall.com.cn; 8 Century Ave; 8 h10am-10pm; mLujiazui)

This incredibly glam and glitzy six-storey mall beneath the Cesar Pelli–designed twin towers of the Shanghai International Finance Center hosts a swish coterie of top-name brands, from Armani via Prada to Vivienne Westwood, and a host of dining options. It’s rather like an extended version of a customer-free five-star hotel arcade, but it’s certainly awesome (and an air-conditioned oasis on a sweltering day).

Shanghai TangCLOTHING

(Shanghai Tan MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.shanghaitang.com; Lobby level, Pudong Shangri-La, 33 Fucheng Rd; 33 h10am-10pm; mLujiazui)

Sumptuous Shanghai Tang’s shops add splashes of vibrant colour to the greyest of Shanghai days: elegant blouses, vivacious silk dresses, gorgeous tops, eye-catching glassware, Chinese-style shirts, scarves, cardigans, handbags, clutches, neat chopsticks, napkin holders, picture frames and more. The main branch is in the French Concession.

City ShopSUPERMARKET

(Chengshi Chaoshi MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %6215 0418; www.cityshop.com.cn; 1st fl, Citigroup Tower, 33 Huayuanshiqiao Rd; 331 h8am-10pm; mLujiazui)

Imported goodies from shampoo to champagne, Scrumpy Jack cider, spam, Stolichnaya, Trappist Chimay beer, cheeses, wines and other treats for homesick foreign foodies, at a price. There are seven branches in town, including the main branch in Jing’an. Free delivery service.

Superbrand MallMALL

(Zhengda Guangchang MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 168 West Lujiazui Rd; 168 h10am-10pm; mLujiazui)

Always busy, this gargantuan shopping mall is also ultrahandy for its dining options, its supermarket in the basement, a kids’ arcade on the 6th floor and a cinema on the 8th floor.

oAP Xinyang Fashion & Gifts MarketSOUVENIRS

(Yatai Xinyang Fushi Lipin Shichang MAP GOOGLE MAP ; h10am-8pm; mScience & Technology Museum)

This mammoth underground market by the Science & Technology Museum metro station is Shanghai’s largest collection of shopping stalls. There’s tons of merchandise and fakes, from suits to moccasins, glinting copy watches, Darth Vader toys, jackets, Lionel Messi football strips, T-shirts, Indian saris, Angry Birds bags, Bob Marley Bermuda shorts, Great Wall snow globes: everything under the sun.

It includes a branch of the Shiliupu Fabric Market and a separate market devoted to pearls, the Yada Pearl Market (Yada Zhenzhu Shichang). Shop vendors are highly persistent and almost clawing, sending out scouts to wait at the metro exit turnstiles to ensnare shoppers. Haggling is the lingua franca – mixed with much huffing and puffing – so start with a very low offer and take it from there.