One of the tourist spots in Shanghai is called Oriental TV Tower. It looks similar to Macau Tower…and it also offers tourists the view of the whole city. It is located at the tip of Lujiazui in the Pudong district, by the side of Huangpu River, opposite The Bund.

When we visited this that time, we didn’t go up the tower already since I urge my friends to just go to Grand Hyatt hotel for the view of the city. I saw there are different observation levels where you can choose to view the city. There is also a revolving restaurant there similar to Singapore’s Prima Tower Revolving Restaurant.

At night, this is usually one of the visible sights around the city. We walked along The Bund and see the shiny spectacle of light just across (Oriental TV Tower lit at night). It must be very nice to have dinner at their restaurant.

The fee for going up the tower shoot up after Olympics I think. I saw last time it was around 70rmb. If you want a cheaper cost for the view, you can always choose Grand Hyatt Hotel and sip some brewed coffee on the hotel lounge while you relax.

My current company is having a branch in Shanghai so it made me reminisce the restaurants we tried in Shanghai during my short visit there.

I’m not sure what is considered Shanghainese cuisine, I only know their well known food is Xiao Long Pao. But we got a That’s Shanghai magazine that time (we really made sure to get one) and we got to choose one of the best restaurants there. It’s called Shanghai Uncle.

When you enter Shanghai Uncle, there’s this sense of regality as it might be considered a posh restaurant in Shanghai (though maybe it is commercialized). Red walls with streaks of golden curtains surrounds the place. The red lattern was also lit so it would complete the vintage chinese look.
In the back of my mind, I was wondering if I had dressed properly for the place. We all look young, fickle and out for adventure kind of non local Chinese visitors. I felt so out of place but I honestly didn’t care much! And also, I saw the difference of Beijingers and Shanghainese locals when they dine in this kind of place, Shanghainese care more on how they look.


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Xin Tian Di is one of the attractions in Shanghai. It literally means “New Sky and Land”. I don’t have the picture of the whole place but it’s a hodgepodge of bars, restaurants in an area where it reflects the nostalgic European architecture and bright lights.

When I visited this place, it was packed with tourists or expats. There’s a cozy feeling when you reach the area, it’s like the whole China you thought is transformed into a beautiful memento of the old Shanghai.
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Visiting museums should actually be one of the top must see of tourists when visiting new places. You get to sense the culture, history but most of all, you can check out cool artifacts.

I am actually fascinated about museums but I seldom go because either no one wants to go with me or it’s really out of the way.

When we went to Shanghai, I knew I had to go because the structure itself looks enticing enough.

Shanghai Museum is actually a museum of ancient Chinese arts. Featuring a lot of furnitures, art masterpieces, old coins & money, clothes, I pleasantly scanned the interesting pieces. However I still like the feel of going to Forbidden city to glance at “how it was“. I want to walk the steps they took long before and imagine being there.
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Yu Yuan actually means Contentment according to one travel site I saw.

Yu Yuan Garden is a “five-acre garden consists of six sections separated by boundary walls: Grand Rockery, Ten Thousand-Flower Pavilion, Hall of Heralding Spring, Hall of Jade Magnificence, Inner Garden and Lotus Poo located in Shanghai.”

The place has a magnificent colorful architecture. The vibrance of red makes you feel “China”. But amidst its beauty, the place really attracts a LOT of tourist/people! It was literally full and I was finding my way to places I need to meet my friends.

There was a lot of shops, food inside the Garden. This is where I got to try the HUGE Xiao Long Pao. I was literally shocked that I had to sip the soup inside the big pao. It was really hot! I wondered why the straw didn’t melt. The xiao long paowas actually cheap (around 5rmb). We ate at some famous restaurant inside garden, we saw pictures of Clinton and other famous personalities inside the restaurant. But the food…I wasn’t impressed and it’s really expensive! Our cafeteria restaurant in BLCU was even better. Their jiao zi (dumpling) was sticky and starchy. Din tai fung’s xiao long pao is way better!
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Tea is more popular drink in China rather than coffee. They have too many kinds of tea leaves I never get to memorize. The famous ones are Jasmine, Oolong Tea, Green Tea.

I’m not really a tea addict, we usually order those free ones (house tea) in Chinese Restaurants. I prefer coffee’s caffiene! Anyway, I saw an interesting act while I was in China. When we were in Shanghai, we went to a facinating restaurant called 1212 which is very hard to find. From the outside, it looks like an ordinary building but when you get in, you’ll be amazed how ironic the setting is.

For the first time, I was able to watch some guy waiter doing some Kung Fu Tea (Gong fu) Serving. When I saw him, I thought he would be showing some moves, but it was just pouring. I heard in Beijing, there’s this place, a traditional tea house where they showcase this famous Gongfu Pouring. I should have watched one! I would have been much more amazed.

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I heard so much about this famous “world’s tallest hotel” with its lobby on 54th floor. The Grand Hyatt Hotel is one of the famous world class hotel so we had to see it for ourselves.

Image Credit

We just got back from our pathetic picture taking session just below the Orient TV Tower. We saw that it was just a few meters away from the Jin Mao Tower where Grand Hyatt Hotel is so we went to have a look. Gooey eyed walking around Jin Mao Tower in Shanghai, my friends and I tried to look for the entrance which has the elevator going up to the lobby.

I wished we stayed in that hotel instead. But of course, our budget doesn’t allow us so. Like 6 year-old kids, we wowed ourselves going up within seconds to the lobby at 54th floor. (more…)