Shanghai

Lights of downtown Shanghai; the Jade Buddha Temple. Photos Aapo Haapanen.

Shanghai is the biggest city in the biggest country in the world. It is China's capital of commerce, industry, and finance. Shanghai has become one of the world's great modern capitals and it is the one city that best shows where China is headed at the dawn of the 21st century.

Shanghai has a colonial past more intense than that of any other city in China except Hong Kong, meaning that cathedrals and European-style buildings can be found alongside traditional Chinese temples and architecture. There is even a synagogue in Shanghai, dating from the days of an unparalleled Jewish immigration to China. These are not the typical monuments of China, but they are typical of Shanghai.

Shanghai is not known for its temples, but it has some interesting ones. The most popular Buddhist shrine with visitors is the Jade Buddha Temple (Yùfó Sì). The Lónghuá Temple is also a popular stop; its pagoda is the most interesting in Shanghai. Shanghai also has several active Christian churches, a mosque where foreign visitors may worship or visit and the reopened Ohel Moshe Synagogue, now a Jewish museum and study center.

Shanghai Map
Our own detailed, interactive satellite map of Shanghai, plus links to more Shanghai maps.

History of Shanghai
A brief overview of Shanghai's history.

Shanghai Hotel Reviews
Unbiased reviews, ratings and price comparisons on hotels in Shanghai from fellow travelers.

Shanghai Travel Forum
Travel advice and insider tips on Shanghai from those in the know.

Shanghai Travel
Private Shanghai travel information, map, weather, attractions for travelers to plan a trip to Shanghai, and Shanghai hotels & flights booking.

	Confucius Temple (Wén Miào) These temple grounds offer quiet refuge from the crowded streets of Old Shanghai. Near the entrance is a three-story, 66-foot pagoda dedicated to the god of liberal arts, and students come here with their prayers for success.
	Jade Buddha Temple (Yùfó Sì) This temple is an active Chan (Zen) Buddhist monastery but the real emphasis is squarely on tourism. What the busloads come for are the temple's two gorgeous white jade Buddhas.
	Jewish Shanghai Shanghai experienced several waves of Jewish immigration and there was once a large Jewish community here. You can visit the main synagogue, now a museum, and take a tour of Jewish Shanghai.
	Longhua Temple (Lónghuá Sì) This is the largest and busiest Buddhist temple in Shanghai. It is especially famous for its 10th-century, seven-story octagonal pagoda; the Grand Hall contains a gilded Buddha statue under a carved dome.
	St. Ignatius Cathedral (Xújiahuì Tianzhutáng) This Catholic cathedral founded by the Jesuits dates from 1910. The brick Gothic structure, which was once a part of a major missionary complex, seats 2,500 people.
	Temple of the Town God (Chénghuáng Miào) This Taoist temple was founded in 1403 but the current temple dates from the early 1990s. It is dedicated to a local hero and is part of a large marketplace.