Free self-guided Shanghai walks
A good walk should give you more than directions.
These are four routes I would put in front of a curious visitor: reclaimed Expo grounds, a river that gives way to city streets, Jing’an’s changes of scale, and a short political history of a complicated city. Take the maps, read the buildings, stop when something holds your attention.
Pudong · 5 stops
After the Expo
Five free exterior/viewpoint stops within Expo Culture Park, west of Lupu Bridge; do not confuse with Shanghai Expo Park east of the bridge.
2–3 hours · about 2.2 km between stops
Jing’an / Huangpu · 6 stops
River to southern Bund
Warehouses on Suzhou Creek, a bridge crossing and a deliberate street walk to the southern portfront.
3–4 hours · about 5.1 km between stops
Jing’an · 5 stops
Five faces of Jing’an
Five free street and park stops: temple roofs, a monumental exhibition hall, shikumen lanes and an operating theatre.
2–3 hours · about 2.6 km between stops
Huangpu · 6 stops
Journals & political houses
A compact walk from journals and early political organizing to Sun Yat-sen’s home and the CPC delegation’s 1946 office.
2–3 hours · about 2.6 km between stops