Shanghai Day TripIn November 2009, US President Obama spent less than 24 hours in Shanghai, held a town hall meeting with university students. For leisure travelers, we would obviously prefer to do some sightseeing or shopping. Mr. Wu Bangguo, Chairman of China's National People's Congress, told President Obama that ‘if you want to see China for the recent 100 years, visit Shanghai; if you want to see China for the recent 1,000 years, visit Beijing’. This is indeed very true. Shanghai is quite a young city however the current financial centre of China.
I have recently had a short Shanghai day trip. May be you would like to follow my footprint and visit the most attractive places of Shanghai in 24 hours.
There are places that you must visit in Shanghai especially after dark. Here they are:
Shanghai is divided in to Pudong (East of Huangpu River) and Puxi (West of Huangpu River) by the Huangpu River. My sightseeing mainly focused in Puxi when I arrived in the evening. The following morning I went on to Pudong where the international airport is to make it easier for me to catch my flight back home. 
Xintiandi has a high concentration of shops, bars, restaurants where both local businessmen and leisure travelers like to come. Radiated from the central fountain, the Xintiandi isn’t too big in area, but I’m sure you’ll love this place.
Though the corridor was not available, we could still drive along the river bank and admire the beautiful night views at the Bund. For photo taking, we stop by the end of the Bund nearby Russian Consulate where we can oversee the Pearl TV Tower at the opposite bank of the Huangpu River. The view here is really stunning. No wonder ‘Shanghai At Night’ is famous in China and worldwide. As an option, you can choose to go on a cruise at the Bund.
For those who love shopping and a sense of traditional Chinese culture, Yu Yuan (City God Temple 城隍廟), Shanghai Old Street and Nanjing Road are where you must go. City God Temple is just a name, you can’t find a temple here. Instead there are lots of Chinese style shops and restaurants along with Star Bucks. You might want to visit Lubolong (Green Wave Restaurant 綠波廊) where Bill Clinton used to dine here. Not far away is the Nanjing Road shopping area. At night, this place is sparkling everywhere. You don’t even need a flash light when taking a photo. Buildings of the 1920s, high profile department stores and shops selling traditional Shanghai snacks/souveniors as well as restaurants of all kind can be found. These shops close latest by 10pm. Therefore, please allow enough time and do not go too late.
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More Shanghai travel tips from Miriam of China Family Adventure
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The Bund has 52 blocks of buildings of unique international architectural style, comprising banks, hotels, MNC headquarters etc. It is a must-see for people visit Shanghai. There is a walking corridor along the Bund where locals and travelers can walk leisurely to admire the beautiful views here. However the corridor is now (as of December 2009) under renovation in preparation for the 2010 Expo. I have yet to find out when it will reopen. 
