Shanghai, China - visiting the motherland
- shortandsweetjoy
- Jan 16
- 14 min read
Shanghai is probably my favorite city, only because it's where my family is. After several years of having not been back to the motherland, I visited this past year and the year prior to that. Now that some family members are getting older, I realize I should make it a priority to visit more often. We did some sightseeing, some new to me, some old favorites. Of course we ate a lot of food. Also, I introduced my family to my husband for the first time.
Sightseeing
On these last couple of visits, we saw some of these sites.
JingAn Temple：静安寺50 CNY, ~7 USD
After dropping off luggage, we headed over to JingAn Temple, which was conveniently located right across the street from the hotel. This is probably the oldest site I visited, as it was originally built in 247AD. The inside is just as beautiful as the outside. Like most sites in Shanghai, this temple also lights up at night, a glittering gold facade. China is mostly a cashless society now, but there is a machine where you can withdraw coins and throw it into what looks like a giant wishing well in the center courtyard. With a lucky throw, I actually managed to throw a coin in, but I think I may have celebrated too early and the coin bounced back out. 50 CNY, ~7 USD
ZhangYuan：张园
This open air area has a series of refurbished shikumen (石库门) buildings. It's lovely to walk around and have a gander of old meets new with centuries old architecture style, now filled with a bunch of fancy shops. I can't help but wonder what happened to the former tenants before it was opened in 2023.
Shanghai Tower：上海中心大厦180 CNY, ~26 USD
This massive tower is impressive to look at if you are interested in observatory towers. I absolutely would not visit again during any national holidays. I was in Shanghai during Golden Week, because I figured the best time to visit my cousin would be during the week when she is off of work. During Golden Week, it was incredibly crowded. Even though my cousin bought timed entry tickets, the process was not orderly and everyone ended up in the same line, and it took hours to get in. By the time we got inside, it was already dark out. Even leaving the tower was an ordeal and took some time. It also didn't help that some patrons were incredibly rude and blatantly cutting people in line. Even though we could not stop every rude person, we definitely linked arms to block people from pushing past us.You can probably get a discount, using trip.com or the DianPing app. It's pricey, but surprisingly there has been no price increase over the last few years.
The first time I visited the 118th observatory floor was in 2018, and it is still the same price. At that time I was in town for a funeral. After a lot of somber family time, I stole away for a few hours to be alone.
Back then the building was sparsely populated when they were still trying to fill it up with tenants. There was no line and it was not crowded at all, which made it very easy to enjoy the views.
Here's a 2018 view of Jin Mao Tower (金茂大厦) from the Shanghai Tower's observatory level. This opened in 1999.
88 CNY, ~$13 USD
I didn't visit this time, but I recall visiting with my mom back in 2002 when it was new.
Here's a 2018 view of the Shanghai World Financial Center (上海环球金融中心) from the Shanghai Tower's observatory level. This opened in 2008.
This time, it was very difficult to take any pictures from inside the Shanghai Tower. The railings against the windows make it hard to get close enough to take any pictures. Also the window glare at night makes it even more difficult. I'd say if you're there at night, you're better off enjoying the view of the towers from the outside.
We did however learn about the damper technology that these skyscrapers deploy. There is patriotic music that plays while projection art plays against an interestingly shaped damper.
I have heard that you can also enjoy the coffee from the C Cafe (朵云书院) on the 52nd floor, and still get a view from inside the Shanghai Tower. Unless you specifically want to chill at this particular cafe, I'd say skip it and just enjoy the skyline while you stroll along the street.
Oriental Pearl：东方明珠
195 CNY, ~$28 USD
I also did not visit this time, but I went to the observatory level in 2002 with my mom. I remember it was quite impressive because this was when the iconic pearl tower was still pretty new and the rapid development in Shanghai was really taking off. It had opened in 1995. I also remember purchasing a balloon version of the pearl tower for my younger cousin and she loved it.
WuKang Mansion：武康大楼
There was a virtual reality experience that takes you back to when the WuKang mansion was originally built in the 1930s, and showcases who was living there back then. There is English audio, in an English accent.
YuYuan：豫园
CNY 30, ~$4 USD
This probably would have been cool to see the actual inside of the garden. But it was already so beautiful seeing it all lit up at night, walking around the pavilion. There are lots of shops and restaurants to explore too. At this point, we were a little tired of crowds and tourist sites, so we just took a stroll and enjoyed the scenery.
Shanghai History Museum：上海历史博物馆
My husband is always interested in the local history, so we decided to check out the history museum. This was actually my first time visiting as well. We were also happy that it is a free museum, especially since some of the other tourist sites (traps) were a little pricey. The five floors take you through many eras of Shanghai, including the development of the port city. On the fifth floor, there is a terrace with a very grand view. We only stepped out for a moment to take it in, because it was so hot that day.
Suzhou River Cruise: 苏河游船100 CNY, ~$14 USD
My cousin, the awesome host, booked us a one hour river cruise, which embarks from the Changhua Ferry Terminal (昌化路游船码), near the 1000 Trees (千树）mall. It's a very relaxing way to see the sights along the Suzhou Creek in an air conditioned boat.
Acme Climbing Gym：尽峰攀岩 at 189 mall
120 CNY, ~$17 for entry and shoe rental
For a less touristy activity and because Tim can't go more than a few days without climbing, we visited this climbing gym. The layout is a bit odd, because it's two rooms of climbing walls separated by an exit. Pictured above is the outdoor top rope climbing area, which is pretty cool.
Louis Vuitton "Extraordinary Journeys" Exhibit：路易威登"非凡之旅"展览
My cousin made us a reservation at the cafe. After we dined, they took us to the back entrance of the Visionary Journeys exhibit, where we learned about the story of how Louis Vuitton got started in luggage, the many joint ventures and partnerships they launched, and of course ended in the boutique.
Eating
Le Cafe Louis Vuitton：路易威登咖啡馆
It's everything you'd expect. Impeccable design, adorable dishes, a plethora of product placements, and overpriced coffee and pastries. My hazelnut latte is so cute and tasted of plain milk, lol. I'm grateful my cousin booked the cafe and we got to see the exhibit and we didn't have to wait in line.
Starbucks Reserve Roastery： 星巴克臻选烘焙工坊
We only popped in briefly before our LV cafe reservation. This place is so crowded. I'm not sure what experience people rave about here, but it looks to me like a good place to buy some local beans. If you know if a coffee lover, this would make a nice gift.
Xinjiang Skewers： 新疆伊宁远征餐厅
There's plenty of street food and plenty of meat skewers everywhere. I can't say that this place is particularly better than any others, but this is the place where my cousin and I got skewers after school when we were very very young. It's nice knowing that it's still here after all these years while the rest of the city has changed so much.
Upstairs Hot Pot：楼上荟馆
Delicious hot pot with the largest 油条 I have ever seen. The flavors aren't very punchy for hot pot, but the quality is pretty good.
Sui Tang Li：随堂里
Situated in the fancy Upper House (formerly Middle House) hotel, this cafe has a bunch of delectable, beautiful treats, both savory and sweet.
Pop Terrace： POP 露台西餐厅
I got drinks here with my cousins and we enjoyed the view of the Bund from the terrace. It was grey and cloudy on this day, but with a drink in hand, I had no complaints.
Pan Xiao Shao：潘小烧
I had a Yunnan style dinner here with my cousins. It was delicious and flavorful. I would come back. Too bad I was full from all the good food earlier that day.
Summer Palace：夏宫
When reuniting with family in China, you can expect that there will be a lot of banquet style meals. This one was in the Shangrila Jingan hotel, where I stayed. The food was pretty good, though I don't understand what makes it Michelin star worthy, which is sort of my consistent confusion for a lot of Michelin starred restaurants these days.
Yi Rong Fu：屹荣府
Another banquet meal, this time lunch. Delicious seafood options.
Hui Shi Jia：惠食佳
Another delicious banquet meal, footage included above
Da Dong：大董
What could be more glorious than a beautifully plated, glistening duck? Crispy skin, wrapped in a thin crepe, with scallions and sauce.
Yan Ting：宴庭
Another banquet meal. This is a restaurant in the St. Regis Shanghai JingAn. Most of the dishes were good, but I didn't love some of the misteps we encountered. There was a discount for a set on the DianPing app, where you can often find discounts for restaurants and services. However, they did not let us purchase the set in the private room I reserved. Initially I wanted the room because there is a bathroom conveniently inside, which would make it easier for my grandma since she is in a wheelchair.
They told us that this set is only available in the banquet hall. Since I was treating, I actually wanted to stay in the private room because it is a lot nicer. The banquet hall was dated and the seating did not feel quite as comfortable. However, my cousin insisted that the regular prices were not worth it. Not wanting to continue the discussion further and delay eating, I agreed to move to the banquet hall. It was kind of awkward because we were a party of about ten people sitting in the only table in a large, empty hall. It was clear that they were not intending to use the hall that day, because the HVAC was turned off. That was a little uncomfortable since it was a hot day, ~35C, or ~95F. They turned on the AC for us, but it didn't seem powerful enough to cool down the large dining hall. However, with all the extra space in a large banquet hall, it allowed my niece the space to run around freely.
Since this dining hall is considered a separate restaurant from the rest of the St. Regis hotel, I could not charge the meal to the hotel room. Because of that, I could not use the Amex Platinum FHR dining credit here. It's not the worst thing that could happen, but it was annoying since I had already asked upon checking in if I could use the $100 credit at this restaurant.
Knowing what I know now, I would not dine here again, nor would I recommend eating here. The food was alright, but the nuisances I encountered makes me not to want to deal with the hassle again.
Shan Shi Liu：山石榴
This was probably one of my favorite meals this time. This Guizhou (贵州) style chain delivered very flavorful dishes, lots of acidic and spicy notes. It was surprisingly affordable and the service was also great. They also provided hair ties. Sometimes it's the little things that make an experience enjoyable.
Xiao Yang: 小杨生煎包
I've been to this pan fried dumpling chain quite a few times. There are several locations throughout the city, and it is usually always good. My family knows I like it and they try to always squeeze in a visit to Xiao Yang for me.
Shanghai has so much good food, but nothing beats home cooking.
I didn't get a chance to take too many pictures at home, but I sure do love eating at home. My family has quite a few great cooks, especially my uncle. Whenever we visit in the fall, my family buys the hairy mitten crabs, and my uncle steams them and we eat it with a black vinegar sauce. To be honest, I am not sure if these wontons are homemade, but it reminds me of the ones I used to wrap with my grandma when I was a little kid.
Accommodations
Hotel Equatorial Shanghai
I've stayed here twice, because it is close to my family. Convenience is important in a dense city. This hotel is usually affordable, spacious, and has everything you need. I did run into a small issue last time. I saw a bug on the first night. Even though it wasn't large, I didn't like the look of the exoskeleton. I was traveling alone at the time. As much as I love the freedom that comes with solo travel, sometimes I get a little nervous about little things like bugs when I am alone.
I thought I washed it down the tub with water on the hottest setting, but on the second night, I saw it again. Or perhaps it was a different bug? I figured if it was a different bug, there might be more. I called the front desk to see if they could do something about it. They generously upgraded me to a very large suite. I was only there for a total of two nights, so it was very large for just me for one night. I appreciated the upgrade, but the seal on the shower door was not sufficient. Water looked out all over the bathroom. That was unfortunate, because the staff was very kind about the small complaint I made about bugs, which can unfortunately be found anywhere. They even offered to help me pack up my luggage and bring it upstairs for me. I politely declined because I'm just a normal person and I can pack my own suitcase.
Shangri-La JingAn
I believe this is a standard room, but it felt very spacious. I enjoyed the separate living area, big bathroom, ample closet space, and complimentary fruit delivery. The spread at breakfast has a good selection of Chinese and Western dishes, including gelato, which reminds me of when my grandpa used to give me ice cream for breakfast. I have no complaints. It is very conveniently located above above a shopping mall, and a subway station, where I can hop on the #2 line that goes straight to the airport. But to be honest, when Didi car rides are so cheap, sometimes less than 15 CNY or $2 USD, I'll just take a car to the airport instead.
St. Regis Shanghai JingAn
Our standard room was very comfortable, spacious, and conveniently located. However, there were a couple of issues with the service. Not including the issues, we encountered at YanTing restaurant mentioned above, we also waited a very long time to check in. It started off great. We were greeted at the door by staff who took our luggage immediately. All of the front desk counters were busy, so they guided us to one of the couches and offered us tea in delicate teacups and saucers. My aunt and uncle were waiting outside. I told them it would be a while, so I asked them to come inside and wait with me. When the staff noticed my relatives were waiting with us, they brought out two more cups of tea.
They told me that they would come tell me when they are ready to check us in. After at least half an hour, I checked with one of the staff, and they apologized for the wait. For a hotel of this caliber, it felt like they dropped the ball in forgetting about us. After a long day of traveling, any guest would want the hotel check-in process to be efficient.
Their main dining room, Social, is where they serve a very nice spread for breakfast. We used the Amex FHR $100 credit at the lobby bar, where there were lots of couches, and live music. We enjoyed some cocktails, snacks, and the jazz bar vibes.
Over the next couple of days, I used the swimming pool. The facilities are not bad, but I did feel like the Romanesque statues were overkill. There were several stone busts around the edge of the pool. That just felt kind of creepy, like a bunch of frowny faces staring at you while you're trying to exercise. I'm nitpicking, because that's just a personal preference. I don't like statues.
Alila Shanghai
This is probably my favorite hotel in Shanghai so far. The Alila Shanghai is very spacious, comfortable and has great service. I recognize this as the former Four Seasons, and after that it was the Regent. Hyatt must have acquired the rather unassuming looking building within the last few years, since it just opened a little over a year ago. A couple of days before our arrival date, a member of the Guest Experience Team emailed me and sent me her WeChat QR code, so she could contact me as our 'private experience host.' Coincidentally, she was also named Joy. Surprisingly, it looked like a personal WeChat account, as opposed to a professional account. I did reach out to her to request early check-in, since we were arriving at around 10am, and there were no issues with this request. Upon check-in, they offered us lemon thyme tea, which was so good, very refreshing. They also provide a daily calendar of activities, including daily sound bath, gong bath, yoga sessions, cooking classes, and Evening Ritual, which is a daily happy hour every evening at 6pm with complimentary drinks. Too bad we already had a a pretty busy week, so we didn't really have time for these activities, but we did squeeze in time to make it to one of the Evening Rituals
We stayed in a Studio with a city view, but I believe they now call these Residence Suites. The Japandi-esque theme of the hotel is very calming. I think it is roughly 700 sq ft, which is larger than some of my previous apartments. The view is not bad. There is also a soaking tub inside of the shower room of the bathroom section.
The service is pretty much next level. We had the shiny muscat grapes delivered every afternoon at about 2pm. They also cleaned our room multiple times a day. We only noticed when I pointed out that some of the toiletries I took out were neatly arranged, It pains me when I think about how expensive these grapes are in the U.S.
The layout of the hotel is slightly unusual, in that the lobby is on the 5th floor, and then you have to find the other set of elevators to the hotel rooms. They position a series of hotel staff specifically to guide you, so you don't get lost. It seems like they anticipated that this would be a pain point. I felt a bit awkward because I ran into these people several times. Being directionally challenged, I felt like they were constantly reminding me the elevators are this way, the dining room is that way, lol.
Aside from that tiny bit of nitpicking, the facilities are quite nice. The dining room is comfortable. I liked that the majority of the breakfast menu was made to order. There are also buffet options, but I think you don't really need it. We spent our Amex FHR $100 credit at their rooftop bar, Secret Roof, is lovely, but don't expect drinks to be anything out of the ordinary. It does however have a view of the city, with both indoor and outdoor seating options. I opted for outdoor, but in the future, I would choose indoor instead, because other patrons enjoy smoking on the terrace.
Also, the pastries in the bakery looked very good, but there were no prices visible, and I didn't want to bother asking.
On our last day, our host messaged me to say that there would be a free gift delivered to our room. I wasn't sure what it was for. Perhaps when we checked in and showed our passports, they made a note of Tim's upcoming birthday. It was a giftwrapped tea set with 3 small teacups. I'm sure it is not worth much in terms of manufacturing cost, but definitely a nice touch, and a useful gift to encourage me to drink more looseleaf tea.
I would definitely stay here again.
Another small thing I love about most hotels in Asia is the water. A lot of times, the rooms come with free water bottles, sometimes ~6 bottles per day. With that many bottles, there's no excuse to not stay hydrated.
Looking back on the great times, I look forward to the next time I can visit Shanghai and see my family again.
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