Shanghai Nightlife

Night View of Huangpu River  and the Bund

Night life in Shanghai is gentle and colorful because life here is much more than life itself. It is elegant.

The scenery at night has to be seen and the Bund is a must. The ornate classical and modern buildings take on a new and exciting look as they are lit up by an abundance of colored lights. Looking across the Huangpu River to the Oriental Pearl TV Tower and Jinmao Tower is a magical sight. A night-time Huangpu River cruise presents a wonderful opportunity to appreciate the night life on the Bund. 30 or so boats carry tourists. These include deluxe boats, ancient dragon boats of Ming and Qing styles, boats of Shikumen style of old Shanghai, Pirate Boat, etc. The boat fare is CNY 120 for a classic ride and CNY 128 to 188 for a luxury ride. Whatever kind of boat you take, the view to be seen here at night will be sure to live on in your memory for years to come.

Leaving the scenery aside, walking westward along Nanjing East Road, you will quickly reach the famous Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street, the gaily illuminated shops are an exciting backdrop to the cheerful crowds that come here after dark to enjoy the carefree atmosphere, where it is possible to pick up a bargain or enjoy a tasty morsel to eat.

Metro Line 1 links the three main shopping areas of the city: Nanjing Road, Huanhai Road and Xujiahui. Something that is most convenient for those who like their shopping expeditions! Most of the shops will close at 10 pm but that is when the tea houses and bars really come into their own and the night is still young!

Tea Houses open 24 hours a day. Apart from enjoying a lone taste of tea, you can invite several friends and play cards or just chat. Once you are here, you can experience all this for yourself. Fashionable entertainments are favorites with young people. When night falls, Shanghai bathes in the light of various entertainment venues. Nightclubs, Karaoke, discos, and coffee houses are all popular night time meeting places.
 

A cafe in Xintiandi

Xintiandi has many visitors. If you are visiting Shanghai for the first time, it is much safer to go Xintiandi for the night life. Xintiandi, the most fashionable area cultivated in the distinctive Shikumen Buildings, the architectural styles of both west and east from the 1920s and 1930s Shanghai around South Huangpi Road and Xingye Road, has become the popular place to go. Every building has a modern interior and has become an international gallery, fashion shop, themed restaurant, coffee house or bar. Bars are where young white collars discuss their work or talk about life; even hard questions on the desk get solved here! Open-air bars are popular here also. Xintiandi offers the most choice and favorable appreciation. The arrival of more and more boutiques, designer shops and luxury goods stores continually adds to the enjoyment of Xintiandi.
ARK Live House is a music restaurant and music bar
Address: No. 15, north block of Xintiandi, No. 181, Taicang Road
Ven Ice is a coffee bar, located at Unit 1, No. 22, north block of Xintiandi, No. 181, Taicang Road

Shanghai's first bars were opened in Hengshan Road, and they remain more popular than those elsewhere. Close to Xujiahui Commercial Circle, Hengshan Road is situated in a convenient situation. Here there are bars in great numbers, side by side and in which you can take tea or coffee. A wide variety of bars ranging from the brash to more intimate and quiet abound to suit your every mood. Thus, Hengshan Road at night can be one of the most bustling places in th city.

Maoming South Road: An upwardly mobile bar street.

This is where the foreign guests like to stay. The old but noted bars like Judystoo are still popular with visitors. Newly-opened Babyface's business is booming. The Colors and Face clubs inside the Ruijin Hotel in the street add their own touch of splendor to this road.

Babyface is a lounge bar and often full of people as it is where young people like to congregate.

Address: No. 180, Maoming South Road

Nanjing Road at night

Fuxing Park, located at No.2, Haolan Road, is the only well-preserved French park in China, so people also call it "France Garden". Altogether there are three clubs here. They are Park97, Guandi and Cash Box.

Among them, Park97 is where veterans spend their nights through. Three popular food and entertainment grounds, Baci Restaurant of Italian cuisine, Tokio Joe Restaurant with its Japanese cuisine and the California Club from Hong Kong Lan Kwai Fong make up Park97. Compared with that in Xintiandi, nightlife here is not that showy but exudes an everlasting glamour. With elegance, exoticism, top-rank wine and music, Park97 has its special charm. Guandi, the most noted club here, is the first superior club opened in China after Taibei's. Cash Box (Qian Gui) as Shanghai's oldest, most renowned KTV has the largest scale. The branch in Fuxing Park is the best of all in the city.

One more highlight of nightlife in the city is the Portman Acrobatic Show, which will surely bring you a memorable experience.