6 Shanghai Must-Visit Places in January

Yu Garden is considered a must visit place in Shanghai in January to experience the traditional Chinese New Year. Thousands of tourists are attracted by its Lantern Show held around the festival. The colorful lanterns decorate every pillar, roof, corridor and banister in the Yu Garden. And the lanterns are designed in various shapes such as peach, peony, lotus, golden ingot, mandarin duck and goose. Of course, the most conspicuous lantern must be in the shape of the Zodiac Animal of the coming year. Besides, some exquisite lanterns copy those in the Sui (581-618), Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) Dynasties. And some are inspired by Chinese poems and fables.

In addition, tourists can try guessing lantern riddles, and enjoy folk performances. The cute mascot in the parade may randomly give away red packets to tourists.

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Adjacent to the Yu Garden, the Old City God Temple is also one of the must go places in Shanghai in January, where one can see the Lantern Show. Besides Apart from the festooned lanterns and the various performances, most people choose to have a feast at the time-cherished restaurants here. The steamed buns, chicken porridge, vegetable dumplings and the Chinese rice pudding are all worth trying. If you are traveling with kids, you can buy them some traditional snacks such as the white rabbit creamy candy, pear syrup candy and the spiced beans. At this must visit place in Shanghai in January, tourists can also buy many red ornaments specially prepared for the New Year such as the Chinese Knot and the Spring Couplets . If you’re lucky, you may come across the stall where tourists are given the Fu character, which stands for happiness, for free.

In January, the Urban Planning Exhibition Hall is one of the Shanghai must visit attractions to escape the winter coldness. Here, tourists can feast their eyes on the models of Shanghai's landmarks. A visit there includes the Oriental Pearl Tower, Jinmao Tower and many viaduct bridges. Besides, many photos, videos and materials here tell you how Shanghai evolved from a fishing village to a modern metropolis. An exciting program here is to wear special glasses and enjoy the virtual urban landscape.

Nevertheless, it is the miniature which takes up more than half of the F3 that makes this hall a must go place in Shanghai. This miniature is the panorama of the Shanghai downtown on the scale of 1:500. If you overlook it on the F4, the scene is truly impressive.

If you’re curious about how Shanghai looked like in the 1930s, then go down to B1. The corridor on this floor is lined with the buildings from that time. Shikumen Residence, old-style kitchen stove and the teahouse are well worth visiting.

In Shanghai, one must go sightseeing at the World Financial Center. Take the high speed elevator at B2, and you can reach the F94 within only 66 seconds at the speed of 8m (26ft) per second. On F94, tourists can enjoy the bird’s eye view of the Huangpu River, have a cup of coffee and buy souvenirs. Once you go upstairs to the 439m (1,440ft) on F97, the beautiful glass ceiling will draw your attention. If weather permits, the ceiling will retract and tourists will feel like walking in the cloud. If you want a more thrilling experience, walk the transparent corridor on F100 at the height of 474m (1,555ft). In the daytime, you can look down on the hustle and bustle on the street far below. In the evening, the night view of the Bund in the glittering neon light is unforgettable.

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Every winter, this nature reserve, east to the Chongming Island, is the most visited place in Shanghai for migratory birds from Siberia. Also, it is an ideal place for aquatic birds to survive the coldness. If you visit it in January, various species of birds are ready to greet you. Common ones are the wild ducks, seagulls, egrets, finches, white stork, black storks and sea eagles. You’d better observe the birds in the morning, because at this same time, the sunrise above the reeds can be fully enjoyed.

The best way to beat the winter coldness is to bathe in the hot spring. When visiting Shanghai in January, you may consider the Sun Island Resort which is located inside the Zhujiajiao Water Town. This resort is famous for the natural hot spring, in which the mineral substances can help to moisturize your skin, ease your fatigue and improve your immunity from disease. In addition, various amenities here can meet your wish to go golfing, karting, shooting arrows, go fishing, or making potteries.