Shanghai: Hotels for culture and history

Shanghai can be explored through a range of cultural and historical themes. The Bund focuses on the city’s early development and historical architecture; Yu Garden offers a different perspective through its tradition as a Chinese garden. Museums add further perspectives on arts and crafts and the city’s long history. When planning your trip, it helps to first choose the focus that interests you most.

The Bund: early urban development and historical architecture

The historic and cultural Bund was the setting for Shanghai’s earliest development. For more than 100 years, it has stood for the city’s development and prosperity. Its well-known historic buildings showcase a range of styles, including Baroque, Gothic, and ancient Greek architecture. If you want to explore Shanghai through its architectural history, you’ll find several architectural styles in one place.

The Bund’s cultural offerings also include several art museums and performance venues. This focus therefore combines historic buildings with other cultural themes. As you plan, you can consider whether architecture, a museum visit, or a performance is your priority.

Yu Garden: a traditional garden from the Ming dynasty

The expansive Yu Garden is a traditional Chinese garden in Huangpu District, next to the City God Temple. It is connected with the temple and the shopping centers at Yu Garden. This places the garden in the context of these nearby destinations, rather than treating it only as a sightseeing attraction in its own right.

Its origins also give Yu Garden a distinct historical perspective: it was originally laid out as a private garden during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644). This differs from the Bund’s historical connection to the city’s development. This gives you two distinct ways to choose your travel interests: the history of a garden and Shanghai’s early development.

Squares and museums: Shanghai’s history from different perspectives

People’s Square is a garden-style square that brings together culture, transport, and commerce. The Shanghai History Museum adds a broad historical perspective to this urban landmark: it tells the story of the modern metropolis from ancient times to the present. Its permanent exhibition displays more than 1,000 relics and presents 6,000 years of Shanghai’s history. The museum’s account therefore extends far beyond any single period of the city’s development.

The Shanghai History Museum is accessible via Metro Lines 1, 2, and 8 to People’s Square station. As metro services can change, check the route before traveling.

Arts and crafts at the Shanghai Museum of Arts and Crafts

The Shanghai Museum of Arts and Crafts in Xuhui District offers a different kind of museum experience. It is housed in a snow-white building in the French Renaissance Revival style. The museum preserves endangered traditional arts and crafts skills and showcases both tangible and intangible cultural heritage in this field. There are ten workshops on the third floor. If these are important to your visit, check the workshop visiting arrangements in advance.

Compared with the Shanghai History Museum, whose exhibition presents Shanghai’s history over millennia, the focus here is on traditional craft skills. The two museums therefore offer different themes for your plans: the city’s history on the one hand, and arts and crafts on the other.

Choose a hotel stay to suit your interests

When looking for a hotel in Shanghai, you can first decide which theme matters to your trip: historical architecture, garden culture, urban history, or arts and crafts. This helps you organize your sightseeing plans without combining all the destinations mentioned into a single itinerary.

When comparing specific hotel offers, compare the stated location with your planned focus. Also check the details of each offer if you want to compare particular accommodation features or conditions. This way, you can base your choice on the hotel information and your own interests.

For the broader travel overview: China.