Description
Day 1: Century-Old Memories of Shanghai
Theme: A Time-Travel Journey from Classical Gardens to the Cloud Skyline
09:00 – 10:30 | Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center: Reading the Book of the City
We begin at the exhibition center known as the “Window of the City.” The building itself is a work of art, with a massive white steel structure on top resembling a blooming white magnolia.
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Scenic Highlights: Don’t miss the “City Master Plan Model” on the third floor, which is the world’s largest digital urban model. Through 5D interactive technology, you can witness firsthand how Shanghai evolved from a small fishing village into today’s international metropolis through a century of planning.
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Cultural Details: This is the best starting point to understand Shanghai’s “past and present life.” We recommend focusing on the “Humanistic City” exhibition area, which preserves many miniature scenes of old Shanghai’s Shikumen.
10:45 – 12:15 | Yu Garden: The “Crown of Southeast Gardens” from the Ming and Qing Dynasties
Next, we head to Yu Garden, originally built in the 38th year of the Jiajing era (1559). This private garden, with over 460 years of history, was built by the Ming Dynasty official Pan Yunduan as a retirement home for his parents.
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Architectural Features: The garden is famous for its exquisite brick, stone, and wood carvings. Be sure to see the iconic “Dragon Wall,” where the winding roof ridge is transformed into a lifelike giant dragon.
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Practical Tips: Walk across the “Nine-Turn Bridge.” In local culture, crossing this bridge helps dispel bad luck. The Mid-Lake Pavilion at the center of the pond is the best spot to photograph the panorama of Yu Garden.
12:15 – 13:45 | Yu Garden Bazaar & Signature Lunch (Arranged by us)
For lunch, we will arrange authentic Benbang (Shanghainese) cuisine at a century-old restaurant in the Yu Garden Bazaar.
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Recommended Dishes: Nanxiang Steamed Buns (thin skin and juicy), Sautéed Eel with Hot Oil (fresh and tender), and Braised Pork Belly.
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Cost Reference: This meal is included by us, with a standard of approximately 120 RMB per person.
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Local Experience: After the meal, you can browse the intangible cultural heritage shops in the bazaar and watch artisans making shadow puppets or paper cuttings.
14:00 – 14:30 | Huangpu River Ferry: The Most Local Way to Cross (Arranged by us)
After lunch, we won’t take the tunnel. Instead, we have arranged for you to take a public ferry. This is the most traditional commuting method for Shanghainese. For only 2 RMB (included), you can enjoy a close-up view of the Bund and Lujiazui architectural clusters in the river breeze.
14:45 – 16:30 | Shanghai Tower: A Perspective from Above the Clouds
Upon arriving in Pudong, we will ascend China’s tallest building—the Shanghai Tower.
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Architectural Highlights: The entire building has a spiral upward design, symbolizing the soaring of a Chinese dragon. You will ride the world’s fastest elevator at 73.8 km/h, reaching the 118th floor in 80 seconds.
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Activity Experience: At the 546-meter-high “Top of Shanghai,” you can send a postcard to your family from the “world’s highest post office” to commemorate this journey to the clouds.
16:45 – 17:45 | Oriental Pearl Tower (Exterior): Check-in at the City Landmark
Walk to the base of the Oriental Pearl Tower. This 468-meter structure consists of 11 spheres, with the designer skillfully incorporating the Tang Dynasty poetic imagery of “large and small pearls falling onto a jade plate.” Here, you can feel the ambition of Shanghai’s modernization in the 90s.
18:00 – 19:30 | The Bund: International Architecture Exhibition
The final stop is the west bank of the Huangpu River. This area brings together 52 buildings of various foreign styles, such as the Gothic Shanghai Club and the Baroque HSBC Building.
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Historical Background: This used to be the “Wall Street of the Orient” in old Shanghai.
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Practical Tips: 19:00 is when the Bund lights are turned on punctually. The brilliant golden glow at this time is perfect for photography.
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Dining Suggestions (Self-care): You may choose to dine at an exquisite Western restaurant near Waitanyuan or head to East Nanjing Road to find time-honored local snacks.
Accommodation: We will arrange for you to stay at a boutique hotel in central Shanghai (fixed location).
Day 2: Modern Life and Artistic Strolls
Theme: Immersive Experience of Haipai Life and Fashionable Art
09:00 – 10:30 | Starbucks Reserve Roastery: The Magic Factory of Coffee
After breakfast, start a sensory coffee journey. This roastery on West Nanjing Road is one of the world’s top retail showcases.
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Scenic Highlights: The massive copper cask in the center of the store is engraved with over 1000 traditional Chinese seals. You can see coffee beans traveling through copper pipes on the ceiling and hear the sound of them clashing.
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Experience Mode: You may choose to taste a “Whiskey Barrel-Aged Coffee” at your own expense and use the phone’s AR feature to explore the digital stories hidden behind the bar.
11:00 – 12:30 | Xintiandi: The Fashionable Pulse within Shikumen
Head to Xintiandi, a model of modern transformation of Shanghai’s unique “Shikumen” old buildings.
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Cultural Depth: Step into the “Open House Museum,” where you can see the furnishings of a typical 1930s old Shanghai family: gramophones and old-fashioned rotary dial phones.
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Life Details: Strolling here, you can observe the wonderful fusion of old brick walls with high-end dining brands, which is the best manifestation of the “all-embracing” Haipai culture.
12:45 – 14:15 | Smart Supermarket: Experience the Future of Consumption (Arranged by us)
Lunch is arranged at a smart retail supermarket (such as Freshippo).
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Dining Features: Seafood here is cooked fresh to order; Boston lobster or mantis shrimp are must-order items.
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Technical Interaction: Experience the fully automatic overhead conveyor system, watching orders slide past above your head. Payment is made through simple facial recognition.
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Cost Reference: This meal is included by us, with a standard of approximately 150 RMB per person.
14:30 – 16:30 | M50 Art District: Industrial Heritage and Artistic Sparks
Finally, we head to the M50 Art District by the Suzhou Creek. This was originally the Shanghai Chunming Roving Mill.
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Architectural Highlights: A large number of industrial buildings from the 1930s to the 1990s are preserved here, full of historical beauty.
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Activity Experience: You can freely shuttle through various avant-garde galleries and artist studios. The walls are covered with graffiti, making it Shanghai’s most famous street photography spot. You can communicate with local artists or even take home a unique piece of work.
16:45 – 17:30 | Optional Activity: Maglev Train (Optional project)
If your return trip is from Pudong Airport, you may choose to head to Longyang Road Station to ride the Maglev.
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Practical Information: Reaching speeds up to 430 km/h, it covers 30 kilometers in just 8 minutes.
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Cost Reference: 50 RMB for a single trip (show your flight ticket or itinerary for the day to purchase for 40 RMB).
Dining Arrangements:
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Breakfast: Arranged by us (Hotel included).
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Lunch: Arranged by us (Smart supermarket fresh seafood lunch).
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Dinner: At your own expense.
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Urumqi — Practical Information
Tickets & Booking
- Tianshan Tianchi (Heavenly Lake): Tickets: peak season (Apr 1–Oct 31) CNY 95 per person; winter/spring (Nov 1–Mar 31 of the following year) CNY 45 per person; shuttle bus: CNY 60 round trip (same price in peak and winter/spring seasons). Half-price tickets: peak CNY 47.5, off-peak CNY 22.5 (seniors 60–64, children over 1.3 m and minors under 18, full-time undergraduate students and below). Free admission: children aged 6 and below or 1.3 m and below, and seniors aged 65 and above.; advance booking required (Tianshan Tianchi scenic area official channels (WeChat account/mini-program), OTA (Ctrip/Tongcheng and others with timed reservation))[src]
Transport & Schedules
- Urumqi → Turpan (Turpan North station) | EMU/intercity (C/D trains): Intercity/EMU trains such as C4362: Urumqi–Turpan North about 1 h 17 min–1 h 18 min, second class about CNY 44–51.5; e.g., D8808 departs 13:45 and arrives 14:46 (1 h 1 min), second class CNY[src]
- Urumqi → Kashgar | Direct express (all-sleeper): Z6516/Z6517 is an all-sleeper direct express: departs Urumqi 20:40 and arrives Kashgar 08:10 the next day, 1453 km total, 11 h 30 min running time, no intermediate stops, overnight; hard sle[src]
- Urumqi → Altay/Beitun (toward Kanas) | Conventional night train (K/Y series): K9735 (departs Urumqi 17:36, arrives Altay 07:00 the next day), K6709 (departs 22:06, arrives 08:38 the next day), Y995 (departs 23:40, arrives 09:08 the next day); hard sleeper about CNY 18[src]
Where to Stay · Room Type · Nearby
- City center/near the Grand Bazaar (Tianshan district) | Room tip: As the hub for entering Xinjiang and the transfer point for north and south Xinjiang, suitable for the first 1–2 nights | Nearby add-ons: Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar, Erdaoqiao, Lingguan Lane, Hetian Second Street, Shaanxi Great Mosque, Xinjian[src]
- Around the museum/Youhao Road (Shayibak district) | Room tip: Near the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Museum (No. 581 Xibei Road), convenient for a museum itinerary | Nearby add-ons: Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Museum, Hongshan Park, People’s Park[src]
Typical Climate & Packing (Past Years)
- January: -15.1–-5.3 °C, 1991–2021 average (climate-data.org); urban station figures differ s
- February: -11.5–-1.7 °C
- March: -4.9–7.5 °C
- April: 2.2–15.9 °C
- May: 8.9–21.5 °C
- June: 14.8–26.5 °C
