The Atlas Obscura Guide To Shanghai

27 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Shanghai, China

Updated August 31, 2023

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Unusual Attractions in Shanghai

The Bund Sightseeing Tunnel

Shanghai, China

Bund Sightseeing Tunnel

This psychedelic tourist trap is a leisurely descent into madness.

Shanghai, China

Shanghai's 1933 Slaughterhouse

Rivers of cattle blood gone, a strange Escheresque building remains, the last of its kind.

Posters with a distincy

Shanghai, China

Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Centre

An collection of Chinese propaganda posters from 1949 to 1979.

European architechture mixes with traditional Chinese iconography throughout the area.

Shanghai, China

Shanghai French Concession

An out-of-place slice of France, smack in the middle of Shanghai.

Shanghai, China

Shanghai Circus World

China's most famous acrobatics act.

Shanghai, China

Shanghai Marriage Market

A son-and-daughter meat market, hawked by mom and dad.

Scale model of Shanghai, including buildings expected to be built by 2020

Shanghai, China

Scale Model of Shanghai

A giant scale model giving a sneak peek at what urban planners see for Shanghai by 2020.

M50 Art District

Shanghai, China

M50 Art District

This former textile district now is now a thriving center for contemporary Chinese art.

See All 27 Things To Do in Shanghai

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Shanghai

Shanghai, China

Peace Hotel Jazz Bar

This bar is home to what's likely the oldest living jazz band in the world.

Looking down one of the supermarket's aisles

Shanghai, China

Shanghart Supermarket

This supermarket in Shanghai appears to be a typical Chinese convenience store, but all of the bottles are empty and all the containers are filled with nothing but air.

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History & Culture 6

Museums And Collections 5

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Stories About Shanghai

Zheng Pingru was about 19 years old when she was recruited to spy on the Japanese forces that occupied Shanghai at the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War.

A Socialite’s Plot to Assassinate a Corrupt Official in Occupied Shanghai

Zheng Pingru’s scheme involved a fabulous fur coat and ended in tragedy.

The Fiedler family poses in front of their home on Tongshan Road.

The Hidden History of Shanghai's Jewish Quarter

As Hitler rose to power, the city welcomed refugees.

by Courtney Lichterman

Shanghai's Daring 'Rooftoppers' Are Taking Urban Exploration to New Heights

But a local crackdown on building access is making expeditions more difficult.

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