The riverside Cool Docks consist of several shíkùmén (石库门, stone-gate houses) surrounded by red-brick warehouses, near (but not quite on) the waterfront. Full of restaurants and bars and all lit up at night, the Cool Docks' isolated positioning (it lacks the central location and transport connections of Xintiandi in the French Concession) has hobbled its ambitions. Although high-profile and trendy restaurant, bar and hotel openings have helped give it a much-needed lift, it remains an entertainment backwater.
Cool Docks
Shanghai Old City
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.94 MILES
With its shaded alcoves, glittering pools churning with fish, plus pavilions, pines sprouting wistfully from rockeries, and roving packs of Japanese…
1.56 MILES
Symbolic of concession-era Shanghai, the Bund was the city’s Wall Street, a place of feverish trading and fortunes made and lost. Originally a towpath for…
3.89 MILES
One of Shanghai’s few active Buddhist monasteries, this temple was built between 1918 and 1928. The highlight is a transcendent Buddha crafted from pure…
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Tianzifang and Xintiandi are based on a similar idea – an entertainment complex housed within a warren of lòngtáng (弄堂, alleyways). Unlike Xintiandi,…
1.87 MILES
With its own namesake metro station, Xintiandi has been a Shanghai icon for over a decade. An upmarket entertainment and shopping complex modelled on…
1.9 MILES
This must-see museum escorts you through the craft of millennia and the pages of Chinese history. It's home to one of the most impressive collections in…
3.93 MILES
Shanghai may be known for its glitz and glamour, but it's got an edgy subculture too. The industrial M50 art complex is one prime example, where galleries…
Nearby Shanghai Old City attractions
0.07 MILES
Life’s a beach, even in the middle of Shanghai. If the sun comes out, pop down to this small but amusing artificial strip of sand right by the river and…
0.36 MILES
Just outside Shanghai Old City and once known as St Francis Xavier Church, this magnificent whitewashed cathedral is Shanghai’s oldest church, built by…
0.89 MILES
Chinese towns traditionally had a Taoist temple of the town god, but many fell victim to periodic upheaval. Originally dating from the early 15th century,…
0.94 MILES
With its shaded alcoves, glittering pools churning with fish, plus pavilions, pines sprouting wistfully from rockeries, and roving packs of Japanese…
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Originally dating to 1917, this famous mosque is the main place of worship for Shanghai’s Muslims.
0.96 MILES
China’s tallest building dramatically twists skywards from its footing in Lujiazui. The 121-storey, 632m-tall, Gensler-designed Shanghai Tower topped out…
1.04 MILES
Designed by renowned Japanese architect Ando Tadao, the Aurora Museum is set over six floors of the Aurora building and houses a stunning collection of…
8. Shanghai World Financial Center
1.05 MILES
Although trumped by the adjacent Shanghai Tower as the city’s most stratospheric building, the awe-inspiring 492m-high Shanghai World Financial Center is…