The 10 best spots in Shanghai for Instagrammers
With so many millennials taking pictures of their brunches and seemingly everyone having an Insta account these days (yes, your cat absolutely needs a separate one), thieving your fellow social media addicts' attention has never been more difficult. Whether it’s a clichéd sunset, a popular tourist spot, or a medium cappuccino on a wooden coffee table (#yawn), Instagrammers in Shanghai have mostly been there, done that. But fear not, for here is a shortlist of the top Instagram-worthy spots in the city that are sure to up your creative game and get you those life-affirming double taps.
Unique: 1933
Photo: juaauj
Visit this edgy British-built slaughterhouse-turned-deserted-shopping mall (1933 Old Millfun) before it becomes too cool. Filled with spiraling staircases, concrete walls and probably the ghosts of many a troubled swine, it doesn’t get much more eerie (or aesthetic) than this.
1933 Old Millfun 611 Liyang Lu.
Cosmopolitan: FLAIR
Photo: gluttonguides
If you can’t pass up a skyline photo, then FLAIR bar on the 58th floor of Pudong’s Ritz-Carlton is a great place to get that fancy Pearl Tower backdrop. With the bar’s sleek outdoor couches and beautiful clientele, you could spend an entire night snatching photos of this booze palace in the clouds.
FLAIR 58th Floor, Ritz-Carlton Pudong, 8 Century Dadao, near Lujiazui Ring Road.
Artsy: M50
Photo: tammymnt
Populated by Shanghai’s best-dressed hipsters, M50 was once an industrial warehouse but now hosts the city’s alternative art scene. From a colourful graffiti wall to works that are surprisingly risqué for China, the combination of art and the space itself makes this worth a few snaps.
M50 Art Space Building 6, Number 104, 50 Moganshan Lu.
Surreal: Thamestown
Photo: megega
There are few places in this world that will make you scratch your head and doubt the entire premise of your existence, but Thamestown is one of them. A semi-ghost city designed entirely to look and feel like a British town, Thamestown boasts that Insta-worthy trifecta of a cathedral, neatly trimmed bushes and Chinese couples on their wedding shoots.
Thamestown Wencheng Lu, near Yuhua Lu.
Tranquility: Jingan Park
Photo: laomiao1011
Whether it’s the eldelry couples dancing without a care on the tree-lined walkway, or the quiet pagoda besides a tiny lake, Jingan park is photogenic in every respect. With its mash of tourists and locals, it’s a wonderful place to capture vignettes of Shanghai life.
Jingan Park 1649 Nanjing Xi Lu, near Huashan Lu.
Foodie: Jia Jia Tangbao
Photo: pinnyppgroup
Because you can’t Instagram in Shanghai without at least one mouth-watering picture of a scorching soup dumpling.
Jia Jia Tangbao 90 Huanghe Lu, near Fengyang Lu.
Urban: Sinan Lu
Photo: tripontube
At the beating heart of the Former French Concession lays Sinan Lu, a beautiful Europeanised Street lined with Parisian trees, boutiques, cafés and restaurants.
Metro: Shaanxi Nan Lu.
Coffee Addict: SeeSaw Café
Photo: timeoutshanghai
Come here for the great coffee, yes, but keep in mind that’s only half the fun. Designed as an ultra-modern creative office space, you might just run into the next Mark Zuckerberg overdosing on caffeine in the corner. Also, those curves, though...
SeeSaw Café Jingan Design Centre, 433 Yuyuan Lu, near Wulumuqi Bei Lu.
Flora Lover: Shanghai Botanical Gardens
Photo: nicklas.h
Sure, it’s been done before, and you don’t mean to brag, but your close-up flower pictures are just a little bit better than everyone else’s.
Shanghai Botanical Garden 1111 Longwu Lu, near Baise Lu.
The Tourist: Nanjing Lu
Photo: kitotosetti
It’s filthy, over-crowded, overrated, and some guy on the street will definitely try and sell you a watch, but you can’t deny that seeing the flashing neon lights of Shanghai’s main street at night doesn’t make you beam like a small child.
Metro: Nanjing Xi Lu.