Best Shanghai holiday apartments

For a truly evocative Oriental experience there is not much to beat Shanghai. Once known as the Paris of the East, this is a city in which the colonial past rubs shoulders with traditional Chinese culture. The streets are filled with colour and contrasts – futuristic skyscrapers soar above historic timbered tea houses, business people mingle with street traders and locals practice ancient rituals in quiet tree-lined parks. Renting a holiday apartment in Shanghai through 9flats lets you become part of this vibrant city, the most populated place in the world and easily one of the most fascinating. It is a popular tourist destination but with 9flats you don’t have to follow the crowds – you get your own private accommodation and live among the real people of the city.

See the Orient up close with a Shanghai holiday apartment

9flats takes the concept of couchsurfing in Shanghai to a whole new level. You get the same feeling of being involved in the city, living side by side with the locals, without the inconvenience of sharing. It’s a great way to experience Oriental culture, not just in China but in the many other eastern destinations where 9flats offers accommodation – such as holiday apartments in Taipei City and vacation homes in Tokyo. Choosing a holiday apartment in Shanghai opens the doors to an authentic Chinese experience in a city renowned the world over for its architecture, shopping and restaurants which serve what is said to be the best food in the country.

East meets West with a holiday flat in Shanghai

Renting a holiday flat in China’s biggest city puts you at the heart of a unique mix of architectural styles that are a legacy of the days when this was the financial centre of Asia. The buildings left behind by Western banks and businesses along the strip known as The Bund represent one of the best collections of Art Deco buildings in the world. This fusion of East and West can be seen all over the city – there are English tudor-style buildings alongside traditional shikumen houses, grand Parisian mansions and even 1930s office blocks that look as if they have come straight out of Chicago. While staying in your vacation home in Shanghai don’t miss a visit to Nanshi, the old town, which is a bustling place of narrow lanes, market stalls and eateries.

Shop until you can shop no more

Another must-see is the Nanjing Road, an incredible mix of glossy boutiques and traditional stores where people shop until their arms can carry no more. And if it all gets a bit much head for the promenade along the Huangpu River where locals go to relax, work on their Tai Chi and chat to foreigners. If you’re exploring the country further you might want to try some of the other holiday accommodation in China available from 9flats. There is a huge range of holiday flats in Hong Kong and Beijing vacation homes to choose from to ensure your trip goes exactly the way you intended it to.