Hotels near Nanjing Road

Nanjing Road has been the main commercial street of Shanghai since the 1850s and now carries close to a million visitors a day at peak periods. The eastern section between People's Square and the Bund is pedestrianised for 1.2 km, lined with department stores that date to the 1920s, neon signage stacked several storeys high, and a small tourist trolley that runs the length of it.

The western section beyond People's Square is a different street entirely - wider, less crowded and given over to luxury malls around Jing'an. For most visitors Nanjing East Road works best as the walking route between the Shanghai Museum and the Bund rather than as a shopping destination in its own right.

Pro Tip: Ignore anyone who approaches you in English offering a tea ceremony, an art student exhibition or a bar recommendation. Both scams operate heavily on this street and on the Bund approach, and the bill arrives at the end. A polite refusal without stopping ends it.