Huangpu River Cruise

Shanghai is a city of two halves, separated by the majestic Huangpu River, a mighty tributary of the Yangtze River which carves through the centre of this great metropolis, draining into the East China Sea. The River's importance to the city is so great that the west part of the city is called 'Puxi', meaning 'west of the Huangpu River'; and the east part of the city is called 'Pudong', meaning 'east of the Huangpu River'.

No place in Shanghai can you see the contrasts of the city,than on the banks of the Huangpu River. Lying on the Puxi banks is the Bund, a vision of Shanghai's colonial past, lined with 1920s architecture not dissimilar to legation and embassy buildings in London or Paris. On the Pudong side, we catch a glimpse of the China of the future, towering neon skyscrapers reaching for the sky; this is a financial centre steering the booming economy forward.

There is no better way to see this juxtaposition of eras than by taking a cruise on the Huangpu River. At night, the dazzling colours and lights from Pudong shine bright onto the elegance of the Bund and pass under two of Shanghai's majestic bridges, Nanpu and Yangpu. Calmly cruising down this river is almost like attending a history lesson on this fantastic city; with every bend of the river coming a new sight, a new glimpse into Shanghai's ever bigger future.