1933

29 Shajing Lu, near Haining Lu
21/6501-1933,
www.1933-shanghai.com [1]

HOURS: Daily 8:30 a.m.-10 p.m.

COST: Free

METRO: Hailun Road (Line 4, Line 10)

Just half an hour on foot or five minutes by taxi from the Bund is one of Shanghai’s most intriguing buildings. Now redeveloped into a lifestyle venue full of cafés, restaurants, and boutiques, the 1933 complex started life as Asia’s biggest slaughterhouse, designed by British architect C. H. Stableford.

Built in Bauhaus style from pale concrete, the structure consists of a circular central hub joined to a square outer wall by a series of open-air bridges. It’s like walking around an M. C. Escher drawing. Spend some time wandering along the walkways originally designed for directing cattle and browse contemporary craft boutiques.

There’s a small but decent selection of restaurants, including the ever-popular and reasonably priced Noodle Bull.

1933 is relatively quiet even on weekends, so it’s great for escaping the Bund crush. Tip: Many taxi drivers don’t know Shajing Lu, so ask them to take you to the Jiulong Binguan, which is right next door to 1933.