Shanghai is often seen as a modern city, but its storey begins thousands of years earlier.

This guided walking tour traces Shanghai’s development through time, starting from its ancient origins over 6,000 years ago, when early communities lived along river networks and wetlands shaped by the Yangtze Delta.

Your journey begins at the Shanghai History Museum, where you’ll gain a clear overview of the city’s prehistoric roots and natural geography. You’ll learn how early human settlements laid the foundation for what would later become one of China’s most important cities.

Next, visit Yuyuan and the Old City area, where Shanghai first became an officially recognised city. In 1292, during the Yuan Dynasty, Shanghai was established as a county. During the Ming Dynasty, city walls and urban planning transformed this area into Shanghai’s earliest urban core.

The tour then continues to the Bund, marking a dramatic turning point in Shanghai’s history. From the mid-19th century, the arrival of foreign concessions reshaped the city through new legal systems, trade networks, and global connections, turning Shanghai into an international port.

The journey concludes in Lujiazui, Shanghai’s modern financial district. Here, you’ll see how the city reinvented itself once again in the late 20th century, completing a transformation from ancient settlements to a global metropolis.

This tour is designed not just to show landmarks, but to help you understand how Shanghai became Shanghai—through geography, history, and constant change.