Safest Neighbourhoods in Shanghai (and Areas to Avoid)
Areas — the Bund, Pudong, French Concession
Recommended for visitors: The Bund (waterfront historic, photogenic), Pudong (modern skyscrapers — Oriental Pearl, Shanghai Tower, Jin Mao), former French Concession (tree-lined streets, gentrified, restaurants), Xintiandi (Shikumen-house gentrified retail), People's Square / Nanjing East Road (the central tourist anchor), Yu Garden / Old Town.
Lively, modern: Jing'an (CBD), Xuhui.
There are no specific "no-go" zones for tourists in Shanghai. Even the older industrial outer areas are calm and policed.
Photography rules: don't photograph government buildings, military, police, security checkpoints, or maps in metro stations. Cameras have been confiscated and tourists detained briefly. Standard tourist photography (Bund, Pudong skyline, food) is fully fine.
Neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood breakdown
- The Bund (Huangpu District) — the historic waterfront promenade, Pudong skyline view across the river, the Peace Hotel, Bund 18. Heavily walked, very safe, lovely at sunrise and after dark when the skyscrapers light up.
- Pudong (Lujiazui) — across the river, modern skyscraper financial district, the Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai Tower (the world's second-tallest), Jin Mao Tower. Polished and very safe.
- Former French Concession (Xuhui / Luwan) — tree-lined streets south-west of People's Square, gentrified Art Deco mansions, café and restaurant culture, the best evening strolls. Wukang Road and Anfu Road are the famous Instagram strips. Very safe.
- Xintiandi (Huangpu) — gentrified Shikumen historic-house retail district, restaurants and boutique shopping. Polished, very safe.
- People's Square / Nanjing East Road (Huangpu) — the central tourist anchor, the museum complex, the pedestrian shopping street, the Park Hotel. Heavily walked, very safe; the only place in Shanghai where you'll occasionally encounter "art student" scam touts (decline politely).
- Yu Garden / Old Town (Huangpu) — the historic Chinese garden and surrounding Old Town shopping bazaar. Crowded and tourist-priced, very safe. The dumpling restaurants here have queues — Nanxiang Mantou Dian is the famous one.
- Jing'an — CBD west of the centre, Jing'an Temple, Plaza 66 mall. Very safe, polished.
- Tianzifang (Xuhui) — small boutique-and-cafe maze of converted lane houses in the French Concession. Touristy, very safe.
- M50 (Putuo) — the contemporary art warehouse district. Day-trip destination, very safe.
Live Shanghai safety score (updates daily) →