Shanghai becomes new weekend getaway for Korean travelers

A Korean couple walks along Wukang Road in Shanghai, China, Aug. 26. The tree-lined street features historic, European-style architecture and local shops and boutique cafes. Korea Times photo by Lee Hae-rin

SHANGHAI — Koreans have dubbed it the “night owl getaway” — a weekend city of shimmering towers, acclaimed cuisine and a vibrant urban energy found nowhere else.

In recent months, Shanghai has surpassed Tokyo and Hong Kong as the destination of choice for a new generation of Korean travelers, driven by China’s visa-free entry through 2025 and a rising appetite for its cuisine and urban life.

According to government statistics, Shanghai welcomed 4.16 million international visitors through mid-August, marking a nearly 38 percent increase amid a strong rebound in inbound travel. Koreans accounted for 423,000 arrivals, a surge of 130.7 percent from last year, making them the city’s largest foreign visitors. Roughly 1 in 4 flights from Korean airports to China now land in Shanghai.

The surge comes after China announced in November 2024 that Korean travelers can visit for up to 30 days without a visa. Online travel platform Klook reported reservations for Shanghai tours went up by 88 percent, day tours up 549 percent and mobility services up 538 percent during this summer holiday season, especially among solo travelers. Hotels.com said searches by Koreans for accommodation in Shanghai soared 240 percent year-on-year for the upcoming Chuseok holiday, far outpacing traditional favorites.

For many Koreans, Shanghai holds deep historical significance. It served as the headquarters of the Korean independence movement from 1919 and was home to the Korean Provisional Government during Japan's colonial occupation from 1910 to 1945, making it a powerful site of national memory that still resonates with visitors today.

The city’s photogenic skyline, marked by striking European architecture, riverside promenades, and a living museum of urban modernity, has recently been trending on Korean social media. Local travel guide Song Hao, who leads walking tours through the city’s storied districts, said Shanghai’s character is uniquely shaped by its history, showing that its international flair is no accident.

“Walking with me, you will see how Shanghai has developed,” Song said during a recent tour. “The Chinese government leased the land to foreigners, giving them extraterritorial rights. This began in 1845 and lasted almost a hundred years. The English, Americans and French each had their own concessions. That’s why the architecture is so eclectic and photogenic — every building has a story from this era.”

Wukang Mansion, Shanghai’s iconic ship-shaped landmark, stands at the heart of the historic and vibrant Wukang Road in Shanghai, China, Aug. 26. Korea Times photo by Lee Hae-rin

The iconic Wukang Mansion in the former French Concession, a neighborhood now famous for its retro brick buildings, elegant tree-lined streets and buzzing café culture, is a prime example of the city’s cosmopolitan reputation.

Wukang Mansion, originally known as the Normandie Apartments, was completed in 1924 and designed by Hungarian-Slovak architect Laszlo Hudec in the heart of Shanghai’s former French Concession. Built to house employees of Western companies, its ship-like form and French Renaissance style have made the building an architectural landmark, distinguished by its iconic wedge-shaped facade.

Wukang Road’s charm captivated Korean travelers with its blend of historic elegance and hip urban energy, showcased by a lively strip of local coffee shops and European-style bakeries. These artisanal coffee shops serve not only excellent coffee but also beautifully crafted, Instagram-worthy drinks, making the neighborhood a hotspot for social media-savvy visitors worldwide, Song explained.

The district’s vibrant coffee culture is part of a much wider phenomenon. Shanghai now leads the world in the number of coffee shops, boasting 9,115 cafes as of May 2025, and surpassing every other city in both shop density and consumer enthusiasm.

The Bund, or Wai Tan, is Shanghai’s grand riverside promenade, where the city’s story comes alive in its architecture and skyline — a favorite location for Korean travelers seeking photos for social media.

The Bund’s historic buildings glow under night lights, drawing evening crowds to Shanghai’s iconic riverside promenade, Aug. 26. Korea Times photo by Lee Hae-rin

Following the 1842 Treaty of Nanking, foreign banks, trading houses and consulates from nations including Britain, France and the United States emerged along the waterfront, leading the construction of a string of neoclassical, Beaux-Arts, baroque and Art Deco buildings that collectively became known as the “billion-dollar skyline.”

Michelle Qiao, a renowned architecture columnist and author, describes the Bund as “not only China’s largest modern western architectural congregation, but also the largest in the Far East Asia.”

During its golden era in the 1920s and 1930s, the Bund solidified its position as a major financial center of East Asia, drawing cosmopolitan residents and international investment. Despite periods of decline during World War II and the early communist era, renewed preservation efforts starting in the late 20th century brought new life and recognition to the area, establishing the architectural corridor as both a protected historic district and Shanghai’s most celebrated tourist attraction today.

“You experience both 1920s Shanghai and the 21st century from here,” she said, pointing at both old European buildings of the Bund and the soaring skyscrapers of Pudong across the river during a guided tour at the Bund.

These iconic buildings, lit up at sunset, offer visitors a visual journey through the city’s layered history and global connections, she explained.

Pudong’s nighttime skyline is reflected in the Huangpu River from the Bund in Shanghai, China, Aug. 26. Korea Times photo by Lee Hae-rin

In her book, “Shanghai Bund Architecture,” she wrote, “Diplomats, missionaries, businessmen, architects and writers, etc, they came to the Bund with ambitions or dreams and together they turned the mud land into a billion-dollar skyline. American writer Emily Hahn wrote in her biography that ‘Shanghai is always changing.’ And I believe what has kept Shanghai always changing since 1843 has never changed. Our city is still a container of a lot of dreams and desires.”

Diners enjoy Cantonese cuisine and panoramic city views at Canton Table in Shanghai, China, Aug. 26. Korea Times photo by Lee Hae-rin

Paired with its architectural spectacle, Shanghai’s vibrant culinary scene is central to the city’s appeal for young Koreans. Many, having cultivated a taste for Chinese dishes such as xiaolongbao (steamed dumplings) and spicy mala hotpot at home, eagerly seek out the city’s standout restaurants during their visits.

In response, local eateries have recruited Korean-speaking staff, added Korean-language signs and tailored services to accommodate the surge in Korean customers. Korean social platforms now abound with posts ranking Shanghai’s must-eat spots, guiding travelers to Asia’s newest culinary hotbed.

An afternoon tea set inspired by Chinese traditional lunch box is served at Salon de Ville in Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund, Shanghai, China, Aug. 26. Korea Times photo by Lee Hae-rin

Shanghai’s appeal is further fueled by its mobile-friendly infrastructure and state-of-the-art shopping experiences.

Online travel reviews frequently praise Shanghai’s ability to handle cashless transactions with near-universal acceptance of Alipay and WeChat Pay, even for foreign visitors using international credit cards or mobile payment apps.

Many Korean travelers have praised the freedom and convenience of using QR codes for everything from subway rides and museum entry to café purchases and luxury shopping, removing the barriers and stress often found in less digitized destinations.

Shanghai’s friendliness toward foreigners also stands out in the local experience. Korean travelers have reported positive interactions with locals in Shanghai online, noting the city’s openness, friendliness and accommodating services.

“Many say Shanghainese are somewhat arrogant and aloof, but I think we are confident,” Song said, explaining that the city’s ability to learn and adapt, while keeping its own values, has created an elegant international atmosphere.