Explorist: Lupu Bridge Climb

Since the opening of Shanghai Climb three years ago, those city residents and tourists without a crippling fear of heights have had an opportunity to gaze upon Shanghai from the top of the Lupu Bridge, which connects Luwan and Pudong districts over the Huangpu River.

We went to check it out this past weekend, and after a confused cab driver first tried to take us simply over the bridge, we found its base at the edge of Luban Road. We paid 80 RMB for the entrance ticket, checked in any bags that couldn't be worn over the shoulder (as a safety measure), and were escorted up an elevator to the main gate of the bridge.

Once we walked over to the actual arch, waving past Haibao on the way, we ascended 100 meters above the bridge, over 367 steps, until we reached the viewing platform at the top. The basketball-court-sized area provided an unobstructed view of the Shanghai skyline, and the buildings from People Square to Xujiahui to the Bund were all easily distinguishable. There weren't any safety precautions on the platform as far as we could tell, though there was a very smile-y bridge employee on deck to answer any bridge-related questions we could think of. Along the Pudong side, we also noticed a massive red pavilion and other funny-looking buildings under construction; we certainly have no idea what that's about.

So if you're tired of the same old Shanghai tourist views (we're not pointing fingers, but you know which ones we're talking about), try climbing the Lupu Bridge on a lazy afternoon to snap some pictures, enjoy the cool breeze, and take in a wider view of the city.

Photos by Edna Zhou