On the Huangpu, traffic never stops: barges loaded to the brim, tugboats, police launches, ocean-going ships. This is how Shanghai announces itself, by its river, well before the towers of Pudong pierce the haze. China's most populous city brings together in a single port call a century of European façades, scholars' gardens and a skyline that seems to be redrawn every decade. The challenge isn't finding something to do, but choosing, watch in hand, among a thousand temptations concentrated on a few square kilometres of riverbank.

Getting your bearings from the terminals

Most large ships dock at the Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal, in Baoshan District, about 23 km north of the urban core; allow about 40 minutes by car to the historic area, more at rush hour, and considerably more by public transit. Some smaller ships sail up the Huangpu to the North Bund terminal, just minutes from the main promenades. Checking your berth therefore changes your whole plan for the day; shuttles and organized excursions remain the safest option from Wusongkou.

The Bund, a century facing the future

The city's most famous promenade runs along the west bank of the river, lined by the stone façades of former banks and trading houses from the concession era. Across the water, Pudong lines up its towers of steel and glass, whose silhouettes are among the most photographed in Asia. The contrast between the two banks sums up the entire metropolis: on one side the trading-post past, on the other contemporary ambition. Early in the morning, residents come to practise tai chi among the old lampposts; in the evening, the illuminations turn the riverbanks into an open-air stage, and the crowd photographs the crowd in infectious good spirits. Taking the time to walk the full length of the waterfront remains the best introduction to the city's sheer scale.

Yu Garden and the old town

A short distance from the riverside promenade, Yu Garden unfolds its rockeries, carp ponds and upturned-roof pavilions, a cool refuge laid out in the Ming era. The zigzag galleries, designed according to tradition to lead evil spirits astray, lead from one courtyard to the next among ginkgos and peonies. All around, the old town bazaar teems with shops selling tea, silk and steamed dumplings: the line-up in front of the xiaolongbao vendors generally signals the right address, and the wait, often shared with neighbourhood families, is well worth it.

Planning a realistic day

1. From Wusongkou: excursion or shuttle to the heart of the city, the historic waterfront and Yu Garden, returning with a comfortable margin.
2. From the North Bund: everything can be done on foot or with short taxi rides, adding Nanjing Road or a museum.
3. In every case: keep time to wander aimlessly; Shanghai is to be experienced as much as visited.

A last look at the river

On departure, the ship heads back down the Huangpu between port cranes and new districts, and everyone takes stock of the scale of what they've just glimpsed. A port call reveals only a fragment of Shanghai, but what a fragment: from the concession façades to the dumpling lanes, the city sets its pace in just a few hours. Many travellers are already noting on deck the districts they'll explore next time. The metropolis on the Huangpu has that effect: it doesn't close journeys, it opens them.