Best time to visit
When the light is right
April to May and October to November are the most comfortable months, mild and generally clear. Summer is hot and humid, with heavy rain in June and early July.
China · Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai’s Minhang forest of Ming and Qing houses: relocated antique villas when China should feel like camphor shade, not only Pudong skyline.
Now in Shanghai
From Choose a departure city Approx. flying time, non-stop equivalent
China · Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai moves fast: the Bund, the towers of Pudong, the plane trees of the former French Concession, and some of the best museums and restaurants in Asia. The art is to enjoy it in measured doses, with somewhere quiet to come back to, and in spring and autumn the city is at its most walkable.
Our stay here is Amanyangyun, in Minhang on the edge of the city. Ancient camphor trees, rescued from a reservoir project in Jiangxi, were replanted here alongside Ming and Qing dynasty houses moved timber by timber, and the result is a forest of antique villas and suites with a large spa and a calendar of calligraphy, tea and traditional arts.
Amanyangyun suits travelers who want Shanghai’s culture without sleeping in its traffic, families who want the space of a villa, and returning visitors who know the city. It is part of our City Houses collection. Amanfayun in Hangzhou is about an hour away by high-speed train and makes a natural second stay; Lijiang in Yunnan adds the mountains.
For the wider journey through China, with the seasons, the routes between stays and every house we keep there, see our China country guide.
Why visit
A reason to make the journey.
- History moved and restored Ming and Qing dynasty houses rebuilt among ancient camphor trees.
- The city as an outing The Bund, the museums of the West Bund and the old lanes when you want them.
- A gateway to eastern China Hangzhou and the water towns of the Yangtze delta a short journey away.
Featured properties
Stays we would choose here
Houses we know by name, the ones we would open for this landscape.
Shanghai, China
Amanyangyun
Aman’s Shanghai forest of relocated antique houses: Ming and Qing villa courtyards among camphors in Minhang, with contemporary suites and deep spa quiet within reach of the city.
Jian Ye Li · Xuhui District, Shanghai, China
Capella Shanghai, Jian Ye Li
Shanghai's only all-villa urban hotel: 55 restored 1930s Shikumen villas in Xuhui District, with le Comptoir de Pierre Gagnaire and Auriga Spa.
The house
In stills
A first reading of the stay: rooms, light, and the quiet between them. Each still is a note, not a catalogue.
When and how
Light, season, and the arrival
Each season keeps its own calendar. We plan the transfer around it.
Seasonality
When to go
Golden Week in early October and the Lunar New Year are the busiest periods in China, so we plan around them or reserve early. Winter is cold and grey, but the city is quieter and the spa comes into its own.
Airport / logistics
Arriving without hurry
Shanghai has two airports. Hongqiao (SHA) is about thirty to forty minutes from Amanyangyun and Pudong (PVG), where most long-haul flights arrive, about an hour. Hongqiao railway station has frequent high-speed trains to Hangzhou in about an hour.
Month by month
The best months for Shanghai
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Quiet
- Rainfall
Seasons follow the notes above. Average daily high and monthly rainfall for 2015 to 2024 from ERA5 reanalysis, via Open-Meteo.
Luxury experiences
Hours we would keep
- The Bund and Pudong An evening walk along the river, with dinner looking across to the towers.
- Zhujiajiao Canals, stone bridges and old houses in the water town to the west of the city.
- Tea and calligraphy Quiet hours with the house’s masters of tea, incense and brush.
Traveler questions
Before your Shanghai week
- How far is Amanyangyun from central Shanghai? About an hour by car from the Bund, depending on traffic.
- Can we combine Shanghai and Hangzhou? Yes. High-speed trains from Hongqiao reach Hangzhou in about an hour, so Amanfayun makes a natural second stay.
- When should we avoid travelling? Golden Week in early October and the Lunar New Year are the busiest periods in China, so we plan around them.
Ways of traveling
Open the collection
Begin with the collection that holds these houses and shores.
Related destinations
Other destinations we return to
Landscapes that sit well beside this one.
Destination
Hangzhou
Hangzhou’s tea-village valleys near West Lake: stone paths and monastic quiet when China should feel like mist, temples, and village rooms.
Destination
Lijiang
Lijiang’s Jade Dragon Snow Mountain horizon: Yunnan Naxi country when China should feel like altitude light, old town lanes, and courtyard quiet.
Plan My Trip
Begin with a conversation.
Tell us the season, the company, and the feeling you want to keep. We will write back with a considered path, not a link to a search.
Write to an advisor