Shanghai is really a city to enchant and inspire. Beautiful landmarks such as the Jade Buddha Temple and the Yuyuan Gardens attest to its significant place in Chinese cultural history as the city's vibrant, bustling energy demonstrates its viable share in the future. This matchless synthesis of old and new ensures something for everyone and makes Shanghai the perfect city break for the entire family.

If you're arriving from Shanghai's Pudong airport, make a fantastic entrance into the city via the world's fastest train, the Maglev, which runs from the airport to the Lujiazui Financial district. Kids will like how a train appears to "fly" over the bottom, forced upwards to the air by virtue of a powerful magnetic field. The lack of surface contact allows the train to reach incredible speeds: as much as 433 km per hour. Make sure to show your airport ticket if you have one; this grants you a small discount on the train ride.

A beautiful in addition to educational place to start your exploration of the city may be the Jade Buddha Temple. Though built relatively recently (between 1911 and 1918), the temple's upturned pagoda-like eaves and vivid red and yellow walls draw on centuries of Chinese architectural tradition. After admiring the colorful exterior, take a go through the treasures inside, the center-piece of which is the temple's namesake: a huge white jade Buddha, covered in jewels, measuring nearly 2 meters high and believed to weigh about one thousand kilograms.

After inspecting the cultural treasures within the temple, spend some time in the open air with a visit to the Yuyuan gardens. With its beautiful layout and harmonic blend of water, plants, zigzagging bridges, and dragon-lined walls, the gardens provide an unequaled introduction to the Ming Dynasty classical style. Lots of the buildings house cultural artifacts including centuries-old furniture, artwork and literature. Kids will relish the Exquisite Jade Rock, a 5-ton porous, translucent and oddly-shaped mineral. After wandering through the gardens, read the bazaar just outside and browse through traditional Chinese products and jewelry.

If you're tired after wandering through the gardens but nonetheless desperate to ingest the sights, consider a cruise on the Huangu River, the longest river that passes through Shanghai. You can pick from a number of cruises which run from 30 minutes to 3.5 hours. This is a good, relaxing solution to consume both historic and modern aspects of the city. You'll go by British colonial architecture on the city's historic east side (Bund) along with the futuristic skyline on the present day east side (Pudong).

After taking in the cultural sights of Shanghai, why don't you indulge in a bit of shopping? A great place to start is Xintiandi, a pedestrian zone shopping center built in restored shikumen, typically Shanghainese buildings which incorporate both Western and Chinese architectural styles. Along with the upscale shopping options, you can choose from an array of international restaurants -- even the pickiest eater will discover something to satisfy!

While it's still daylight, visit the very best of Jin Mao (literally "Golden Prosperity Building") tower to consume the spectacular sunset over Shanghai's skyline. At 88 floors high, it's only recently been eclipsed as the next tallest building in China.

End the day with a hammer by wowing the kids with the unforgettable spectacle of the Shanghai Acrobats. The jaw-dropping feats of strength and daring in conjunction with colorful costumes and props will keep everyone at the edge of their seats for the entire show.

With its historical landmarks and vibrant cultural scene, Shanghai educates as well as delights the entire family.