Distance 13 miles
Bike time 4 hours
Difficulty Hard – watch out for occasional traffic
Route Suzhou Creek bridge, Hongkou's Jewish area, Yangpu Park, Heping Park, Hongkou Swimming Pool and Football Stadium
Highlight Hongkou's Jewish settlement, parks and swimming pool
From the Suzhou Creek bridge, head north and bear right on Dong Changzhi Lu. Head east along Dong Changzhi Lu, looking out for the Shanghai Seaman's Hospital at number 505, a stunning building that looks like a gothic castle. Keep going and you'll pass the ugly futuristic ferry terminal on the right at Xinjian Lu. Then Dong Changzhi Lu becomes Changyang Lu – the fascinating Shanghai Jewish Refugee Museum is at number 62.
You'll then pass Zhoushan Lu, made up of houses built by Jews when the area was a Jewish settlement during the war, and then the Tilanqiao Prison at number 147, which was once the largest prison in the world.
Carry on up Changyang Lu, and after Liaoyang Lu you'll see the enormous and modern Shanghai Tobacco Monopoly Bureau on the left, a testament to the world’s biggest smoking population, shortly followed by the China Tobacco Museum at number 728 on the right (6166 5907; open 9am-4pm Tue, Thur, Sat or by appointment; free but ID required).
Continue forward and fork right around the diversion, continuing on Changyang Lu. If you want to cool off, the Jiangpu Park after the Jiangpu Lu crossroads has a series of fountains in which you can get wet. Keep going, passing Ningguo Lu, until you get to Shuangyang Lu and turn left. Head north until you get to Yangpu Park. After the park, turn left on the large but leafy Kongjiang Lu. Fork right onto Dalian Lu when you get to Heping Park.
Turn right onto Miyun Lu, then left onto the bustling Yuxian Lu, and then left again onto Dongtiyuhui Lu. Turn left onto Baoshan Lu where, just before the Hongkou Stadium on the left, you’ll find the excellent outdoor Hongkou Swimming Pool (5696 0676; open 9am-9pm daily; entry 35RMB plus 6RMB medical; swimming hat required), complete with a large semi-covered pool and flumes (the straight green one’s the most fun).
Head south down Baoshan Lu, which turns into Henan Nan Lu, until you get to Suzhou Creek and can head left along Bei Suzhou Lu to where you started.
