01 / Food
Follow your appetite.
Two generous food tours, from breakfast or lunch, rooted in Shanghai’s benbang cooking.
¥1,400 per person · Tastings included
Private Shanghai tours · With Edward Wu
Shanghai,
from the inside.
Private Shanghai tours with Edward Wu, a Chinese American artist, designer and local guide raised in Shanghai.
A little time. A closer look.
Three ways into Shanghai.
Food, history or architecture. Explore on foot, with time for questions.
02 / History
Follow the river.
Trade, migration and a city remade. A considered route from the Bund to the streets around Suzhou Creek.
¥2,300 for 2–4 guests · Three hours
03 / Architecture
Follow the details.
Explore the buildings, lanes and plane-tree streets around Wukang and Anfu roads.
¥2,300 for 2–4 guests · Three hours
Three-hour walks · Minimum two guests. History and architecture: ¥600 once for each guest beyond four.
04 / Shopping & fashion · Your time, your taste
Follow your eye.
Discover contemporary Chinese brands, or explore high-end custom suits and qipao on Maoming Road. Two ways to find something that feels like you.
¥1,000 per hour · For 2–4 guests · No minimum duration
Each guest beyond four: ¥600 once per visit.
Explore shopping & tailoringYour host, Edward Wu
A city I know. Many ways of seeing it.
I’m Edward Wu, a Chinese American guide, artist and designer. Born in New York to Shanghainese parents and raised in Shanghai, I share the city through family, language and a life between cultures.
I’m also an artist and performer, with a background in political economy and product design. I love the connections: how a street changes, why a garment feels right, and the stories a good meal brings out.
The detail is often the way into the bigger story.
- BA, Philosophy, Politics and Economics
- University of Pennsylvania
- Master's, Integrated Product Design
- University of Pennsylvania
- MA, Classical Acting for the Professional Theatre
- London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art (LAMDA) · 2022–2023
- English · Mandarin · Shanghainese
- Native English; fluent Mandarin and Shanghainese
Good places. Better questions.
Food, with a life around it
What makes breakfast quick enough for a commute and memorable enough to miss from abroad? We begin with what people actually eat.
History you can stand in
Look across a river, down a lane or up at a bank building. The places themselves give us a way to talk about trade, power and change.
Room for more than one view
Shanghai holds ambition, continuity and tradeoffs in the same street. I'll bring local knowledge and a political-economy perspective; bring your questions.
From a question to a walk
A good walk starts with a conversation.
Choose your curiosity
Food, history, architecture or shopping and design. Tell me what catches your eye.
Share your plans
Let me know your date, group size and anything that would make the walk more comfortable.
Confirm the details
Confirm availability, your total and the arrangements. Then receive the exact meeting point and practical notes.
A few things to notice
The latest field notes.
New stories about Shanghai’s food, streets, architecture and independent design.
In season · October 2026 · 3 minute read
Hairy-crab season: a Shanghai autumn worth making time for
Dazha xie, or hairy crab, in Shanghai's autumn: October 2026 harvest reporting, whole crab versus picked-meat dishes, and useful ordering questions.
Published
Read the note
Atelier profile · South Maoming Road · 2 minute read
Maya Tailor: a making tradition at 128 South Maoming Road
Meet Maya Tailor on South Maoming Road and discover Wang Xiurong's approach to making, fitting and caring for a garment over time.
Published
Read the note
On the street · 3 minute read
At Tongyili, what does preservation keep?
Tongyili offers a concrete way to distinguish retained urban layout, reconstructed buildings and changed uses. Reading a Shanghai lane redevelopment beyond its old-looking facade.
Published
Read the noteGood to know
A few things before we walk.
Clear routes, comfortable shoes and a little room for curiosity.
How do I arrange a walk?
Choose a walk or personal shopping and share your date, group size and interests. Availability, the total and arrangements are agreed before confirmation.
How much does a walk cost?
Choose RMB or USD. Food is ¥1,400 per person, minimum two, tastings included. History and architecture are ¥2,300 for three hours for a group of 2–4. Shopping is ¥1,000/hour for a group of 2–4, with no minimum duration. History, architecture and shopping add ¥600 once per guest beyond four. Your confirmation states the agreed currency and total.
Is there a minimum group size?
All experiences have a minimum of two guests. History, architecture and shopping include 2–4 guests at the published group rate. Each guest beyond four adds ¥600 once per visit; please discuss a larger group before confirming. Food is priced per person, with a minimum of two.
What about food allergies or dietary restrictions?
Please raise these before confirming a food walk. Pork, shellfish, wheat, soy and sesame are common, and shared kitchens may have cross-contact. We will check the proposed dishes and discuss whether a suitable plan is possible.
Shanghai with Edward Wu
What brings you to Shanghai?
Tell me what brings you here. Let's make time for the part of the city that interests you.
Plan with EdwardHave something else in mind, or want more time? Ask me about a custom experience.