Wellness & Retreats in Shanghai

The Aman Spa at Amanyangyun is one of Asia's most extraordinary wellness destinations, set within an ancient camphor forest with facilities that blend traditional Chinese medicine with contemporary spa design. Treatments draw on 2,000 years of TCM wisdom — acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, and herbal steam — in private pavilions surrounded by centuries-old trees. The morning tai chi sessions on the ancient stone courtyard are transcendent.

Shanghai's most famous Buddhist temple opens its meditation halls to the public for regular sessions that blend Chan (Chinese Zen) meditation with dharma teachings. Weekend retreats include guided sitting meditation, walking meditation in the temple gardens, and communal vegetarian meals prepared in the temple kitchen. The experience offers rare stillness in the heart of one of the world's busiest cities.

Y+ is Shanghai's premium yoga destination, occupying a beautifully converted French Concession warehouse with soaring ceilings and natural light flooding through industrial windows. The schedule spans Ashtanga, vinyasa, yin, Pilates, and meditation, taught by a faculty of international and Chinese instructors. Their 200-hour teacher training program has become the gold standard for yoga education in China.

CHI, The Spa at Shangri-La draws on the five elements of Traditional Chinese Medicine to create holistic treatment journeys that address mind, body, and spirit. The Pudong location, with its views of the Huangpu River, provides a sanctuary atmosphere rare in Shanghai's business district. Signature treatments include jade stone therapy and meridian-balancing massages using plant-based oils.

Every morning before dawn, dozens of Shanghai residents gather in Fuxing Park for tai chi and qigong practice — a tradition that has continued unbroken since the park opened in 1909. Visitors are welcome to join the free public sessions or arrange guided instruction with English-speaking masters. The slow, meditative movements under century-old plane trees, with the French Concession waking up around you, is quintessential Shanghai wellness.

Shanghai's oldest temple (dating to 242 AD) offers wellness programs that connect modern seekers with 1,800 years of Buddhist practice. Weekend retreats include meditation, sutra copying, calligraphy workshops, and traditional tea ceremonies, all within the temple's ancient grounds. The vegetarian meals, prepared in the monastery kitchen using herbs from the temple garden, are a highlight that many visitors return for.