Yuyuan Garden view of Huxin Pavilion (Mid-lake Pavilion Teahouse) & Shanghai Tower

This image is of the Huxin Pavilion (Mid-lake Pavilion) & Jiuqu Bridge, with a view of Shanghai Tower in the background. For this shot, I stood to the right of the bridge that leads to the pavilion. By Metro: - Closest Station: Yuyuan Garden (Line 10) - Take Exit 3 - Head east on Fuyou Rd - Take a right on Yuyuan New Rd - Turn left on Bailing Rd - Enter Yuyuan Garden and head toward Huxin Pavilion Address: No. 137, Anren Street, Huangpu District

You can photograph a similar image any month of year, but try to avoid February during the Chinese Lunar New Year — it's packed with people. If you want to capture lots of fish, go in the summer when they are most active. During the winter, the fish hibernate and don't really move much.

Sunrise, sunset and nighttime all offer a unique take on this classic location, but I recommend going at night when the lights are illuminated against the night sky.

By using a wide-angle lens (16mm), you'll be able to incorporate the bridge, pool, pavilion and skyscraper into one single frame.

Experiment with angles! The architecture of the pavilion is very intricate, so find your favorite vantage point.

The featured image is a composite / stacked shot. With a tripod, I did a 20 second long exposure of the base layer (the teahouse). Then, I took a fast exposure (1/300th) of the fish. In post-production, I stacked the two images and got all of the different elements in one image.

Wander around the twisting alleys of the Old Market for some exotic local snacks — like Yangchun noodles, steamed stuffed buns, fried stuffed buns, crispy friend cakes and chop rice cakes.