Shanghai, with a population of more than 18 million (and over 5.8 million migrants), is one of the most populous and most developed cities in the People's Republic of China.
Shanghai was the largest and most prosperous city in the Far East during the 1930s, and has remained the most developed city in China. In the past 20 years Shanghai has again became an attractive city for tourists worldwide.
Shanghai is a fascinating mix of East and West. It has historic shikumen houses that blend the styles of Chinese houses with European design flair, and it has one of the richest collections of Art Deco buildings in the world. As there were so many concessions (designated districts) to Western powers during the turn of the 20th century, at times the city has a cosmopolitan feel. From classic Parisian style, to Tudor style buildings that give a German flair, while the 1930s buildings put you in New York or Chicago.
In the beginning of the 1990s, the Shanghai government launched a series of new strategies to attract foreign investments. The biggest move was to open up Pudong, once a rural area of Shanghai. The strategies succeeded, and now Pudong has become the financial district of Shanghai, with numerous skyscrapers.
Today Shanghai's goal is to develop into a world-class financial and economic center of China, and even Asia. In achieving this goal, Shanghai faces competition from Hong Kong, which has the advantage of a stronger legal system and greater banking and service expertise. Shanghai has stronger links to the Chinese interior and to the central government in addition to a stronger manufacturing and technology base. Since the handover of Hong Kong to the PRC, Shanghai has increased its role in finance, banking, and as a major destination for corporate headquarters, fueling demand for a highly educated and westernized workforce.
Due to rapid industrial and economic development, as well as lax governmental environment policies, Shanghai has recently been ranked as one of the most polluted cities in the world. Individuals with asthma or respiratory issues should be prepared when visiting the city.
PLACE TO VISIT
For a feel of the China of yesteryear, check out Yuyuan Gardens, which is loaded with classical Chinese architecture. A lot of history resides in this little garden and temple. They were commissioned in 1559, built over the course of 19 years, destroyed in 1842 during the first Opium War, and later rebuilt and reopened to the public in their current incarnation in 1961. Pathways wind through rock gardens and bamboo stands, and stone bridges cross pools filled with bright carp. The word "yu" translates to "peace and health"—and the park was certainly designed with tranquility in mind.
For a taste of 1920s Shanghai, head for the stately old buildings of the Bund. Or pay a visit to The French Concession, in Xuhui District , generally bound by Shan Xi Road to the East, Jian Guo Road to the South, Hua Shan Road to the West and Chang Le Road to the North. Some of the best sections are along Hu Nan Road , Fu Xing Road , Shao Xing Road and Heng Shan Road . The area is fast becoming famous for boutique shopping along Xin Le Lu, Chang Le Lu and An Fu Lu , all of which also have interesting restaurants.
For 21st-century Shanghai, cross the river to gawk at the skyscrapers of Pudong. The area surrounding the People's Square is also great for skyscrapers, as well as Nanjing West Road
To get away from the frentic pace of Shagnhai, you should visit the Longhua Temple. It takes a while to get there but it's not as busy as the Jade Buddha Temple and the experience is fulfilling. You can also have a nice vegetarian Buddhist meal in both Temples.
For Shanghai's modern cultural innovations and a look into the hot contemporary art scene, head to the Tai Kang Road creative enclave. People from all walks of life converge amongst the traditional Shikumen thats home to design stores, fashion boutiques and cafes representing the best of Shanghai creativity. Unique local brands such as Vervia are amongst the most interesting, combining Eastern and Western influences to be at the forefront of modern Shanghai design.
WHAT TO DO
Walk along Fuxing Rd to see classical old buildings and enjoy the neatness of the road.
Take an elevator to the top of the Oriental Pearl TV Tower , the tallest TV tower in Asia with the height of 468 meters, and on a good day, the sprawling views are spectacular!
Enter Shanghai Xintiandi , Lane 181, Taicang Road. A small pedestrianised area of the city featuring rebuilt traditional shikumen [stone gate] houses. Housing a cinema complex, mall, numerous bars, cafés and art galleries marketed towards foreign visitors and the more affluent locals. Close to where the Communist party headquarters were located.
Enter Shanghai International Convention Center. Shanghai International Convention Center was opened for business in August 1999. The '99 Fortune Global Forum was held here. It is located in the southwest of the Oriental Pearl TV Tower in Pudong. It covers an area of 45,000 square meters with a landscaped square of 30,000 square meters. It consists of several modernized halls including a 42,000-sq.m multi-functional hall, a 25,000-sq.m exhibition hall, a 11,000-sq.m underground exhibition hall and 20 meeting rooms of different sizes. There are 259 guest rooms, including presidential suites, executive suites, standard rooms, Chinese and Western restaurants, a coffee room, a nightclub, a show room, a gym, a swimming pool, a bowling room, a billiard room, a sauna bath and a shopping arcade.
See the giant panda and many more exotic animals at the Shanghai Zoo. Located near the Hongqiao airport, this is a spacious and modern zoo that's for the most part a far cry from the concrete animal prison in Beijing. Open daily from 6:30 to 17:00 (16:30 in winter), tickets are ¥30, or ¥40 including an elephant show. One kid not taller than 1.2m gets in for free together with one paying adult. Take bus 925 from Renmin Square (¥3) for about 45 minutes. Please follow the signs (even if the locals do not) and do not feed or tease the animals.
Walk along Nanjing Dong Lu in the evening. Start at People Square and enjoy the bright neons and lights of this pedestrian road. For a longer walk, continue your way to the Bund and enjoy the bright lights of Pudong. Be careful of pick-pockets and and people that come up to you for a chat. Usually, they have something to sell or a service to offer that is not in your best interest.
Take a ride on the Maglev train either to or from the Pudong Airport. 431 K/hr is a cool ride. Taxi's are plentiful at the Maglev station.
Take photos of the old style buildings in the Laocheng (Old Town) Huang Miao shopping district. Come back at night after 6.30 pm when the lights are on for an experience. Eat upstairs at one of the restaurants overlooking the square on Yu Yuan Lu (a pond criss-crossed by a zig-zag bridge and tea room) and see the reflections of the night lights. (The entrance to Yu Yuan Gardens can be found in the centre of this interesting area)
Take a tour of Shanghai on a vintage 1930's sidecar motorbike. They are flexible on the tours you want to do: I chose the changing architecture of Shanghai. Afternoon tour is better. www.shanghaisideways.com.
Go to the electronic market right next to baoshan metro station, they sell electronics, but also all sorts of crazy stuff. not too many foreigners go there yet so enjoy while it lasts.
HOW TO REACH
By plane - Shanghai has two main airports , with Pudong the main international gateway and Hongqiao serving most domestic flights. Be sure to check which one your flight is leaving from, and allow at least one hour, preferably 1.5 hours, to transfer if needed!
Domestic airplane tickets should be booked at least two days in advance at one of the many travel agencies. Fares are generally cheap, but vary depending on the season; figure on ¥400-1200 for Beijing-Shanghai. When backpacking, it may often be cheaper to book a flight along a big traffic line (Beijing-Shanghai, Beijing-Chongqing, Shanghai-Shenzhen, etc.) and travel the rest by bus or train.
By Train - Train tickets are also conveniently booked in advance at one of the many travel service agencies. If urgent, they could also be directly booked at the train stations and the Shanghai Railway Station even has an English counter. Unfortunately be prepared that almost all information even in Shanghai Railway Station will be only in Chinese characters and even at the English counter you will face problems to communicate. It is advisable to prepare the paper with your destination displayed in Chinese characters. Unfortunately, this is further complicated by the fact that some tickets aren't sold at the main ticket office, this includes tickets to Hong Kong (Jiu Long), for that you need to go to a similar ticket office near the main ticket office. To get there, exit the main ticket office and go left (towards one of the metro exits and parallel to the train station), the ticket office is just across the road after the metro exit. You have to pass through a security check to get to the ticket office.
By car - In recent years many highways have been built, linking Shanghai to other cities in the region, including Nanjing, Suzhou, Hangzhou, etc. It only takes 2 hours to reach Shanghai from Hangzhou.
By bus - There are several long-distance bus stations in Shanghai. You should try to get the tickets as early as possible.
Beiqu Long-distance Passenger Station - 80 Gongxing Road
Hengfeng Road Express Passenger Station 270 Hengfeng Road
Zhongshan Beilu Long-distance Passenger Transport Station 1015 Zhongshan N. Rd
Xujiahui Passenger Station 211Hongqiao Road
Pudong Tangqiao Long-distance Passenger Station 3842 Pudong S.Rd
By boat - There are ferry services from Shanghai to Kobe, Osaka (Japan) weekly and Hong Kong.
The Shanghai Ferry Company has once a week service from Shanghai to Osaka and vice versa. Takes two nights.
The Japan-China International Ferry Company has similar service as The Shanghai Ferry Company but alternates each week with Osaka and Kobe as the Japanese depart / arrival city.
