SHANGHAI
SHANGHAI
Nicknamed ‘The Pearl of The Orient’, or ‘The Paris of The East’, Shanghai is China’s most glitzy city. Known for it’s finance district and boasting the worlds largest container port. The skyline of Shanghai is famously marvelled by locals and travellers a like. Head to the city that never sleeps for a totally different experience in China.
Population: Approx 29 million
Weather: Hot wet summers, cold winters. The best time to visit is Spring and Autumn.
Popular food: Xiaolongbao, Hairy Crab, Scallion Oil Noodles, Scallion Pancakes, Guo Tie (Panfried dumplings)
Best areas to explore: Jingan, Huangpu, French Concession, Pudong
Top things to do in Shanghai: The Bund, The French Concession, M50 Art District, Shanghai Disneyland, Yu Garden, Shopping on Nanjing Road.
Getting around Shanghai: Shanghai is huge, but quite easy to get around. It is the perfect place for first-time travellers to China as it is very foreigner-friendly. The metro system covers most of the city and is easy to use, even if it is one of the biggest in the world. You can easily cycle in Shanghai but there are a number of streets on which bicycles are forbidden, so be careful you don’t get stopped and fined.
Metro: ¥2-10/£0.20-£1.10
Hotels: ¥368-¥562/£40-£60 (Budget) ¥843-¥937/£90-£110 (Luxury)
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If you are coming to China then the likelihood is you will visit Shanghai. It is a great place to start your China adventure as it is easy to navigate and English is widely spoken.
From the Bund to the French Concession, Pudong to Disneyland, this is a multi-faceted city so make sure you give yourself a few days to explore as much as you can.
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Shanghai is China at its most modern. With its futuristic skyline, historic streets, and world-class food scene, it’s a city that perfectly blends old and new.
If you’re planning a trip to China, Shanghai is almost always part of the itinerary. The challenge is knowing how long to stay, what’s worth doing, and how to balance it with more traditional destinations.
That’s where I can help.
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