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Shanghai Pudong International Airport 上海浦东国际机场 Shànghǎi Pǔdōng Guójì Jīchǎng
Logo of Shanghai Airport Authority
IATA: PVG – ICAO: ZSPD
Summary
Airport type		Public
Operator		Shanghai Airport Authority
Serves		Shanghai
Location		Pudong District
Hub for		Air China China Eastern Airlines Shanghai Airlines
Elevation AMSL		13 ft / 4 m
Coordinates		31°08′36″N 121°48′19″E / 31.14333°N 121.80528°E / 31.14333; 121.80528
Website		www.shairport.com
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
	m	ft
16/34	3,800	12,467	Concrete
17L/35R	4,000	13,123	Concrete
17R/35L	3,400	11,154	Concrete
Source: DAFIF[1][2]

Shanghai Pudong International Airport
Traditional Chinese	上海浦東國際機場
Simplified Chinese	上海浦东国际机场
Transliterations Mandarin - Hanyu Pinyin Shànghǎi Pǔdōng Guójì Jīchǎng Cantonese - Jyutping  ???

Shanghai Pudong International Airport (IATA: PVG, ICAO: ZSPD) (SSE: 600009) (simplified Chinese: 上海浦东国际机场; traditional Chinese: 上海浦東國際機場; pinyin: Shànghǎi Pǔdōng Guójì Jīchǎng) is a major aviation hub in Asia, particularly in the East Asian region, and is the primary international airport serving Shanghai of the People's Republic of China. Located about 30 kilometres from the city centre, it occupies a 40 kilometre square site adjacent to the coastline in the eastern edge of Pudong district within the boundaries of the Shanghai Municipality.

The airport is the main hub for China Eastern Airlines and Shanghai Airlines, and a major international hub for Air China. Pudong airport is organised around two main passenger terminals, flanked on both sides by three parallel runways. Current airport masterplans call for the building of a third passenger terminal, a satellite terminal and two additional runways by 2015, raising its capacity from the current 60 million passengers annually to 80 million, along with the ability to handle six million tonnes of air freight.^[3] A station for the Shanghai Maglev Train is sited between the passenger teminals, providing the world's first commercial high-speed maglev service to downtown Pudong in 7 minutes and 20 seconds. The airport is open 24 hours, one of only a few Chinese airports to be so.

Shanghai Pudong International Airport is a major hub for cargo traffic in the world. With 2,602,916 metric tonnes handled in 2008, the airport is the 3rd busiest airport in the world in terms of freight traffic. A total of 28.24 million passengers passed through the airport in 2008, making the airport the 3rd busiest in mainland China. However, it handles more international passengers than Beijing Capital International Airport,^[4] currently the busiest Chinese airport in terms of total passengers handled, with 17,518,790 international passengers handled in 2007, a 9.0% increase over the previous year.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Early development 1.2 Expansion 2 Infrastructure 3 Terminals, airlines and destinations 3.1 Cargo airlines 4 Ground transportation 5 Incidents and accidents 6 Photo gallery 7 See also 8 References 9 External links

History

Early development

Prior to the establishment of Pudong International Airport, Hongqiao International Airport was the primary airport of Shanghai. During the 1990s, the expansion of Hongqiao was impossible as the urban area surrounding Hongqiao was developing significantly. As a result, the government had to seek an alternative for Hongqiao International Airport to take all of its international flights. A suitable site was at the coast of the Pudong development zone to the east of Shanghai. The airport was significantly funded by a 40-billion-yen (~450 million USD) Official Development Assistance (ODA) from Japan.^[5]

The airport opened on October 1, 1999, replacing Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport as Shanghai's international airport and taking over all of its international flights, including regional flights to Hong Kong and Macau. The first phase of the airport began in October 1997 and took two years to build at a cost of RMB 12 billion (1.67 billion USD). It covers an area of 40 kilometers squared and is around 30 km from downtown Shanghai. The first phase of the airport has one 4E category runway (4000 m x 60 m) along with two parallel taxiways, an 800,000 m² apron, seventy-six aircraft positions and 50,000 m² cargo warehouse.

The second and third runways were opened on March 17, 2005 and March 26, 2008 respectively, and a fourth runway is in planning stage. The second terminal was opened on March 26, 2008 and the third terminal is currently at planning stage. The master plan calls for a total of three terminals, two satellite halls, and five parallel runways, ultimately for a capacity of 100 million passengers per year.

Limited international services resumed at Hongqiao Airport in October 2007 with flights to Tokyo International Airport (Haneda) and in November 2007, flights to Gimpo International Airport in Seoul. This is believed to be a major effort to provide convenience to business travelers, a practice already in place between Haneda and Gimpo for years. Hongqiao, Haneda and Gimpo are much closer to their respective metro centers than their newer but remote international gateways Pudong, Narita and Incheon.

Expansion

In 2004, the airport handled nearly 500 flights per day, carrying more than 21 million passengers per year in and out of China's most populated city. Shanghai Pudong International Airport is ranked sixth-busiest in terms of cargo traffic, and 28th in terms of in international passenger traffic. It is also ranked 40th in Passenger traffic, carrying 26,790,826 passengers in and out of the airport. It is the eighth-busiest airport in Asia in passenger traffic.

Shanghai Pudong International Airport had recently experienced massive increases, thus never falling below a 10% growth rate of cargo. From 2002–2003, it had seen near double growth of cargo traffic; 87.3% in that period. From 2002–2006, it has risen from 26th place to 6th place in cargo traffic, with cargo traffic tripling since 2002. In 2006, it had a growth rate of 16.8% while Narita (Tokyo) experienced a -0.5% decrease and Incheon with an 8.7% increase. It may surpass Narita International Airport within a few years and Incheon International Airport to become fourth place in cargo and later Hong Kong International Airport, which is the busiest cargo hub in Asia and second-largest in the world. Complementing that, UPS and DHL will be adding hubs in the next few years and therefore, Pudong will become the first airport to have two international cargo express hubs.

Pudong sees many aircraft movements during rush hour times, resulting in most planes having to park on the apron. To alleviate this, construction of phase two (including a 2nd terminal, a third runway and a cargo terminal) started during December 2005 and was fully complete in time for the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics; Shanghai Airport Authority played a major role with improvement of facilities.. The architects of Terminal 2 chose to use many world-renowned interior finishes such as Bentley Prince Street and Brinton carpets for this new terminal.

Terminal 2, located behind Terminal 1, opened on March 26, 2008 (same day as the official opening of Terminal 3 at Beijing Capital International Airport), adding an additional capacity of 40 million passengers a year. Once phase two is fully complete, it will give Pudong a capacity of 60 million passengers and 4.2 million tonnes of cargo annually^[6]. A transportation center will be added to connect passengers between Terminal 1 and 2 in the future.

Shanghai Airlines moved to Terminal 2 upon its opening on March 26, 2008 with 14 other airlines, including Air India, Northwest Airlines, Qatar Airways, Alitalia, British Airways, Qantas Airways, Virgin Atlantic Airways, Philippine Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Transaero Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Aerosvit Airlines, Garuda Indonesia and Royal Nepal Airlines. Fellow Star Alliance partners Air Canada, Air China, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways and United Airlines have moved on April 29, 2008^[7] along with other airlines, involving 33 airlines in all now operating at Terminal 2^[6].

The next ambitious expansion, includes the addition of the fourth and fifth runways, a Satellite concourse, larger than the size of both of the current terminals combined, and additional cargo terminals will expand the size of Pudong International Airport. Land reclamation will be included for the fifth runway and some of the cargo terminals. Because of this, a large amount of money will be needed in the future to cope with the demand. This next ambition will be completed by 2015 and will become one of the world-class airports in the world. It will become one of the world's largest airports by land size.

Recently, China Southern Airlines stated that Shanghai Pudong International Airport will be home to its five Airbus A380s, however there is no statement if China Southern Airlines will have a hub in Shanghai Pudong International Airport.

Infrastructure

The airport had 28 boarding bridges along with 127 parking positions and with a tarmac of 1.49 million square meters prior to the opening of Terminal 2. It also has two runways; the 4000-meter runway on category 4E and the 3800-meter runway with a category 4F rating, able to handle the Airbus A380. It is also predicted that the third runway will be on a 4F rating.

Terminal 1 was opened on October 1, 1999 along with a 4000m runway and including a cargo hub. It was built to handle the demand for traffic and to relieve Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport's traffic. Terminal 1 is shaped like Kansai International Airport's terminal, but it is shorter and with 28 gates, 13 of which are double decker gates. The exterior of the terminal is shaped like waves. The capacity of Terminal 1 is 20 million passengers. It currently has 204 check-in counters, thirteen luggage conveying belts and covering an area of 280,000 square meters. Terminal 1 has received some controversy about the lack of shopping stalls, the pricing of the shops, confusing locations of restrooms, the escalators and passenger difficulty of moving through the terminal.

Terminal 2, opened at the 26th of March 2008, along with the 3rd runway, gives a capacity of 60 million passengers and 4.2 million tonnes of cargo annually. Terminal 2 is shaped like the 1st terminal but it has more of a seagull shaping, rather than a wave shape and is slightly larger than Terminal 1. Terminal 2 will be used for Air China, Shanghai Airlines and other Star Alliance members but it is known that some SkyTeam and Oneworld members will relocate their operations to the terminal.

Terminals, airlines and destinations

Airlines	Destinations	Terminal
Aeroflot	Moscow-Sheremetyevo	2
Aeroméxico	Mexico City [resumes 27 March], Tijuana [resumes 27 March][8]	2
Air Canada	Toronto-Pearson, Vancouver	2
Air China	Bangalore, Beijing-Capital, Chengdu, Chongqing, Frankfurt, Fukuoka, Guiyang, Melbourne, Milan-Malpensa, Nagoya-Centrair, Osaka-Kansai, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Sendai, Shenzhen, Sydney, Taipei-Taoyuan, Tokyo-Narita, Wenzhou, Xi'an	2
Air France	Paris-Charles de Gaulle	1
Air India	Delhi, Mumbai	2
Air Macau	Macau	2
Air New Zealand	Auckland	2
All Nippon Airways	Nagoya-Centrair, Osaka-Kansai, Tokyo-Narita	2
American Airlines	Chicago-O'Hare	2
Asiana Airlines	Busan, Daegu, Seoul-Incheon	2
British Airways	London-Heathrow	2
Cathay Pacific	Hong Kong	2
Cebu Pacific	Manila	2
China Airlines	Kaohsiung, Taipei-Taoyuan	1
China Eastern Airlines	Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi, Beijing-Capital, Busan, Cebu, Changchun, Chengdu, Cheongju, Chongqing, Daegu, Dalian, Delhi, Denpasar/Bali, Frankfurt, Fukuoka, Fukushima, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Guilin, Haikou, Harbin, Hiroshima, Hong Kong, Jeju, Kagoshima, Komatsu, Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, Kunming, London-Heathrow [resumes March 29], Los Angeles, Matsuyama, Melbourne, Moscow-Sheremetyevo [begins 28 March], Nagasaki, Nagoya-Centrair, Naha, New York-JFK, Niigata, Ningbo, Okayama, Osaka-Kansai, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Qingdao, Sanya, Sapporo-Chitose, Seoul-Incheon, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Singapore, Sydney, Taipei-Taoyuan, Tokyo-Narita, Vancouver, Wenzhou, Wuhan, Wuyishan, Xi'an, Zhangjiajie, Zhuhai	1
China Southern Airlines	Changchun, Dalian, Dandong, Guangzhou, Haikou, Harbin, Kunming, Mudanjiang, Nagoya-Centrair, Qiqihar, Sanya, Seoul-Incheon, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Taipei-Taoyuan, Wuhan, Xi'an, Zhangjiajie, Zhuhai	2
Continental Airlines	Newark	2
Delta Air Lines	Detroit, Tokyo-Narita	2
Dragonair	Hong Kong	2
Emirates	Dubai	2
EVA Air	Kaohsiung, Taipei-Taoyuan	2
Finnair	Helsinki	2
Garuda Indonesia	Denpasar/Bali, Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta	2
Grand China Express	Dongying, Weifang	1
Hainan Airlines	Brussels [begins 28 May], Haikou, Xi'an	1
Hong Kong Express Airways	Hong Kong	2
Japan Airlines	Nagoya-Centrair, Osaka-Kansai, Tokyo-Narita	1
Japan Airlines operated by JAL Express	Osaka-Kansai	1
Juneyao Airlines	Beihai, Changchun, Dalian, Fuzhou, Guilin, Harbin, Qingdao, Shenyang, Wenzhou, Xiamen	1
KLM	Amsterdam	1
Korean Air	Busan, Seoul-Incheon	1
Lufthansa	Frankfurt, Munich	2
Malaysia Airlines	Kuala Lumpur	2
Philippine Airlines	Manila	2
Qantas	Sydney	2
Qatar Airways	Doha	2
Royal Brunei Airlines	Bandar Seri Begawan [resumes 28 March][9]	TBD
Shandong Airlines	Qingdao	2
Shanghai Airlines	Busan, Cebu, Changchun, Changsha, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dalian, Denpasar/Bali, Guilin, Haikou, Hanoi, Harbin, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Huangshan, Jinzhou, Macau, Osaka-Kansai, Phnom Penh, Qinhuangdao, Qingdao, Saipan [seasonal], Sanya, Seoul-Incheon, Shenyang, Taipei-Songshan, Toyama, Weihai, Wuhan, Xi'an, Xiangfan, Yantai, Zhangjiajie	2
Shenzhen Airlines	Shenzhen	1
Sichuan Airlines	Chengdu, Chongqing	1
Singapore Airlines	Singapore	2
Spring Airlines	Changchun, Chongqing, Dalian, Fuzhou, Guilin, Haikou, Harbin, Lanzhou, Qingdao, Sanya, Shenyang, Wuhan, Zhangjiajie	1
Swiss International Air Lines	Zürich	2
Thai Airways International	Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi	2
Transasia Airways	Taichung, Taipei-Songshan, Taipei-Taoyuan	1
Turkish Airlines	Istanbul-Atatürk	2
United Airlines	Chicago-O'Hare, San Francisco	2
Vietnam Airlines	Hanoi [begins 29 March][10], Ho Chi Minh City [begins 30 March]	2
Virgin Atlantic Airways	London-Heathrow	2

Cargo airlines

Airlines	Destinations
Aeroflot-Cargo	Novosibirsk
Air China Cargo	Beijing-Capital, Copenhagen[11], Los Angeles, Milan-Malpensa, Manchester, Paris-Charles de Gaulle[12], Portland (OR), Vienna
Air France	Paris-Charles de Gaulle
Air Hong Kong	Hong Kong
AirBridgeCargo Airlines	Krasnoyarsk
ANA & JP Express
Atlas Air	Chicago-O'Hare, Frankfurt, Honolulu, Melbourne, New York-JFK, Sydney
Cargolux	Luxembourg
China Cargo Airlines
El Al Cargo	Tel Aviv
Emirates SkyCargo	Dubai
FedEx Express	Anchorage, Beijing-Capital, Guangzhou
Great Wall Airlines	Amsterdam, Manchester
JAL Cargo	Tokyo-Narita
MASkargo	Amsterdam, Basel/Mulhouse, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Tashkent
Nippon Cargo Airlines	Osaka-Kansai, Tokyo-Narita
Polar Air Cargo	Osaka-Kansai
SAS Cargo Group	Beijing-Capital, Copenhagen
Shanghai Airlines Cargo
Singapore Airlines Cargo	Los Angeles, Singapore
TNT Airways	Liège, Singapore
UPS Airlines	Louisville
Volga-Dnepr	Abakan
Yangtze River Express

Ground transportation

Transrapid constructed the first commercial high-speed maglev railway in the world, from the Pudong International Airport to Longyang Road Metro station. It was inaugurated in 2002. It has a peak speed of 431 km/h and a track length of 30 km. A transportation center will be built in Phase 3, and will become operational in 2015. The extension of the Shanghai Metro Line 2 to Pudong International Airport has started construction. When Line 2 is completed, it will link Pudong International Airport with Shanghai Hongqiao Airport by subway, to be completed by 2010, in time for the 2010 World Expo.

Incidents and accidents

• On January 30, 2006, the nose gear of a Cargolux Boeing 747-400F collapsed while parked on the cargo apron.^[13]

• On May 13, 2006, A China Eastern Airbus Industries A340-600 (Tail number B6055), flight 5042 from Seoul to Shanghai suffered tire bursts on all of its main landing gears. None of the 232 passengers were hurt.^[14]

• On November 19, 2006, An Air Canada Boeing 767-300 flight 38 encountered turbulence en route to Vancouver from Shanghai. Four cabin members were hurt. The plane safely landed in Tokyo's Narita International Airport. This incident occurred just after a domestic Japan Airlines Boeing 777 flight 1348 experienced turbulence which landed safely in Tokyo's Haneda Airport. ^[15]

• On the morning of November 28, 2009, An Avient McDonnell Douglas MD-11F cargo plane registered to Zimbabwe (Reg: Z-BAV) departing for Kyrgyzstan crashed into a warehouse near the runway of the airport due to a tailstrike that caught fire during takeoff and broke into several pieces with seven people on board. Three people died and four were injured. ^{[16] [17] [18]}

Photo gallery

Airport Exterior	The A1 expressway goes into the airport	A Maglev train exiting the airport	Air New Zealand Boeing 777 at the airport
Air China Airbus A340 about to take off from Pudong	View of the International Terminal, late at night

See also

• China's busiest airports by traffic movements
• China's busiest airports by cargo traffic
• China's busiest airports by passenger traffic
• Transport in the People's Republic of China
• List of airports in the People's Republic of China

References

External links

• Shanghai Airport, official website (English)
• Airliners.Net photos of Shanghai Pudong International Airport
• Current weather for ZSPD at NOAA/NWS
• Accident history for PVG at Aviation Safety Network

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(Redirected to Shanghai article)

From Wikitravel

Shanghai (上海 Shànghǎi) [1], 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. The world will once again have its eyes on the city when it hosts the 2010 World's Fair.

Districts

Shanghai is split in two by the Huangpu River (黄浦江 Huángpǔ Jiāng). On the west bank is Puxi (浦西 Pǔxī), the older city center, while the newer sky-rise development on the east side is called Pudong (浦东 Pǔdōng).

Areas within Puxi:

• The Bund (外滩 wàitān) - The colonial riverside of old (and reborn) Shanghai. The Bund has dozens of historical buildings lining the Huangpu River, which once housed numerous banks and trading houses from Britain, France, the U.S., Russia, Germany,and many other countries. A building boom at the end of 19th century and beginning of 20th century led to the Bund becoming a major financial hub of East Asia.

• French Concession Area - Comprises Luwan District (卢湾区; Lúwānqū) and Xuhui District (徐汇区; Xúhuìqū) which is generally bound by Shanxi Rd to the east, Jian Guo Rd to the south, Huashan Rd to the west and Chang Le Rd (长乐路) to the north. This leafy district once known as the "Paris of the East", includes the refurbished shikumen houses of Xintiandi and Shanghai Stadium. The blending of architecture styles, bustling street life, and wealth of international Shanghai fusion culture make the former French Concession area one of Shanghai's most rich and vibrant neighborhoods.

• Jing'an District (静安区; Jìngānqū)- Commercial area on Nanjing Road West, most upscale shopping malls in the city. Nanjing Road, one of China's most famous shopping streets, passes Jing'an Temple (静安寺 Jìng'ān Sì​), leading to People's Park (人民公园 Rénmín Gōngyuán) and The Bund.

• Old City (南市; Nanshi)

• Huangpu excluding the Old City (黄浦区; Huángpǔqū)

• Putuo (普陀区; Pǔtuóqū)

• Zhabei (闸北区; Zháběiqū)

• Hongkou (虹口区; Hóngkǒuqū) - Home of Lu Xun Park, the famed writer Lu Xun, now including a Memorial Park and a museum, as well as a football (soccer) stadium. Once home to Shanghai's substantial Jewish population in the first half of the 20th century.

• Yangpu (杨浦区; Yángpǔqū) - Where the famous Fudan University and Tongji University are located. Also contains the excellent and spacious GongQing forest park (共青森林公园 gòngqīng sēnlín gōngyuán).

• Changning (长宁区; Chángníngqū) - Hongqiao International Airport sits here in addition to the Shanghai Zoo.

Across the river:

• Pudong (浦东 or 浦东新区; Pǔ​dōng​ or Pǔ​dōng​xīn​qū​) - The skyscraper-laden financial and commercial district on the east bank of the river with museums and shopping throughout, and a traveler's likely first district to experience considering Pudong International Airport rests in the district.

Outlying districts:

• Northern Suburbs

• Southern Suburbs

• Chongming (崇明县; Chóngmíngxiàn)

Understand

Shanghai is a fascinating mix of East and West. It has historic shikumen (石库门） 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 an English 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 but now a business center countries the world over may envy. The strategies for growth have made tremendous gains and now Pudong is home to many of the duties which used to take place across the Huangpu in The Bund, housed in numerous skyscrapers - including the 3rd biggest in the world - the World Financial Center.

Citizens have a saying, "Shanghai is heaven for the rich, hell for the poor," which reflects the resurgence Shanghai has made since the new government was put into place more than 60 years ago.

Today, Shanghai's goal is to develop into a world-class financial and economic center of China and 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 return of Hong Kong to China, Shanghai has increased its role in finance, banking, and as a major destination for corporate headquarters, fueling demand for a highly educated and cosmopolitan workforce.

Shanghai is one of the least polluted major cities in China, although the degree of pollution might be more severe when using international comparisons. For this reason, coupled with a lesser degree of focus placed on national politics, visitors will find a much difference experience than visiting Beijing.

Get in

Shanghai is one of China's main travel hubs and getting in from pretty much anywhere is easy.

By plane

Shanghai has two main airports [2], with Pudong the main international gateway and Hongqiao serving mostly 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 are best booked in advance at one of the many travel agencies or online, but can also be bought at the airport on the day of departure. 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 (Shanghai-Beijing, Shanghai-Guangzhou, Shanghai-Shenzhen, etc.) and travel the rest by bus or train.

Pudong airport is one of several airports serving destinations to Taiwan.

The city of Hangzhou, about a 90-min train ride from Shanghai, should also be considered if having a difficult time finding tickets to Pudong or Hongqiao.

Pudong International Airport

Pudong (浦东机场, IATA: PVG, [3]) is Shanghai's main international airport, located 40 km to the east of the city. Arrivals are on the first floor, departures on the third, and the airport has all the features you'd expect. There are two gigantic terminals (T1 and T2), so check which one you're going to. A free shuttle bus service connects the two in case walking a few minutes (or using the conveyor belts) are too cumbersome.

• Terminal 1 Air France, China Airlines, China Eastern, China Express, Gulf Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Japan Airlines, Juneyao Airlines, Korean Airlines, Mandarin Airlines, Royal Dutch Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Sichuan Airlines, Spring Airlines, Tianjin Airlines

• Terminal 2 Aeroflot Russian Airlines, Aeromexico, Air Canada, Air China, Air India, Air Macau, All Nippon Airways, American Airlines, Asiana Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, China Southern Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines, Dragonair, Emirates Airlines, Eva Air, Finnair, Garuda Indonesia, Hong Kong Express, Lufthansa, New Zealand Airlines, Northwest Airlines, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Shandong Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Swiss International, Thai Airlines, TransAsia Airways, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic

The most convenient but also most expensive way to get to central Shanghai is by taxi, but figure on ¥130 and about an hour to get to the center of the city (People's Square). They are more convenient than buses because they take you to your final destination, only make one stop and you're guaranteed a seat (additionally, it's a flat fee that can be split up if traveling with others). Depending on your final destination, it may be just as quick as using the Maglev train since the end of the Maglev journey requires a combination of walking, public transport or a taxi and this transfer time and cost should be considered. Head for the official taxi line to the far right of the arrival terminal. Taxi drivers seldom speak any English so have your destination in writing (or use an airport attendant's how-to) and fare estimate before agreeing on a driver. Estimates are also posted near the exit doors on the first floors near the pick-up area and bus station area. It is not advisable to use a driver outside the queue unless there are two of you and someone speaks good Shanghainese or Mandarin. Use caution and double check the charges as some drivers may try to scam you, but not many. It is against local law to pick up other passengers not affiliated with your party so reject this if attempted by the driver.

A compromise of time, ease and cost is the Transrapid Maglev train, the world's fastest train and an attraction in itself. Services currently operate from 6:45AM-9:30PM daily and cost ¥50 one way (¥40 if you have a flight ticket) or ¥80 for a round-trip ticket (good for up to 7 days from date of purchase). You can also opt to pay double for "VIP Class", which gets you a soft drink and bragging rights but no different of an environment. It shuttles from the airport to the middle of Pudong in 8 minutes flat at a blazing speed of 433 kph (270 mph), although during many parts of the day it goes "only" 301 kph. If your final destination is Pudong, only a short subway or taxi ride remains; however, if you're like most travelers looking to cross into Puxi, plan on 20 min or more on the Metro to People's Square or a taxi fare from ¥20-60. On the 2nd floor of the airport you can purchase Maglev tickets from the ticket counter. The wait for a train is typically no longer than 15 min. Riders can be seen whipping out cameras while aboard, marveling at the speed of the train. Once you've arrived at the end station, walk downstairs and a few meters away is the Longyang Lu Metro station (Line 2) and a taxi queue. Note that between the baggage claim and the Maglev station, people may tell you the Maglev is "broken" or "shut down because of weather" but they may just be trying to get you in their taxi. Pay them no mind, upon arriving at the station you will see the trains are running.

Airport buses are cheaper (¥15-30 depending on destination) but take up to 90 min (to city center) and operate less frequently starting at 11PM. Additionally, your final destination may require use of mass transport or a taxi to get you there. They are incredibly convenient, however, if the route runs close to your final destination (but sadly not as convenient if wanting to go from the city to the airport, for the pick-up locations are far fewer). There are a number of routes, but two particularly convenient ones connect to the City Air Terminal (Jing'an Temple) (#2) and People's Square (#5, ¥22) (and like all the other routes, any stops between Pudong Airport and final stop). Budget travelers may also consider buses stopping at Longyang Rd (1#/#5, ¥12) from where you may transfer to Metro line 2. For a link to Metro lines 3/4, #6 (¥20) goes to Zhongshan Park station (actually a few blocks off- change to the local 947 bus and take it one stop or walk the distance). If arriving to Pudong airport after 11PM, there is only one shuttle route offered.

Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport

Shanghai's older airport Hongqiao (虹桥机场 IATA: SHA) [4] services domestic flights, the only exception being the city shuttle services to Tokyo-Haneda and Seoul-Gimpo. 12 km away from the city center, a taxi can manage the trip in 20 minutes on a good day but allow an extra 30 minutes for the taxi queue, especially when arriving after 7PM.

The 'Hongqiao Airport Special Line' bus (机场专线) goes directly to Jing'an Temple every 10-30 min for ¥4. Due to the long taxi queues this is by far the quickest option, albeit at times crowded. There is no sign posting in English so it is advisable to print out the Chinese characters and then consult one of the airport staff, or look for one of the buses without a bus number (only Chinese Characters). Tickets are purchased inside the bus shortly before it departs, once departed there are no stops until arriving right in front of Jing'an Temple Metro Station (Line 2).

Bus: Although Hongqiao airport has fewer airport bus lines than Pudong, more public bus lines are linked to Hongqiao. No. 806: These buses run from Hongqiao airport to the Lupu Bridge between 6AM-9:30PM at intervals of 5-15 min. The line also has a stop at Xujiahui, and the whole trip costs ¥5. No. 807: These buses operate between 6AM-9:30PM from Hongqiao airport to the Zhenguang New Village in Putuo District. ¥4. No. 925: Most of the route is along Yang'an Road and the buses link Hongqiao airport and People's Square between 6AM-9PM. ¥4. No. 938: These buses run from Hongqiao airport to Yangjiadu in Pudong at intervals of 5-15 min, and the one-way fare is ¥7. This service operates from 6am until the arrival of the last passenger flight. No. 941: Linking Hongqiao airport and Shanghai Railway Station, the line runs from 6:30AM-8:30PM. ¥4. Interval between services is 10-12 min.

The taxi queue usually takes 20-30 min.

By train

Shanghai has a few major train stations including:

• Shanghai Railway Station (上海站). Shanghai's largest and oldest, located in Zhabei district, on the intersection of Metro Lines 1, 3 and 4. Practically all trains used to terminate here, including trains to Hong Kong. However, southern services are being shifted out to the new South Station. This station is currently undergoing a major modernisation and construction and as a result many facilities are restricted at present, resulting in longer queues, more crowds and more delays (not to mention a less-than-stellar first view of Shanghai if arriving by train). Also the North Exit of the station (which leads directly to Lines 3 & 4 of the subway) is closed for the forseeable future.

• Shanghai South Railway Station (上海南站). A new, greatly expanded terminal opened in July 2006 and and is set to take over all services towards the south. On Metro lines 1 and 3.

• Shanghai West Railway Station (上海西站) More than 100 years old, the station is scheduled to be undergo remodeling until sometime in 2010.

Self-serve automated ticket booths are prevalent and would likely be the easiest mode of purchasing tickets and checking train schedules for those without an ability to utilize Chinese as the devices have an English mode. Tickets are also conveniently booked in advance at one of the many travel service agencies. There are queues with English speaking staff, although this is not likely outside of Shanghai so it's best to buy a return ticket at the same time (not only because English won't be as easy to find outside if the city, but also seats may be sold out if attempting to purchase at a later date). It is advisable to prepare a paper with your destination displayed in Chinese characters if needed or should an itinerary need adjustment. Not all tickets are sold using the automated or staffed methods, for example tickets to Hong Kong (Jiu Long) you would 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.

• Beijing (北京)- There are a number of brand new night sleep trains running daily from Shanghai to Beijing, starting at 7PM in 10 minute intervals to 8PM and arriving at 7-8AM in Beijing. Fare is around ¥500 for a softsleeper, very clean and the four-person cabins are quite comfortable. In the same new train, normal hardseaters are available for around ¥250. Food is now served when traveling in both directions, and there is a drinks and snacks trolley that comes past occasionally that you can purchase snacks from. For a regular normal sleeper in a standard train, which takes 13 hours from Shanghai to Beijing, expect to pay ¥200-300 with no food.

• Hong Kong (香港)- The T99/T100 train to and from Hong Kong runs every other day (alternating between Shanghai->Hong Kong and Hong Kong->Shanghai) from Shanghai Railway Station (T99 leaves here at 5:15PM, T100 arrives here around noon), arriving at Hung Hom station in Kowloon(T99 arrives here around noon, T100 leaves here at 3:15PM). If traveling alone, expect to pay ¥800 each way for the soft sleeper, but discounts are given for group purchases (¥364 each way per person in a soft sleeper if purchased in a group of 4, for instance). Unless you are on a very tight budget, try to get the 'Deluxe Soft Sleeper' which facilitates compartments of 2 beds and a private mainland-style mains socket (but with the introduction of new train cars, the regular soft sleeper also has a private mains socket for each room as well as one in the corridor of each car). Spaces are limited, so book well in advance. Keep in mind that you will still have to go through Customs and thus need a new visa for reentry into mainland China (unless you have a multiple-entry visa). However, going through Customs at the train station is much quicker than Customs at the airport.

The new fast (200+ km/hr) CRH trains go south from Shanghai to Hangzhou, west to Nanjing, and north to Qingdao. These are very comfortable and convenient. Train route codes being with D in this instance.

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 Lu
• Hengfeng Road Express Passenger Station 270 Hengfeng Lu - This is one of the largest and is just north of the main railway station. It serves most destinations in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces as some more remote cities such as Beijing and Guangzhou. It's well organized but can be a little hard to find - particularly with the major rebuilding of the North Station Square. From Shanghai Railway Station (North) subway station (Lines 3 & 4) take exit No. 1. You'll come out in the middle of a construction site - head left and keep walking straight and eventually (after an unpleasant 10-minute walk) you'll find it. Motorcycle-taxis will loiter around the station exit and will take you there for around 5 yuan if you bargain hard - howver they can be pushy and aggressive.
• Zhongshan Beilu Long-distance Passenger Transport Station 1015 Zhongshan Bei Lu
• Xujiahui Passenger Station 211Hongqiao Lu
• Pudong Tangqiao Long-distance Passenger Station 3842 Pudong Nan Lu

By boat

There are ferry services from Kobe and Osaka (Japan) weekly and Hong Kong.

• Shanghai Ferry Company, (pax@shanghai-ferry.co.jp), [5]. Once a week service from Shanghai to Osaka and vice versa. Takes two nights. ¥1,300-6,500.  edit
• 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 departure/arrival city.
• Suzhou-Shimonoseki: Shanghai-Shimonoseki Ferry, 083-232-6615 (Japan) or 0512-53186686 (China), thrice weekly service. ¥15,000.

Get around

If you intend to stay in Shanghai for a longer time the Shanghai Jiaotong Card [6] (上海公共交通卡) can come in handy. You can load the card with money and use it in buses, the metro and even taxis. You can get these cards at any metro/subway station, as well as some convenience stores like Alldays and KeDi Marts. These come in regular, mini, and "strap" size (the latter being made for hanging on mobile phones), with various limited editions available for each. Only regular-sized cards can be loaded at machines (with a few exceptions, mainly at line 6/8 stations which have a special type of recharge machine made to take all sizes of cards) and only in multiples of ¥50 or ¥100 (this applies to the big blue machines- certain smaller machines mostly located in line 8 stations will accept any bills the service counter will as well as most sizes of SPTC). Most likely you will need to go to the service counter to recharge if you have an irregularly-shaped card or you want to recharge in multiples of ¥10 or ¥20.

Also, this card allows you to transfer lines at Yishan Rd, Shanghai Train Station, and Hongkou Football Stadium stations, as well as discounts for bus<->bus and metro<->bus transfer (the fare is discounted ¥1 each time you transfer).

The fast-growing Shanghai Metro [7] (website in Chinese) network has 10 lines with another 9 under construction (and expansions to existing lines, such as Line 2 which will eventually connect to Pudong Airport), with nearly all lines operating underground (Line 3 operates above ground). The Metro is fast, cheap, air conditioned and fairly user-friendly with most signs and station arrival announcements in English, but the trains can get very packed during rush hour. Fares range from ¥3-9 depending on distance. Automatic ticket vending machines take ¥1 or ¥0.5 coins and notes and have services in English. Most stations on lines 1-3 will also have staff selling tickets, but on the newly-completed lines 6, 8, and 9 ticket purchasing is all done by machine (in both Chinese and English) with staff there only to assist in adding credit to cards or if something goes wrong. You can now transfer between lines freely with a single ticket (except at Shanghai Railway Station, Hongkou Football Stadium, and Yishan Lu where a subway pass/Shanghai public transportation card is required for transfer). Metro rides can be paid for using use Shanghai's public transportation card (non-contact). Be careful; certain stations exist on two different lines with the same name but are located in different places (Yishan Lu- Line 3/9 and line 4 are separate stations- transfer between these stations is only possible with a subway pass; Pudian Lu- line 4 and line 6; go to either Century Ave or Lancun Lu to transfer between these lines; Hongkou Football Stadium, Line 3 and 8- transfer is only possible with a Metro pass).

If there are seats available but more passengers boarding than seats, be prepared to see a mad dash (literally) for the available seats. This is the norm so move quickly if you want a seat. Be mindful of pickpockets who may use this rush to their advantage.

By bus

The bus system is much more extensive (and typically cheaper) than the Metro, and some routes even operate past the closing time of the Metro (route numbers beginning with 3 are the night buses that run past 11PM). Here is a handy list of bus routes and stops in English. Most buses do not require any conversation with a driver and/or conductor, while others depend on you knowing your destination and the conductor charging you accordingly. For the latter, pay the conductor directly and you'll get a paper ticket (and change, if any). The former bus types do not have a conductor but instead a driver only; there is a fixed price for the route, usually ¥2 and the buses are air-conditioned (¥1.5 on some routes running on old buses without; the signpost at that stop will tell you). Prepare exact change beforehand and drop it into the container next to the driver. It's best to have exact fare or go to a convenience store it needing change, otherwise you may depend on stating your situation to the driver or other passengers. If you change buses with an SPTC you will get a ¥1 discount on your second bus fare (and all subsequent transfers; there is a 90-minute window to do this on so if you're not spending too much time at the destination your transfer discount will apply to the start of your return journey too).

By taxi

Taxi is a good choice for transportation in the city, especially during off-peak hours. It is affordable (¥12 for the first 3km, ¥2.3/km up to 10km, and ¥3.5/km after; when wheels aren't rolling, time is also tracked and billed but first 5 min. are free) and saves you time, but try to get your destination in Chinese characters or available on a map as communication can be an issue. As Shanghai is a huge city, try to get the nearest intersection to your destination as well since even addresses in Chinese are often useless. If the driver does not speak any English and you do not have the address written in Chinese, there is a phone number displayed in the back of the taxi (you'll need a mobile phone for this). Dial the number and tell the agent where you want to go (English is the only foreign language offered currently). The agent will then, on your behalf, explain where you wish to go. The agent will even find out the address of bars and other spots for you if applicable and this service has very good remarks. (If without a mobile phone, try to get a business card of your destination or of something nearby.)

Drivers, while generally honest, are sometimes genuinely clueless and occasionally out to take you for a ride. The drivers are very good about using the meter but in case they forget, remind them. It's also the law to provide a receipt for the rider but if your fare seems out of line, be sure to obtain one as it's necessary to receive any compensation. If you feel you have been cheated or mistreated by the driver, you (or a Chinese-speaking friend) can use the information on the printed receipt to raise a complaint to the taxi company about that particular driver. The driver will be required to pay 3x the fare if ordered by the taxi company so normally they're very good about taking the appropriate route. The printed receipt is also useful to contact the driver in case you have forgotten something in the taxi and need to get it back.

If you come across a row of parked taxis and have a choice of which one to get in to, you may wish to check the driver's taxi ID card that is posted next to or near the meter on the dash in front of the front passenger seat. The higher the number, the newer the driver, thus the likelihood that your driver will not know where he or she is going. Taxi driver ID numbers between 10XXXX and 12XXXX are likely to be the most experienced drivers (just make sure to match the picture on the ID card with that of the driver). A number of 27XXXX to 29XXXX is probably going to get you lost somewhere. Another way is to check the number of stars the driver has. These are displayed below the driver's photograph on the dashboard in front of the passenger seat. The amount of stars indicates the length of time the driver has been in the taxi business and the level of positive feedback received from customers, and range from zero stars to five. Drivers with one star or more should know all major locations in Shanghai, and those with three stars should be able to recognize even lesser-known addresses. Remember that it takes time to build up these stars, and so don't panic if you find yourself with a driver who doesn't have any - just have them assure you that they know where they are going and you should be fine.

If you need to cross from one side of the Huangpu River to the other by taxi, especially from Pudong (浦东) to Puxi (浦西), you may want to make sure your driver will make the trip, and knows where he or she is going. Some drivers only know their side of the town and will be as lost as you are once they leave their side of town. Taxis are notoriously difficult to get on rainy days and during peak traffic hours, so plan your journeys accordingly. As the crossings between Pudong (浦东) and Puxi (浦西) are often jammed with traffic, taking a taxi may be a more expensive and less time-efficient alternative to using the Metro to cross. It may be better to take the Metro between both sides, and then catch a taxi on the side that your final destination is on.

Taxi colors in Shanghai are strictly controlled and indicate the company the taxi belongs to. Turquoise taxis operated by Dazhong (大众), the largest group, are often judged the best of the bunch. Another good taxi company, "Qiangsheng" (强生), uses gold-colored taxis. Watch out for dark red/maroon taxis, since this is the 'default' color of small taxi companies and includes more than its fair share of bad apples. Also private owned taxis (You can recognize them easily as they have an 'X' in their number plate and may not be the standard Volkswagen Santana used by most taxi companies) are among them. The dark red/maroon taxis will also go "off the meter" at times and charge rates 4x-5x the normal rate - especially around the tourist areas of the Yuyuan Gardens. Bright red taxis, on the other hand, are unionized and quite OK, furthermore there are more 3-star and above taxi drivers working for this company. The dark-green taxis cover suburban areas only and are not allowed within the "city" area, but their meters start at ¥9 so they're somewhat cheaper if you're not trying to get downtown (rule of thumb- if you're trying to go somewhere within the Outer Ring highway, don't get one, but if your journey ends just within it you may be able to find a driver willing to bend the rules).

Always try to avoid using ¥100-bills to pay for short rides. Taxi drivers are not keen on giving away their change, and it is not uncommon to get counterfeit smaller notes for change. Taxis are very hard to come by during peak hours and when it's raining so be prepared to wait for a while or walk to a busy pick-up location. Foreign visitors might be surprised at the "lack" of courtesy or lines while waiting for a taxi, so don't be afraid to "jump in" and get one--it's first come, first serve. There are some taxi stops where attendants maintain a well-ordered line; this may be the fastest way to get a taxi in a busy part of town, but there are not very many of them, so expect to walk a ways to get to one.

By sightseeing bus

There are several different companies offering sightseeing buses with various routes and packages covering the main sights such as the Shanghai Zoo, Oriental Pearl Tower, and Baoyang Road Harbor. Most of the sightseeing buses leave from the Shanghai Stadium's east bus station.

On foot

Shanghai is a good city for walking, especially in the older parts of the city, such as The Bund, but be aware this city is incredibly dynamic and pavements can be obstructed or unpleasant to walk through when near construction areas. Look for subway tunnels when needing to cross busy streets as these are usually open despite the roadwork. Given the population demands and constant maintenance thus required, add extra time to allow you to arrive on time. Be sure to bring an umbrella for rain (available throughout many stands and stores for ¥15).

Be advised that during the run-up to World Expo 2010, many streets and pavements have been dug up and are being re-laid. It's not that pleasant walking around due to dust and noise from the work. Construction is proceeding at such a pace that often a tarmac on a street can be completely re-laid in one day, resulting in chaos for 24 hours and then total calm.

By ferry

A useful ferry runs between the Bund (from a ferry pier a few blocks south of Nanjing Road next to the KFC restaurant) and Lujiazui financial district in Pudong (the terminal is about 10 minutes south of the Pearl TV Tower and Lujiazui metro station) and is the cheapest way of crossing the river at 2 yuan per person. The ferry is air-conditioned and allows foot-passengers only (bikes are not allowed except for folding models). Buy a token from the ticket kiosk and then insert it into the turnstile to enter the waiting room - the boats run every 10 minutes and take just over 5 minutes to cross the river. This is a great (and much cheaper) alternative to using the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel.

For locals, bicycles are slowly being eclipsed by electric scooters but they still remain an easy means of transportation for visitors who may be hesitant to communicate with drivers or board crowded mass transit--or simply to soak up some sunshine. Go to Baoshan Metro station and get a vintage bicycle for approx ¥300; they are also easily found for sale on the street around Suzhou Creek or in the residential part of the old town. Beware of the driving habits of locals: the biggest vehicles have the priority and a red light does not mean you are safe to cross the street. Note: a few streets are not allowed for bicyclists and signs will designate this.

By car

Driving is definitely not recommended in Shanghai for a variety of reasons, even for those with driving experience in the country. Not only do you have to cope with seemingly perpetual traffic jams, but also Chinese driving habits and ongoing construction. Bicycles, scooters and pedestrians are also all over the place--a city with a real metropolitan feel. It is also not unheard of for cyclists, motorcyclists or pedestrians to suddenly dash in front of a car without any warning. In short, do not drive if you can help it and make use of public transport instead.

See also Driving_in_China.

By sidecar

Vintage motorbikes with sidecars are used by a limited number locals, including artists, military personnel (for private usage),expats and may be of some use to tourists. Changjiang sidecars were used by the Chinese army until 1997. There are a few sidecar owners club in Shanghai (Black Bats, People's Riders Club), shops (Yiqi, Cao, Fan, Jack, Jonson, Leo) and a tour operator (Shanghai Sideways) which are worth checking out.

See also Driving_in_China#Sidecar_rigs.

By sightseeing tunnel

A bit of a misnomer, as the entire journey is underground and doesn't reveal any real sights of the city. This is the fastest way of crossing between the Bund in Puxi and the Pearl TV Tower in Pudong but also the most expensive (¥40Y one way/¥50 return) and is essentially a tourist trap--but may also be a good bet for the directionally-challenged or those struggling to find a taxi during rush hour. Glass pods running on train tracks take a few minutes to run through a tunnel under the Huangpu River lined with a psychedelic light show and some bizarre commentary in English and Chinese. After arriving you'll be dropped off in a hall full of tourist-trap shops, which should come as no surprise since the entrance is a few meters from the TV Tower and is by no means a practical mode of transportation for locals. Avoid if possible - it's a very tacky experience and unless your prepared to some cash to look at some flashing lights instead of walking 5 min to the south and take the aforementioned ferry or walking 5 min west to Nanjing East Rd subway station and take the Metro.

Talk

The language of the streets is Shanghainese, part of the Wu group of Chinese dialects, which is not mutually intelligible with Mandarin, Cantonese, Minnan (Taiwanese/Hokkien) or other Chinese dialects. However, with Shanghai having been the commercial centre of China since the 1920's, Mandarin is understood and spoken fluently by almost everybody, including most of the elderly.

While you are more likely to encounter an English speaker in Shanghai than in any other mainland Chinese city, they are by no means common so it would be wise to have your destinations and hotel address written in Chinese so that taxi drivers can take you to your intended destination. Likewise, if planning to bargain at shops, a calculator would be useful.

Where to go in Shanghai depends largely on your time period and interests. See Shanghai for the first-timer for a sample itinerary.

• Yuyuan Gardens, (in Old City). For a feel of the China of yesteryear loaded with classical Chinese architecture (the countless vendors just outside the gardens may lead to some frustration, so don't come here thinking 'tranquility'). ¥40.  edit

• Classic (Western) architecture. For a taste of 1920s Shanghai, head for the stately old buildings of the The Bund or the French Concession--too many to list here! Some of the best sections are along Hunan Rd (湖南路), Fuxing Rd (复兴路), Shaoxing Rd (绍兴路) and Hengshan Rd (衡山路). The area is fast becoming famous for boutique shopping along Xinle Rd, Changle Rd and Anfu Rd (安福路), all of which also have interesting restaurants.  edit

• Modern architecture. Some of the tallest and most inspiring structures in Asia and the world can be found along the Huangpu River bank in Pudong's Lujiazui District. Two of considerable mention are Oriental Pearl Tower, one of the tallest structures in Asia, providing visitors with city views (different tours available) or light shows (at night) from below (free), Jin Mao Tower, which is staggering 88-story behemoth, and the Shanghai World Financial Center, the second largest building in Asia and the world, and world's largest by roof height, containing the world's highest observation deck, at 474 meters (1555 feet) .  edit

• Shanghai Museum, S side of People's Square. 9AM-5PM. The Ancient Bronze exhibit is particularly impressive. Audio guides available. Also, there are often volunteer guides providing free service. Some of them speak English. Free.  edit

• Temples. Some of the more popular ones include the Jade Buddha Temple, Jing'an Temple and Longhua Temple.  edit

• Drink at a tea house. Visit Shanghai's many tea houses, including Tang Yun tea house (199 Hengshen Lu, Hengshen Lu stop on Line 1). Tang Yun serves many varieties of tea along with traditional Chinese delicacies. Many of the snacks served with the tea are gratis. Be careful not to order too much food.  edit

• Shanghai Happy Valley, 888 Linhu Rd, Songjiang (上海松江区林湖路888号), [8]. Theme park. ¥160.  edit

• Jinjiang Amusement Park, No. 201 Hongmei Rd (in Xuhui District, Line 1 to Jinjiang Park).  edit

• Edible Shanghai, [9]. Make the most of Shanghai's myriad food culture and seek out culinary gems and organic farms, or take a self guided Shanghai culinary tour. No "canned routes," and no limits, grab your chopsticks or slip on your hiking boots for an adventure.  edit

• Shanghai Sideways, [10]. Tour on a vintage 1930's sidecar motorbike. Flexible on the tours you want to do.  edit

Learn

Shanghai urban development is all about the 'five year plan'. Visit the Urban Planning Museum in People's Square for a fascinating look into Shanghai's colourful past, and learn about development strategies for the future. There is a heavy focus on eco-friendly satellite cities with spacious public centres and loads of greenery. The trip is worth it just for the scale model of Shanghai in ten years. All is located on the fourth floor, including a virtual tour of up-and-coming large scale public projects, which encompasses the World Expo 2010 site. It is located just across from the Shanghai Museum.

Buy

Shop until you drop on China's premier shopping street Nanjing Road (南京东路), or head for the Yuyuan Bazaar for Chinese crafts and jewelry not far from the Bund. Nanjing Road is a long street. The more famous part lies in the east near the Bund (Nanjing Road East), with a 1-km long pedestrian boulevard (Metro line 2 at Nanjing Road East station, formerly called Henan Road station) lined with busy shops. The wide boulevard is often packed with people on weekends and holidays. The shops are often targeted to domestic tourists, so the prices are surprisingly reasonable. Local people often look down on Nanjing Road and shop at Huaihai Road (another busy shopping boulevard with more upscale stores) instead.

For the high end boutiques, go to the west end of Nanjing Road West (南京西路) near Jing'an Temple. Several large shopping malls (Plaza 66 aka Henglong Plaza, Citic Plaza, Meilongzhen Plaza, and others being built) house boutiques bearing the most famous names in fashion. No. 3 on the Bund is another high-end shopping center featuring Giorgio Armani's flagship store in China.

For those interested in boutique shopping, head to the French Concession Streets Xinle Lu (新乐路), Changle Lu (长乐路) and Anfu Lu (安福路) starting from east of Shaanxi Lu (陕西路) (nearest Metro station is South Shanxi Rd on line 1). This section of low rise building and tree-lined streets bustles with small boutiques of clothing and accessories, where young Shanghainese looking for the latest fashions shop. The overhauled, cozy alleyways of Tian Zi Fang" is also extremely popular and is a bit more elbow-to-elbow than Xintiandi.

Shanghai Foreign Languages Bookstore (Shanghai Book Traders) at 390 Fuzhou Rd (near People's Square) offers a lot of books in English and other major languages, especially for learning Chinese. Just around the corner at 36 South Shanxi Rd you will also find a small but well-stocked second-hand foreign-language bookshop. If you're searching for computer or business related books, head to the biggest store in Fuzhou Rd: Shanghai Book Town (上海书城). You'll find special editions targeted at the Chinese market. The only difference to the original version is the Chinese cover and the heavily reduced price. Fuzhou Road is also a good street to wander around and find stationary and Chinese calligraphy related shops.

Those interested in DVDs of movies and television shows have a wide variety of options. Aside from the people selling DVDs out of boxes on street corners you can also find a good selection of movies at many local DVD shops in most neighborhoods. Perhaps the best way to score a deal with a shop is to be a regular. If you provide them repeat business they are usually quite happy to give you discounts for your loyal patronage. Typically DVDs can cost anywhere from ¥5 for standard disks to ¥10-12 for DVD-9 format disks.

However, if you are short on time in Shanghai and don't have the means to form a relationship with a shop, many people recommend the Ka De Club. An expat favorite for years, they have two shops: one in 483, Zhenning Rd and the other one in 505, Da Gu Rd (a small street between Weihai and Yan'an Rds). While the selection at the Ka De Club isn't bad the downside of this store's popularity is that with so many foreigners giving them business, you tend to get somewhat higher prices than at local shops and haggling and repeat customer bargains are pretty much non-existent.

Antiques, jade and communist China memorabilia can be found in Dongtai Road Antiques Market, where you must bargain if you want to get a fair deal. Yuyuan Gardens is another good option for antiques as well as all manner of cheaply made and priced souvenirs (teapots, paintings, "silk" bags, etc.). There are two basement markets. You will have to hunt for them, but they are worth the effort. As with any market in China, don't be afraid to bargain to get a fair price.

Electronics

Xujiahui Metro station is the place to go if you're after game consoles (the Wii is available here in relative abundance), computers, computer accessories, or the like. You'll find pretty much everything electronic there, but the cellphone selection is a bit lacking.

• Bu Ye Cheng Communications Market (不夜城), (Shanghai Railway Station, exit 4 from line 1 side, turn left and it's the large gold building). 10AM-6PM. This is the one of the best-known open-style market for cellphones in Shanghai. 1F/2F for new phones (two-way radios too), 3F for various collectibles. They have pretty much everything under the sun. Any reputable vendor that sets up shop here will allow you to try before you buy- if they don't, leave. Best way to get a good (or uncommon) phone for cheap.  edit

Clothing

The infamous Xiangyang Market was finally shut down for good in 2006. The biggest "replacement" market is in the Metro station (Line 2) at the Shanghai Science & Technology Museum (上海科技馆). The most common name for the market is "A.P. New XinYang Fashion Market." There are a number of variations, and the name really doesn't even matter. The easiest way to get here is by Metro and there you can purchase all your knock-off products. The place is much more overrun by foreigners than Qipu Lu (below), and as such the prices are much higher.

The horrendously crowded Qipu Lu clothing market is a mass of stalls jammed into a warehouse sized building which would take the casual stroller most of a day to look through. You'll find the cheapest clothes in the city here, but even the trendiest styles are clearly Chinese. Bargain hard, in Chinese if you can and make friends with the shop owners. Many of them have secret stashes of knock-offs in hidden rooms behind the stall "walls." Avoid this place on weekends at all costs.

Another option is the Pearl Plaza located on Yan'an Xi Lu and Hongmei Lu as well as the unassuming shopping center located on the corner of Nanjing Xi Lu and Chongqing Lu. Haggling can be fun for those who are accustomed to it, but those sensitive to the pressure might want to steer clear. Not only can it be stressful to haggle, but just walking in to the buildings can bring a horde of people upon you trying to sell you bags, watches, DVDs and all assortment of goods.

But rather than pursuing knock-offs of Western brands, one of the more interesting things to do in Shanghai is to check out the small boutiques in the French Concession area. Some of these are run by individual designers of clothing, jewelry, etc and so the items on sale can truly be said to be unique. Visitors from overseas should expect the usual problem of finding larger sizes.

One exception to the rule is Dutch Items Shanghai[11]. The label was founded by Dutch designer Jolie van Beek in 2006 due to her frustration with the lack of affordable, high-quality clothing that fit her. The D.I.S boutiques carry their own label as well as a selection of imported European clothing and shoes. D.I.S focuses on womenswear and carries EU sizes 34-46, UK 4-18, U.S. 2-18.

• Shanghai South Bund Material Market: 399 Lujiabang Rd (陆家浜路). 10AM-6PM. You can take bus #802 or #64 from the Shanghai Railroad Station and stop at the final stop: Nanpu Bridge Terminal or you can take the Metro Line 4 to the Nanpu Bridge (南浦大桥) Station (exit from gate #1, make a left from the exit and then left again on the light. You will see it to your right after walking about 200 to 250 m. Three floors of tailors and their materials including silk, cashmere, merino wool. Have items measured, fitted and finished within two days or bring examples, samples or pictures. Bargain hard with the friendly tailors.

• A smaller and less crowded tailor market can be found under the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum (Metro Line 2).

Eat

Shanghai's cuisine, like its people and culture, is primarily a fusion of the forms of the surrounding Jiangnan region, with influences sprinkled in more recently from the farther reaches of China and elsewhere. Characterized by some as sweet and oily, the method of preparation used in Shanghai, it emphasizes freshness and balance, with particular attention to the richness that sweet and sour characteristics can often bring to dishes that are otherwise generally savoury.

​

The name "Shanghai" means "above the sea", but paradoxically, the local preference for fish often tends toward the freshwater variety due to the city's location at the mouth of China's longest river. Seafood, nonetheless, retains great popularity and is often braised (fish), steamed (fish and shellfish), or stir-fried (shellfish). Watch out for any seafood that is fried, as these dishes rely far less on freshness and are often the remains of weeks' old purchases.

Shanghai's preference for meat is unquestionably pork. Pork is ubiquitous in the style of Chinese cooking, and in general if a mention refers to something as "meat" (肉) without any modifiers, the safe assumption is that it is pork. Ground pork is used for dumpling and bun fillings, whereas strips and slices of pork are promulgated in a variety of soups and stir-fries. The old standby of Shanghainese cooking is "red-cooked [braised/stewed] pork" (红烧肉), a traditional dish throughout Southern China with the added flair of anise and sweetness provided by the chefs of Shanghai.

Chicken takes the honorable mention in the meat category, and the only way to savor chicken in the Chinese way is to eat it whole (as opposed to smaller pieces in a stir-fry). Shanghai's chickens were once organic and grass-fed, yielding smaller birds offering more tender and flavorful meat than its hormone-injected Western counterparts. Unfortunately, these hormones have found their way to China, and today most chickens are little different from what can be found elsewhere. Still, the unforgettable preparations (drunken, salt-water, plain-boiled with dipping sauce, etc.) of whole chickens chopped up and brought to the table will serve as a reminder that while the industrialization of agriculture has arrived from the West, the preservation of flavor is still an essential element of the local cooking.

Those looking for less cholesterol-laden options need not fret. Shanghai lies at the heart of a region of China that produces and consumes a disproportionately large amount of soy. Thinking tofu? There's the stinky version that when deep-fried, permeates entire blocks with its earthy, often offensive aroma. Of course there are also tofu skins, soy milk (both sweet and savory), firm tofu, soft tofu, tofu custard (generally sweet and served from a road-side cart), dried tofu, oiled tofu, and every kind of tofu imaginable with the exception of tofurkey. There's also vegetarian duck, vegetarian chicken, and vegetarian goose, each of which looks and tastes nothing like the fowl after which it is named but is rather just a soy-dish where the bean curd is expected to approximate the meat's texture. Look out also for gluten-based foods at vegetarian restaurants, which unlike tofu, do not come with the phyto-estrogens that have recently made soy controversial within American vegetarian circles. If you are vegetarian, do be conscious that tofu in China is often regarded not as a substitute for meat (except by the vegetarian Buddhist monks) but rather as an accompaniment to it. As such, take extra care to ensure that your dish isn't served with peas and shrimp or stuffed with ground pork before you order it.

Some other Shanghainese dishes to look out for:

• xiǎo​lóng​bāo​ (小笼包, lit. buns from the little steaming cage, or little dragon buns; fig. steamed dumpling). Probably the most famous Shanghai dish: small steamed buns - often confused for dumplings - come full of tasty (and boiling hot!) broth inside with a dab of meat to boot. The connoisseur bites a little hole into them first, sips the broth, then dips them in dark vinegar (醋 cù​) to season the meat inside. Of special mention is Din Tai Feng, an ever-popular Taiwanese restaurant boasting its designation as one of The New York Times 10 best restaurants in the world, with a handful of locations in Puxi and one in Pudong.
• shēng​ jiān​ bāo​ (生煎包, lit. raw fried buns). Unlike steamed dumplings, these larger buns come with dough from raised flour, are pan-fried until the bottoms reach a deliciously crispy brown, and have not made their way to Chinese menus around the world (or even around China). Still popular with Shanghainese for breakfast and best accompanied by vinegar, eat these with particular care, as the broth inside will squirt out just as easily as their steamed cousins.
• Shàng​hǎi​ máo​ xiè​ (上海毛蟹; Shanghai hairy crab). Best eaten in the winter months (Oct-Dec) and paired with Shaoxing wine to balance out your yin and yang.
• xiè​fěn​ shī​zi​tóu​ (蟹粉狮子头; lit. crab meat pork meatballs).

Drink

Prices of drinks in cafes and bars vary like they would any major metropolis. They can be cheap or be real budget-busters, with a basic coffee or beer costing ¥10-40. There are internationally-known chains, like Starbucks and Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, as well as popular domestic and local java joints to satisfy those looking to relax.

Tsingtao, Snow and Pearl River beer are widely available. Major foreign brands are produced domestically and smaller brands are typically imported. There is also a local brew known as REEB (beer spelled backwards). A large bottle (640 ml) of any of these costs anywhere from ¥2-6.

Shanghai is filled with amazing nightlife, complete with both affordable bars and nightclubs that pulsate with a city energy.

This guide uses the following price ranges for a standard double room:
Budget	¥250
Mid-range	¥250-500
Splurge	¥500-3000

Accommodation in Shanghai can be rivaled by few cities in China, in terms of both variety and services. There are establishments for all types of travelers, from backpacker options for the weary to top of the line hotels and villas for those wishing to be spoiled. Puxi has both new and old hotels with class architectural styles and charm, some of them described in stories when Shanghai may have been the only place in China known to much of the rest of the world, while modern amenities commonly found in Pudong rival many hotels in Asia and beyond.

Contact

Shanghai's area code for landlines is 21, adding a "0" at the beginning if calling outside of the city.

Stay safe

Shanghai is a fairly safe city and violent crime is rare. However, the ever-increasing divide between the haves and have-nots has created its fair share of problems. Petty crimes like pickpocketing exist, and sexual harassment has been reported on crowded public transport. Be mindful during the months and weeks preceding the Chinese New Year (in Jan or Feb depending on lunar calendar) as thieves may be looking to make a little money before they have to buy a train ticket home. Also be careful during Chinese New Year as thieves prey shoppers seeking gifts for the upcoming holiday.

Various tourist-oriented scams, long practiced in Beijing, are unfortunately spreading to Shanghai as well. Be cautious if you meet a group of overly friendly students, women or new "friends" who insist on dragging you along to an art gallery, tea shop or karaoke parlor - you're unlikely to be physically harmed, but the bill may well be more than you bargained for. Police can help to recover some part of your money. Art scams can be found around People's Square near the entrances/exits of the museums and art galleries.

Foreign males may attract unsolicited attention from female sex workers at nightspots. Prostitution is illegal throughout all of China.

Be careful of people who approach and offer to polish your shoes, even if they are obviously a type which don't need polishing. Often when you refuse they'll squirt some hard-to-remove substance on them or the agreed upon price will change without warning.

Hawkers are a nuisance, particularly in areas such as Old Town and Science Museum in Pudong where there are shops in the subway selling fake designer goods. The most effective way to deal with them is to ignore them. Shouting a rude bu yao ("I don't want it") may help.

Be wary also of the "booths" at the Bund area (and the new waterfront development on Pudong side) offering photo services. They will offer to take your picture with the scenic background (and sometimes with costumes) for ¥50, but once you have contracted their services, several cohorts will arrive to "assist" the photographer. They may force you to buy all the snapshots and try to gather crowds to increase pressure.

As for passports, it may be best to have your passport at-hand. Chinese law requires that foreigners have their passports with them, but this is rarely enforced. Hotels will often recommend you leave your passport in their safe, though foreigners may want to consider the hotel and how much they trust it to hold their most important documents. Always carry copies of your passport and visa in a separate place in case they are lost or stolen.

Stay healthy

Drinking tap water is safe when boiled, however tap water is also said to contain high amounts of heavy metals. When buying bottled water, you will come across a whole range of mineral water brands. Cheaper brands cost ¥1-2.50 and are in all the convenience stores and street stands.

Individuals with asthma or respiratory issues should be prepared when visiting due to the air pollution that plays a role in Shanghai's landscape, as would any city in the world with more than 20 million inhabitants and break-neck construction taking place.

• Shanghai Daily, [12]. English-language newspaper and website.  edit

Language

For visitors unused to travel in China the language barrier is likely to be the biggest obstacle, as English ability tends to be very limited in all but the largest tourist draws and establishments that cater specifically to Westerners. Mandarin-learners need to be aware that Shanghainese, a Wu dialect, is the language of the streets and very different from Mandarin, although most Shanghainese under the age of 50 speak Mandarin to one degree or another. The use of Shanghainese as the de facto 'first' language of the city has been discouraged by the government and its use is decreasing both due to the effect of the paramount use of Mandarin in mass media and by the large-scale influx of out-of-town Chinese moving to Shanghai to work in recent years.

In addition, Shanghainese speakers have a particular accent when speaking Mandarin. Mandarin is heavily tone-based and speakers from Beijing can easily be understood (most textbooks are based on their accent or an approximation). Shanghainese speakers, as second-language learners of Mandarin themselves, have appropriated some of the features of the Shanghainese language onto their Mandarin. While in other languages this would not be a problem, given the phonemic and tonal nature inherent to Mandarin, the slightest shift in pronunciation can make it much more difficult to understand. The best thing to do is say "Shuo man yi dian" which means "speak a little slower".

Also, many unskilled laborers from western China, where local languages dominate ("dialect" in government jargon) and Mandarin level is sometimes adequate at best, have moved into Shanghai. They often suffer as do foreigners visiting Shanghai as these laborers ("country-side people, as the Shanghainese call them) have problems with Mandarin, speak little to absolutely no English, and coincidentally, often are in the streets selling.

Rudimentary Chinese and/or pattern matching ability for character recognition will help, as will getting your destination and some simple directions to it written in Chinese characters, particularly when traveling by taxi. Some taxi drivers know English, but not much. Make sure to not waste time with difficult grammatical constructions and pleasantries such as "Oh I was wondering if you could help me find..." It is too confusing. Just say "The Bund" or "Nanjing West". Though it may seem rude to an English speaker, this is EXACTLY how Chinese would say it in Mandarin and is much more effective.

Etiquette

Pushing in subways is the rule, especially the chaotic People's Square Station 人民广场站 where lines 1, 2, and 8 intersect. Just dig in and push, don't feel sorry. Bumping into people in streets is commonplace and should not be a reason to get angry. It is not considered impolite to brush against the side of someone or have feet stepped on (considering the population, this may not be surprising).

Shopping tips

If you're after a new cellphone, go to the Shanghai Railway Station. You can find good deals on secondhand phones as well as new phones (the selection is a mixed bag; you'll find Chinese off-brands mixed with reliable big-name brands as well as cutting-edge Japanese phones; if you live in North or South America be careful about buying the off-brand phones as most do not support the necessary frequencies for use there. Also, in the secondhand section of the market some of the phones are of dubious origin; CDMA phones may have their ESNs blacklisted in their home countries, but for GSM/3G phones the only issue is an ethical one. Be careful about prices that are too good to be true.

• Entry-Exit Bureau, 1500 Mingsheng Rd, Pudong District.  edit

• Australian Consulate-General, Level 22, Citic Sq, 1168 Nanjing W Rd, ☎ +86 021-22155200 (fax: +86 021-22155252).  edit

• British Consulate-General, Ste 301, Shanghai Centre, 1376 Nan Jing Xi Lu, ☎ +86 021-32792000 (fax: +86 021-62797651), [13]. M-Th 8:30AM-5PM, F 8:30AM-3:30PM.  edit

• Canadian Consulate General, 604, West Tower, 1376 Nanjing Rd (W), ☎ +86 021-32792800 (shngi@international.gc.ca, fax: +86 021-32792801). 1PM-4:30PM.  edit

• Consulate General of India, 1008, Shanghai International Trade Centre, 2201 Yan'an Xi Lu, ☎ +86 021-62758882 / 8885 / 8886 (cgoff@indianconsulate.org.cn, fax: +86 021-62758881), [14].  edit

• Consulate General of Ireland, Ste 700A West Tower Shanghai Centre, 1376 Nanjing Rd W, ☎ +86 021-62798729 (fax: +86 021-62798739), [15]. M-F 9:30AM-12:30PM, 2PM-5:30PM.  edit

• Honorary Consulate of Jamaica, 989 Dong Fang Lu, Zhong Da Plaza, 16F, ☎ +86 021-58313553 (gs_intl@163.net, fax: +86 021-68763299), [16].  edit

• New Zealand Consulate-General, Room 1605-1607A, The Centre, 989 Changle Rd C, ☎ +86 021-54075858 (shanghai.enquiries@mft.net.nz, fax: +86 021-54075068), [17]. 8:30AM-5PM.  edit

• Consulate General of Pakistan, Ste 0, 7F Hongqiao Business Center, 2272 Hongqiao Rd, ☎ +86 021-62377000 (pakrepshanghai@yahoo.com, fax: +86 021-62377066), [18]. 8:30AM-5:30PM.  edit

• Philippine Consulate General, Ste 368 Shanghai Centre, 1376 Nanjing W Rd, ☎ +86 021-62798337 (pcg@philcongenshanghai.org, fax: +86 021-62798332), [19].  edit

• Singapore Consulate-General, 89 Wan Shan Rd, ☎ +86 021-62785566 (singcg_sha@sgmfa.gov.sg, fax: +86 021-62956038), [20]. M-F 8:30AM-noon, 1PM-5PM.  edit

• South African Consulate-General, 27F, Rm 2705/5, 222 Yan'an Rd E, ☎ +86 021-53594977 (shanghai@foreign.gov.za, fax: +86 021-63352980).  edit

• Consulate General of the United States, American Citizen Services, Westgate Mall, 1038 W Nanjing Rd, 8F, ☎ +86 021-32174650 ext. ext. 2102,2103,2114 (ShanghaiACS@state.gov, fax: +86 21-62172071), [21]. M-F 8:30AM-11:30AM, 1:30PM-3:30PM, Closed Tu afternoons.  edit

• Jiading, an historic town about an hour NW of Shanghai by bus from Nanjing Xi Lu and Cheng Du Lu. The sights to see are Shanghai's F1 track, a Confucian garden, and a pagoda.

• Shanghai F1 Circuit, special buses run from Shanghai Stadium metro stop and a few others around the city. They cost Y50 return and leave every few minutes when they fill up. On Friday and Saturday it takes an hour or so each way (so if you are staying somewhere in the centre of Shanghai budget 2 hours door to door), on Sunday it is significantly quicker. They also drop you as far away from the main stand as it is possible to get, so budget on another 20-30 minutes to get to your seats depending on where your seats are. On the way back, you are better off just to jump on any bus as they all take you back to a metro station and your door to door travel time should be about the same.

• Qibao, a small ancient town, about 15km from Shanghai city, just in between the city and Minhang district. It resembles the more famous water town, Zhouzhuang.

• Songjiang 松江, a county in Shanghai province, some 30km southwest of Shanghai city. It is less crowded than Shanghai and is a good daytrip. It is also now much more accessible with the opening of the new Metro line 9.

• Xitang, an historic town SW of Shanghai. A few scenes from Mission Impossible 3 were filmed here. A picturesque canal town with old bridges and houses lining the canal lit up at night with red lanterns. You can even stay a night in one of the old houses and sleep in an old bed.

• Zhujiajiao ☎ 021-59240077, 021-59245559, [22]. An historic town an hour by bus west of Shanghai. Another of those picturesque canal towns dating from the Ming dynasty (14th to 17th centuries). The first modern post office in China was established here. Some bars have opened recently, and the town is becoming increasingly bohemian. Worth a look in spite of the abundance of souvenir stores, although not overrun with tourists.

• Nantong, north of Shanghai, a newly developing city. The city has a natural and open atmosphere. Nantong is a modern as well as historic city.

Nearby cities

Several other major Chinese cities are near Shanghai and conveniently reachable on the new high speed (over 200 km/hr) trains. These are comfortable and reasonably priced and except at holidays, are not too crowded since other trains are cheaper. Look for the separate ticket windows with "CRH" on the signs.

• Hangzhou 杭州, about 75 minutes away by CRH, is China's number one domestic tourist attraction featuring the famous Xihu Lake.

• Suzhou 苏州, a historic town under an hour away from Shanghai by express train. The city has long been lauded by emperors, ancient poets, and scholars alike for its beauty and vitality. Due to its many canals and bridges, Suzhou has also sometimes been referred to as the "Venice of the East". Suzhou has many gardens and pagodas worth visiting. The "Venice of the East" parts of Suzhou have all been over run with agressive beggars and pan handlers. The city may be suitable for those wanting to mix the metropolitan feel of Shanghai and small town-feel of Suzhou (even though the population is quite sizeable). Reserve Suzhou if it can be combined with a tour of other historic areas.

• Nanjing 南京, about two hours away, is a great place to escape the pace of citylife. It's also a great place to get a Chinese history lesson. From the city walls to the Presidential Palace, its a walkable, friendly place with a variety of hotels for all budgets. Well worth the effort. It is also home to the tombs of three prominent figures in Chinese history.

• Shaoxing 绍兴, about three hours away, is traditional Chinese tourist attraction featuring the famous fish and rice hometown. The ancient quarry of Keyan is an incredible site. Be sure to take a trip on the local rowboat on the lake surrounding the rocky cliffs. The Jianhu Lake is another beautiful area. Lan Ting is a nice park with lots of stone monuments engraved with historical Chinese calligraphy. The Dayu Ling (Tomb of the Great Yu) is nice although feels disappointingly unauthentic.
• Wuzhen is one of the water towns close to Shanghai, easy to reach on a day trip. Busses depart e.g. from Shanghai Stadium. Go and see how daily life was/is - weaving and coloring fabric, pottery, the Shadow Puppet Theatre is a great spectactle as well, with traditional Chinese stories and music played on traditional instruments. Well worth a visit, though it can be crowded at weekends..Wuzhen (乌镇) is located on the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and also around a net-work of other smaller canals and rivers. The town has numerous bridges, ancient harbors and water-side pavilions, and makes an excellent complimentary side-trip for visitors staying in nearby Hangzhou. Buses ply the route from Hangzhou to Wuzhen.

Routes through Shanghai

Beijing ← Zhenjiang ←

W  E

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