Shanghai, China City Travel Information
The bright Shanghai Downtown Skyline.
City Description:
Shanghai is one of the best cities in China to see an example of where "Far East meets West" with its many western styled buildings with English, French and Art Deco architecture. There is also a fascinating mix of people in Shanghai that are distinctly different from people in other parts of China thanks to the Western influence.
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City Highlights:
Make sure to visit the night markets in the poor parts of the city, it will give you a perspective on Shanghai most tourists never get a chance to see (as well as a lot of stares from the locals probably wondering what the hell Westerners are doing there).
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City Lowlights:
Shanghai is really, really polluted.
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Restaurants:
The night markets are a great place to get some authentic (although not very healthy) Chinese food. Besides those, restaurants can be found on almost every street corner. In the more touristy areas of the City, like the Nanjing district, Bund area or the YuYuan "Old Street" area you can find many Western restaurants as well as a lot of Chinese fast food and some good Chinese cafeterias.
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Nightlife:
Shanghai has some world renowned nightlife. Whatever your taste, you can find it in Shanghai.
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Public Transport:
Shanghai has a great subway system. If that can't get you where you need to go, there is also a well run bus system along with taxis.
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The People:
The people in Shanghai were very friendly, and pretty laid back in some ways. In fact, it is not at all uncommon to see people walking around the city in their pajamas. I wish you could do that in most places of the world!
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Sights:
Shanghai doesn't have as much to offer as other big cities in China. There is the Bund District where you can get some nice views of the skyline as well as see some old European architecture. There is also the Nanjing shopping district with many high end stores and neon lights. Nearby is the YuYuan "Old Street" shopping area with many Chinese stores (modernized now) along with a lot of Western eateries. Finally, a visit to some of the poorer night markets could provide one with an insight into the "real" Shanghai.
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My Thoughts on this City:
Shanghai is a cool stop on any trip and allowing you to experience another facet of China. It may be a bit polluted and crowded, but how can you visit China and not go to "Shanghai"? However, that being said, priority should be given to other cities like Beijing before Shanghai if you are on a time crunch.
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