Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Tiger Beer]

I'm thinking of getting away for a long weekend to Shanghai.

Who's been to Shanghai? Places you've been to, impressions and what you think of the city, etc.

[HapKi]

I've been to Shanghai a couple of times. (Once flew into Nanjing and took the train to Shanghai). I HIGHLY recommend going. A great mix of historic quaintness and modern shopping.

Things I'd recommend-

Walking the Bund
Walking Nanjing Street, which intersects the Bund and is the largest pedestrian street in Asia.
Eating at one of the restaurants at the upper end of Nanjing Street, ordering random things off a book-sized menu
Going to the musuem
Taking the Maglev train to/from Pudong Airport
Going to the Yuan Gardens (?)
Getting the Lonely Planet for Shanghai and doing several of the planned walks through different neighborhoods. Talk about character.
Staying here-
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g308272-d586566-Reviews-Nanjing_Hotel-Shanghai_Shanghai.html

Feel free to ask any questions.

[chris_J2]

I have also been to Shanghai a couple of times.

Nanjing Road is best seen early evening, when all the neon lights come on. The Pudong Pearl Tower & adjacent museum are worth seeing too. The observation deck in the 2nd bubble is adequate & cost me 50 yuan a few years ago. The upper bubble was 100 yuan & too far up to see anything. Yuyuan Gardens was good although very crowded. Try to avoid going on weekends.

[HapKi]

Pearl Tower. The 5th tallest building in the world (Jin Mao Building), is next door, and dwarfs the Pearl. You can go to the top of both.


The Bund, along the riverfront. Notice the western architecture.


Yuyuan Gardens

[chris_J2]

Good pics

Looks like the last shot of the Yuyuan Gardens was taken on a weekend or public holiday. As you can see, that zigzag bridge is VERY crowded.

[Tiger Beer]

[LL Moonmanhead]

[Tiger Beer]

[cangel]

All good suggestions. I'd also suggest taking the MagLev train from the airport. Of course it doesn't go into the city so you'll have to transfer or take a taxi from the station. Max speed is 431kph. I'd also suggest a foof massage, or more if you have the time. Really cheap and absolutely fabulous... Go for at least the hour, preferably 90 minute foot massages.

[articulate_ink]

Just got back today. Loved it.

Recommendations:

The Bund at sunset.

Old Town.

Yuyuan Gardens. Yes, it'll be a little crowded. Go anyway.

Xintiandi (eat at TMSK or at least have drinks there if you've got the money)

Shopping on Nanjing Road. I love the fact that Shanghai has H&M and Zara.

Oriental Pearl Building (but I like tall towers)

Get a massage at Green Massage in Xintiandi (greenmassage.com.cn) and eat great Taiwanese food next door at Bellagio Cafe afterward.

Forget Lonely Planet; get the Time Out Shanghai guide. Order it from Whatthebook if you have time for it to get here. Time Out does the best guidebooks by a mile.

Buy international groceries at the JiuGuang (Sogo) department store, which you can get to via the Jing'an Temple metro station. It's not quite CitySuper in Hong Kong but it's light years ahead of the execrable supermarkets you find here.

Take the Maglev to its terminus at the Longyang Road metro station, then take a taxi to your hotel. It's faster and cheaper than taking a taxi the entire way, and you're less likely to get motion sickness.

I flew Shanghai Airlines. They were good. Not in the same league as the other Asian greats (Cathay, Singapore, Malaysia Airlines, etc) but comparable to good flights on one of the solid US carriers like Continental.

Have fun!

[Tiger Beer]

[articulate_ink]

[jg]

Lived in Sh for two years. If you are staying on the Bund and looking for a bit of nightlife, just go along that big pedestrian street - Nanjing Road. It's long and you will go past People's Square, then another half mile or so and you get to Nanjing Road west. Lots of nice little bars on the streets that bisect Nanjing Road once you get past the Ritz Carlton hotel. There is Malone's, a Thai restaurant that gets kinda lively, and on Nanjing Road there is a raucous, collegey/dive bar called Windows, they have 10 RMB (about 1.25 US) mixed drinks and lots of English speaking clientele. The joint's always packed, even on Sundays, and the crowd is pretty liberal and outgoing, not just a bunch of Chinese sitting around eating sunflower seeds and playing the "fingers" game. Then there is Always Cafe, a good restaurant with seating right by the sidewalk and an eclectic menu. A bit before Always cafe is a fairly creative sushi bar with reasonable prices.

Tongren Road is the bar street, but its kinda lame. Too many streetwalkers and the bars are dullish, but there are several of them right in a row.

If you aren't up for the walk you can take the subway, the closest station to the bund is Henan central road, on Nanjing Lu 3 blocks from the Bund. Ride to Shimen Yi road and walk west, towards Jing An Temple (if you ask where the temple is, most people can point it out). You seem to be a big traveler and so I guess you'd like the stroll down Nanjing Road, its a great place to people watch and you see a good representation of all that Sh has to offer. Don't take any girls up on offers to join them for tea though, unless you wanna get strong armed out of your $$$.

In People' square there is a bar called Barbarossa, not too shabby. As far as non-alcoholic culture, Suzhou Creek has a few art galleries, and does TaiKang Road. Taikang Road is particularly nice, and if you are a crawfish man (like me) this is high season and you are bound to run across a place serving up mudbugs, people in China go nuts for them.

As far as ticketing, I flew Air Korea on a holiday I took to Korea and it was the cheapest of the bunch, I didn't go through an agency. I had to fly from Shangai to Busan first, kind of a headache but then again I saved quite a bit.


Happy Travels!

Edit: I left in Spring 05, but I imagine most of this info is still pretty relevant.