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Shanghai vacations

◆The old say that Shanghai is modern and fashionable, while the young say that Shanghai is old and reminiscent. Regarded as the 'Oriental Pearl', the city has a unique and important place in modern China and its rich heritage is worthy of exploration. Wherever you come from, so long as you are interested in the history of modern China, Shanghai vacations will be an ideal starting point.

◆Shanghai, Hu for short, is situated on the banks of the Yangtze River Delta in East China, guarding the gateway of the Yangtze River in the north, facing the sea in the east and bordering the scenic city of Hangzhou Bay in the south. It is one of the four municipalities directly under the Central Government as well as the largest city of China and the seventh largest in the world. With a population of about 18 million, it is also one of the most populous and most developed cities in China. Widely regarded as the citadel of China's modern economy, the city serves as one of the nation's most important cultural, commercial, financial, industrial and communications centers.

1. Attractions:

Shanghai is an emerging tourist destination renowned for its historical landmarks such as the Huangpu River and the Bund, Xintiandi, its modern and ever-expanding Pudong skyline including the Oriental Pearl Tower, its well-known shopping paradise Nanjing Road, and the historical remains Jade Buddha Temple and Yuyuan Garden. They are all the limelight of your Shanghai vacations.

2.Dining

Shanghai cuisine, known as Hu cuisine, is the youngest of the ten major cuisines in China. Originated in the Ming and Qing dynasties, Shanghai cuisine, with a history of over 400 years, was traditionally called Benbang cuisine.

Taking Benbang cuisine as base, Shanghai cuisine has adopted certain merits of Beijing, Shandong, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Suzhou cuisines and formed a complex flavor structure, cooking style and technique norms of its own. It stresses using condiments and keeping the original flavors of the materials and has features of being fresh, smooth and crispy.

Through years of culinary practice and the assimilation of the art in other styles of cuisine, Shanghai chefs have created a style of cuisine peculiar to the region. The representatives of Shanghai cuisines include: Xiao Long Bao, Da Zha Xie, xiefen shizitou, drunken chicken, etc.

Da Zha Xie (Hairy Crabs)

Although not produced in Shanghai, Da Zha Xie is really the most famous cate here. The crab of Shanghai is from Yangchenghu Lake. Late autumn is the best time to eat Da Zha Xie. Only in the autumn, the Da Zha Xie from Yangchenghu Lake is rich in fat and ovary.

Da Zha Xie cold be served in many ways. Steaming is the most popular one through which the original flavor of crab would be maintained. When you eat steamed crab, you may dip them into some sauce made of vinegar and ginger and you will find it fresh and delicious.

Xiao Long Bao (Little Dragon Bun)

Xiao Long Bao, widely known as Xiao Long Man Tou (bun) to natives, is the most famous snack in Shanghai. These buns are traditionally steamed in bamboo baskets, hence the name. Unlike the buns in northern China, these buns are very small and easy to swallow. Xiao Long Bao is traditionally filled with soup and meat, but variations include seafood and vegetarian fillings, as well as other possibilities. The skin of the buns is very thin and the bun is very juicy.

Traditionally, the Xiao Long Bao is classified to a dianxin (Dim Sum) or snack item. But now, it gradually becomes a popular as a dish in a main meal. Xiao Long Bao is served hot. It is dipped in vinegar with ginger slivers, and is traditionally served with a light, clear soup. Nanxiang Mantou Dian and Ding Tai Feng are all good choice to taste Xiao Long Bao.

3.Shopping

Shanghai is usually reputed as the shopping paradise and oriental Paris. When you travel to Shanghai, one thing should not be omitted besides sightseeing is going shopping. There are department stores, shopping centers, hundred year old shops, shops for special commodities and supermarkets row upon row with each showing its own domain. The famous, special and superb commodities from home and abroad are a feast for eyes with everything that one could wish for.

Shanghai is famous for its clothing and fashions. Products are of great quality and come for a good price. Nevertheless, in high class boutiques, you will not find bargains.

Major Commercial Areas:

Huaihai Road:

Huaihai Road has a history of over 100 years. As early as a half of century ago, Huaihai Road has been a very famous commercial street and enjoyed the fame of Oriental Paris Commercial Street. Nowadays, the harmonious combination of the western and eastern cultures is the distinctive feature in this street. Brightly lit at night and always busy, this is a good road for people watching and shopping.

The commodities in Huaihai Road are not only rich in variety but also have a complete structure, which could meet the needs of consumers from all classes. The most prosperous section of Huaihai Road is the 2.2 km-long commercial street from Shaanxi Road to Tibet Road. Over 400 modernized shops are lined in this section selling high and medium grades things. The large shops like the Huating Esetan, the Paris Spring and the Shanghai No.2 Yongxin Department Store all can be found there, which is specially favored by the working classes.

Nanjing Lu (Nanjing Road):

Nanjing Road, widely known as the No. 1 shopping street in China, is located near the Bund with the total length of 5.5 kilometers. It stretches from the Bund east towards Hongqiao, with Shanghai's center point People's Square in the middle. It is the symbol as well as the main shopping street in Shanghai city.

Taking Tibet Road as the midpoint, Nanjing Road is divided into two parts: East Nanjing Road and West Nanjing Road. Generally speaking, East Nanjing Road is more historical but these days a little down market, while West Nanjing Road is brash, modern and caters more to the status-conscious luxury shopper.

Today, Nanjing Road has become a must go place for visitors to Shanghai.

Xujiahui

Typical of the growth in Shanghai, in just ten years Xujiahui has become one of the four commercial areas of Shanghai. Xujiahui shopping is most famous for electronic items such as cameras, computers, etc., but it is exceptional in its variety of goods available. Grand Gateway, Oriental Shopping Center, The Pacific Department Store, Huijin, Huilian, The Sixth Department Store, Metro City, Cross Region Plaza and other shopping centers create one of the biggest shopping destinations in the city. Xujiahui has complete facilities including two cinemas, a dining plaza, Hengshan Lu for bars and restaurants, two hypermarkets and Yishan Lu for construction and decoration materials.The transportation network is also mature here, as metro line one, three and four have station stops in the district.

4.Entertainment

Never spend your Shanghai vacations without trying some entertainment activities in Shanghai.

Shanghai is the right city in China for entertainment. As the birthplace of China’s film and the site for one of the most famous World Film Festivals, Shanghai has many top-class cinemas, which could give you unequaled visual effects. Besides, it also has a number of performance troupes famed at home and abroad, such as Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Shanghai Ballet Troupe, Shanghai Kunqu Opera Company, Shanghai Beijing Opera Company, Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe and Shanghai Shaoxing Opera Theatre, etc.

house used to be a traditional Chinese social place in past times. However, it becomes more and more popular in recent years. Most tea houses open all night. Inviting some friends and spend the whole night at tea house is very relaxing.

Bar culture has already become a necessary part of culture in Shanghai. Nobody could tell how many bars are in Shanghai. Not all the people go to bars for drink. With various activities, such as parties, vocal concerts and conferences, entering into the bars, bars have become a common place to relax.

Of course, there are also some usual Chinese favorites too. Bowling alleys, Karaoke halls and Computer Games rooms are scattered throughout the city.

5.Transportation

Airport

Shanghai is the only city in China to have two international airports.

Hongqiao International Airport is located in the western suburbs of Shanghai, only 13 kilometers away from the city center. Before the construction of Shanghai Pudong International Airport in 1999, Hongqiao Airport served as the main international airport in Shanghai. But now, Hongqiao airport now only services domestic flights. A taxi to Hongqiao airport from CBD should cost approximately RMB30-50.

Pudong International Airport is the new international airport in Shanghai. Located 30 km east of Shanghai city, Pudong airport covers an area of 40 square kilometers and is a major international gateway into China as well as the main hub for China Eastern Airlines and Shanghai Airlines.

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.

Currently, Pudong International Airport has accommodated an average aircraft movement over 400 times per day, already accounting for approx. 60% of the total aircraft movements of Shanghai. And it is serving for about 50 domestic and foreign airlines, connecting with over 70 international and regional destinations and 60 domestic destinations.

Railway Station

There are two main train stations in Shanghai.

Shanghai Railway Station, Shanghai's largest and oldest, is 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. But southern services are being shifted out to the new South Station.

Shanghai South Railway Station, the second major passenger-train station in Shanghai, opens officially on July 1, 2006. to take over about a third of Shanghai’s railway traffic. It is serviced by Metro Line 1 or Line 3 via the interchange station of the same name, which is within walking distance from the train station. Transfer corridors in the station building allows indoor transfer between the train station and the metro station.

Train tickets could be conveniently booked in advance at one of the many travel service agencies. If urgent, they could also be directly booked at the train stations and the Shanghai Railway Station even has an English counter.

Buses

Shanghai has the world's most extensive bus system. It totally has about 20 bus companies and more than 1000 formal bus lines. The number of operational buses is about 18,000, including more than 9,500 air-conditioned and high-end buses.

Most downtown buses use numbers to specify the lines, while suburban buses and a few downtown bus lines use alphabets.

Metro:

Nowadays, Shanghai has 5 Metro lines.

  · Line 1, Identify color: Red, 32.358 km long, runs from Xinzhuang via Shanghai Railway Station to Gongfu Xincun.

  · Line 2, Identify color: Green, 25.4 km long, runs from Songhong Road to Zhangjiang.

  · Line 3, Identify color: Yellow, 40.3 km long, runs from North Jiangyang Road to Shanghai South Railway Station.

  · Line 4, Identify color: Purple, 27 km long, overlaps with Line 3 on about half of its run.

  · Line 5, (yellow with red color), 17.2 km long, runs from Xinzhuang to the Minhang Development Zone.

Ticket Fare:

For most lines, the base fare is 3 yuan for journeys under 6km, then 1 yuan for each additional 10 km.

For journeys exclusively on Line 5, the fare is 2 yuan for journeys less than 6 km and all other journeys are 3 yuan (the total length of this line being 16 km).

There will be a 10% discount for the rest of the calendar month if you use Shanghai Public Transportation Card and your fare reaches 70 yuan in a month.

Taxies

There are totally 45,000 taxis in Shanghai. Shanghai taxis use meters. The taxi fare will be showed on the meter on taxi and recorded on receipt at last.

In daytime, the base price is 11yuan for the first 3 kilometers. After that, 2.1 yuan is charged for each additional kilometer within 10km, 3.15yuan for 1km increment exceeding 10km.

At night, 14 yuan for the first 3km from 23:00pm to 5:00am. After that, it costs 2.73yuan for 1km increment within 10km, 3.36yuan for 1km increment exceeding 10km.

Waiting time: every 5mins will be counted as 1km.

6.Climate and Clothes

Located near the sea, Shanghai is influenced by subtropical maritime monsoon climate. It enjoys four distinct seasons, generous sunshine, and abundant rainfall. Shanghai is characterized by a warm spring, hot summer, cool autumn and cold winter.

Spring

# In spring (March – May), the average temperature here is 10 centigrade degrees. Travel Shanghai during this period, sweater and jacket are needed.

Summer

The summer here is hot and humid. July and August are Shanghai's hottest months with average highs of 27.4 degrees centigrade. The "Plum Flower Rain" season is from mid-June to early July with an average daily rainfall of 259 mm. In August and September, strong storms with torrential rain become frequent. Go to Shanghai in the summer, never forget to bring Suntan oil, sunglasses and umbrella with you. T-shirt is ok for the outdoor activities. However, it will be uncomfortably cold in the subways or shopping malls because someone has set the air conditioner too low. Then, a long sleeve shirt is necessary.

Autumn

The best time to visit Shanghai is autumn. The autumn in Shanghai is so short that sometimes it passes silently before people have felt it. The temperature in summer is mild and rain is less likely than in spring and summer. The temperature changes from 10 to 20 centigrade degree. Jacket and sweater is needed during this period. Face cream and lipstick will be helpful to your skin in this dry season.

Winter

Generally speaking, Shanghai formally enters the winter in December. The temperature ranges from 0 to 10 centigrade degree. January is the coldest month, with a average temperature of 3 centigrade degree. It seldom snow in Shanghai. Even though, the weather in winter is humid. Actually, winter is not the good time to travel Shanghai. If you have to come, sweater, jacket, gloves, overcoat or down coat should be packed in your luggage.

7.Travel Tips

◆As a shopping paradise, Shanghai will fully meet your shopping demands. But always remember to compare the price among different places before you make decisions.

◆Not all the price in the tags is unaltered, even in some major shopping malls. The final price sometimes depends on your bargaining skills.

◆Before eating out, you are recommended to make a reservation 24 hours in advance. This is very important, especially in some well-known restaurants. Or else, sometimes you have to spend a long time in waiting

◆Shanghai has a heavy traffic, especially during the rush hour. The traffic here is more infuriating than most major cities' in China. Remember to set off ahead of schedule so that you will not be delayed by the heavy traffic.

China Attractions
Yuyuan Garden Huangpu River and the Bund Oriental Pearl TV Tower Jade Buddha Temple Nanjing Road

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