Shanghai

Welcome to Shanghai! One of the world's most modern cities, Shanghai gracefully blends the traditional with the contemporary. As a Muslim traveler, you'll find that Shanghai is surprisingly accommodating. Here's a guide to help you navigate the city while maintaining your Islamic practices:

Shanghai is one of four cities in China that are administered as municipalities (市) at the same level in the hierarchy as provinces. It is not part of any province and there is no government structure at province, prefecture or city level, just a government for Shanghai Municipality and one for each of the 16 neighborhoods within it. This is an overview article for the entire municipality. For the central neighborhoods which have most of the tourist attractions, hotels and restaurants, see #Downtown and #Pudong below.

The municipality covers quite a large area — 6341 km² or 2,448 square miles — and has a population around 24 million, which is about the same as Australia and more than all but two US states and all but six EU member countries. Its GDP is larger than that of many countries, and it has the world's busiest container port. Shanghai is the main hub of the East China region, all of which is densely populated, heavily industrialized, prosperous, well supplied with migrant workers from poorer parts of China, and still growing.

Shanghai is split in two by the Huangpu River (黄浦江 Huángpǔ Jiāng), into Puxi (浦西 Pǔxī) west of the river and Pudong (浦东 Pǔdōng) east of the river. Both terms can be used in a general sense for everything on their side of the river, including various suburbs. However and they are more often used in a much narrower sense where Puxi is the older (since the 19th century) downtown and Pudong the mass of new (since 1990) high-rise development right across the river from there.

History has shaped Shanghai's cityscape significantly. British-style buildings can still be seen on the Bund, while French-style buildings are still to be found in the former French Concession. What was once a racetrack on the edge the British area is now People's Park, with a major metro interchange underneath. Other metro stops include the train station at the edge of what was once the American area, and Lao Xi Men and Xiao Nan Men, Old West Gate and Small South Gate respectively, named for two of the gates of the old Chinese walled city.

Suzhou Creek (Wusong River) is more a small river than a creek, a tributary which flows into the Huangpu at the north end of the Bund. It starts near Suzhou and is the outlet for Lake Tai. Within Shanghai parts of it form the boundary between Huangpu and Jing'an neighborhoods to the south and Hongkou and Zhabei to the north.

The city has quite a few parks scattered about—see #Parks below and the individual neighborhood articles for details—but other than that it is mostly heavily built up and densely populated. The surviving 19th-century buildings are nearly all at least two floors and fairly densely packed, and new buildings of 20 floors or more are widespread. Some of the suburbs still have low-density areas and even some farmland, but they also have large residential developments and big modern malls.

Shanghai has sometimes had groups of refugees arrive from other parts of the world. One group were White Russians fleeing the 1917 revolution; in the 1920s the French Concession had more Russians than French (and of course more Chinese than both of those together). Another group were Yahudi leaving Germany in the 1930s; they mainly settled in Hongkou, a neighborhood that already had many Jews. After Japan took over Korea in 1910 and Manchuria in 1931, Shanghai got refugees from both regions.

Districts

Shanghai Municipality has 16 administrative neighborhoods, all with at least a few hundred thousand people, and has separate eHalal Travel Guides for most of them. Here we try to split them up in a way that will make sense for Muslim travellers.

Downtown

The historic core of Shanghai, it includes both the old Chinese city and the area of the International Settlement which began in the 1840s and lasted until the 1930s. It can be called Puxi (浦,西), downtown Shanghai (上海市区) or the downtown (市中心). Today this area is still the core of the city. Most of the tourist attractions and many hotels are here, and many metro lines run through it.

The four neighborhoods downtown are:

Huangpu
The most central neighborhood of Shanghai with the Bund (a riverside boulevard that was the center of commerce in the colonial era), People's Park (often considered the center of the city), and many other attractions.

The red area on the map shows what our Huangpu article covers, excluding two areas that are administered as part of Huangpu but are covered in other articles here. The Old City has its own article and we cover Luwan as part of the French Concession.

Old City
This area was a walled city for nearly a thousand years before modern Shanghai developed around it; the wall is long gone, replaced by a ring road. The area has quite a few traditional Chinese-style buildings including some of the city's most important temples, and a fine classical Chinese garden, It also has much tourist-oriented shopping and is a major draw for both Chinese and foreign tourists, less so for Shanghai residents.

Jing'an
The center of this area is a magnificent Buddhist temple more than 1500 years old; today there is a major metro station under it. The area is now one of the most built-up in the city with much upmarket shopping and extensive highrise development — commercial, residential and office — including many of the foreign Shanghai#Consulates

French Concession
With a fine Catholic cathedral and other interesting older buildings, now also with many up-market highrise residential and office buildings and several large malls. The area has much of the city's shopping — including high-end international brands, boutiques for local designers, and outlets for artists and craftspeople — and much of its nightlife as well. Our French Concession article covers all of the official neighborhood Xuhui, much of which was in the old concession though the southern parts were not. It also covers Luwan, which is no longer an official neighborhood and is now administered as part of Huangpu.

Of course "downtown" is not precisely defined; the four neighborhoods we have above are clearly the most central, but some definitions would include others which we list under inner suburbs below.

Pudong

Directly across the river from (east of) downtown, Pudong is a major center of recent development (since about 1990) as a skyscraper-filled financial center. Pudong is listed here separately from the #Downtown|older downtown area on the Puxi side, but it might be described as an extension of the downtown core, or even as the new center of the city. Shanghai - Pudong - Lujiazui - Lujiazui, seen from the Bund

Pudong
Pudong is a highly developed area with more skyscrapers than New York, several of the world's tallest buildings, and plenty of facilities catering to business travellers or well-off tourists. Budget travellers might want to see some of Pudong's sights or splurge in one of its bars or restaurants, but in general they will spend more time in the older downtown across the river.

In Shanghai's administrative system the area we describe in the Pudong

Travel Guide is just the central part of a much larger official neighborhood called Pudong New Area, which also includes the less developed Nanhui to the south. has a separate article for Nanhui, and it is listed as an outer suburb below.

Inner suburbs

The inner suburbs all (except Yangpu) have direct borders with the downtown core, are all quite built up, and all have good metro service. All are primarily residential areas, but most have considerable industry and many offices as well and all have some large shopping malls.

These neighborhoods have some tourist attractions and several have hotels that are cheaper than those downtown but still convenient for sightseeing or shopping. Several have universities, and nearby areas tend to have many low-priced restaurants catering to the student market; see #Learn below and the neighborhood articles for details.

Yangpu
Northeast of downtown, where Fudan University and Tongji University are located. It is has many moderately-priced restaurants catering to the student market. For shoppers, it has the huge Wujiaochang (五角场) mall.

Hongkou
North and a bit east of downtown, where the former Japanese concession was located, home of Lu Xun Park and a football stadium, had many of Shanghai's substantial Yahudi population in the first half of the 20th century. Mostly residential.

Zhabei
Zhabei is an older neighborhood north of downtown with the Shanghai Railway Station and the Shanghai Circus. In 2017 it was merged into Jing'an neighborhood for administrative purposes.

Putuo
Northwest of downtown, mainly a residential neighborhood. For travellers, it has some decent youth hostels near the metro.

Changning
West of downtown; the Shanghai Zoo is in this area. Changning is a very large, primarily residential neighborhood but in recent years has seen more commercial and entertainment hubs develop, especially in the area around Zhongshan Park.

Minhang
West and south of downtown, includes the water town Qibao. Metro line Station shanghai

Hongqiao Airport and Hongqiao Railway Station are in this area, on the border between Changning and the northern tip of Minhang.

Outer suburbs

The outer suburbs wrap around the southern, western and northwestern sides of the city. The sea is on the east and south, while the Yangtze River is on the northeast.

All of these areas still include some farmland but large parts of them are already covered with residential and industrial suburban development and the trend shows no sign of stopping. What were once rural villages serving nearby farms have become towns, often fairly interesting ones that preserve some of the traditional buildings, but also often with new high-rises and malls.

As of 2022, nearly all of these outer suburbs have metro connections and planned extensions to the metro system will reach the rest by 2020. In the meanwhile and there is bus service to all of them; see the neighborhood articles for details.

The areas along the seacoast at the southern edge of the municipality — Fengxian, Jinshan and Nanhui — have beaches that are popular as a weekend getaway for Shanghai residents.

Baoshan
North of downtown, with some coastline on the Along the Yangtze River

Jiading
Northwest of downtown, bordering Suzhou. Metro line Station shanghai

Qingpu
On the western edge of the municipality. At its western tip is the water town Zhujiajiao.

Songjiang
Southwest of downtown, bordering Minhang, not on a municipality border.

Jinshan
At the southwest corner of the municipality, includes the water town Fengjing.

Fengxian
On the southern edge of Shanghai Municipality.

Nanhui
At the southeast corner of the municipality, administratively part of Pudong New Area. Has the Shanghai Disney Resort.

The islands

Chongming
Chongming Island in the Yangtze plus a couple of smaller islands nearby make up Chongming District and the most northerly, most remote and least developed area in Shanghai Municipality. As of 2022, it is reached by ferry from Baoshan or a highway from Pudong; a metro connection is planned for 2020. It has the largest land area of any neighborhood and is considered relatively rural compared to the rest of Shanghai, even though it has about 700,000 people.

History of Islam in Shanghai

Shanghai, often hailed as the "Pearl of the Orient," has a rich and layered history, offering glimpses of cultural intersections. Among these intersections is the influence and presence of Islam. While Shanghai might not immediately spring to mind when one thinks of Islamic centers, the city has a significant Muslim heritage that traces back centuries.

Early Muslim Settlement

Islam's footprint in China goes back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) when Arab traders and travelers started to venture into China along the Silk Road. These traders were primarily coming from Persia and Central Asia. By the time of the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368), Muslims had already become an integral part of Chinese society.

While the exact date of the first Muslim settlers in Shanghai is unclear, it is believed that they arrived during the Yuan or the early Ming Dynasty. These settlers were primarily merchants, officials, and scholars. Over time, they integrated with local Chinese communities, giving rise to the Hui ethnicity – a group of Han Chinese who practice Islam.

The Rise of Islamic Influence

By the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, the Muslim community in Shanghai was thriving. They had established mosques, schools, and cemeteries. The Songjiang Mosque, believed to have been built during the Yuan Dynasty, is one of the oldest in the region.

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Shanghai emerged as a significant commercial and cosmopolitan hub, attracting international communities, including Muslims from various countries. This period saw an increase in the Hui Muslim population, as well as an influx of Muslim traders and workers from places like Yunnan, Ningxia, and Xinjiang.

Cultural Fusion

The integration of Muslims into Shanghai society resulted in a unique cultural blend. The city's cuisine, for instance, saw the introduction of halal dishes, with mutton becoming a favored ingredient. Additionally, Islamic architectural motifs became part of Shanghai's landscape, most notably in its mosques.

Challenges and Revival

The socio-political changes in the 20th century, particularly during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), posed challenges for all religious communities, including Muslims. However, with the economic reforms of the late 20th century, there was a resurgence of religious freedom. Mosques were renovated and reopened. Today, there are about eight mosques in Shanghai serving the city's Muslim community. The Phoenix Mosque and the Pudong Mosque are among the most prominent.

Shanghai's Muslim community is actively involved in business, arts, and education. The city hosts various halal restaurants, showcasing the rich culinary diversity of Chinese Muslim cuisine.

The Present Day

In contemporary Shanghai, the Hui Muslims are the primary Muslim ethnic group, though there are also smaller communities of Uighurs and Kazakhs. The city has embraced its multicultural identity, and Islam forms an integral part of this tapestry.

Various cultural events, like the Shanghai Muslim Food Festival, showcase the harmonious blend of Chinese and Islamic cultures. Islamic art exhibitions, interfaith dialogues, and educational seminars are also frequently organized, highlighting the enduring and evolving legacy of Islam in Shanghai.

Mosques in Shanghai

Xiaotaoyuan Mosque:

Address: 52 Xiaotaoyuan St, Huangpu District.

Description: Built in 1917, this mosque is an architectural blend of Arabic and Chinese styles. It's the most popular mosque in Shanghai, and regular prayers, including Jumma, are held here.

Songjiang Mosque:

Address: 21 Zhongshan Rd, Songjiang District.

Description: An old mosque with a rich history dating back over 600 years.

Pudong Mosque:

Address: 375 Yuanshen Rd, Pudong New Area.

Description: A relatively new mosque catering to the growing Muslim community in the Pudong district.

Shanghai Halal Travel Guide

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 architecture|Art Deco buildings in the world. There were concessions (designated neighborhoods) controlled by Western powers in the late 19th and early 20th century, so in many places the city has buildings in various Western styles.

Shanghai is definitely a cosmopolitan city by Chinese standards, although it is less diverse than many western cities. The population was 23 million as of the 2020 census; 9 million (almost 40%) of those were migrants, people from elsewhere in China who have come to find work or to attend one of Shanghai's many educational institutions. There is also a substantial international contingent: 208,300 foreigners lived in Shanghai as of 2010, slightly over a third of the national total of 594,000. There are services that cater to these markets — restaurants with food from anywhere in China for the migrants (in particular, lots of good affordable Sichuan food and West-of-China noodles) and a good range of grocery stores, restaurants that cater to the foreigners.

There is an Encyclopedia of Shanghai, in English, that is available both as a book in local bookstores and online at the municipal government site. Much of it is rather boring — statistics, photos of the officials in charge of each development project, and project descriptions that give much financial and engineering detail — but there is also some quite useful material. For example, it has detailed descriptions of every museum and park in the city.

Economy

Shanghai is strategically positioned: near the geographic center of China, at the mouth of the great Along the Yangtze River|Yangtze River and surrounded by fertile delta land. It has been a trading city for a thousand years and one of China's main centers of trade since the 1840s; today it is a major transport hub. It has the world's busiest container port and additional port facilities are under development. Shanghai's Pudong Airport is a global air hub and ranks third on a list of China's busiest airports. Shanghai's other airport, Hongqiao, ranks fourth. The city is also very well connected by both road and rail.

Shanghai is also one of the main industrial centers of China, and the municipal government has set up a number of industrial zones to encourage additional development. 2011 GDP was $300 billion, which is actually just ahead of the entire country of Malaysia.

There is a saying that goes, "Shanghai is heaven for the rich, hell for the poor." People from all over China flock to Shanghai — everyone from farmers seeking jobs in manual labour to university graduates seeking to start a career or wanting to live in a cool up-tempo city. About 40% of the population, 9 million out of 23, are migrants from other parts of China. Real estate prices, especially in central areas, have skyrocketed in the past few years; rents are among the highest in the world and even well-off people complain that buying a home is becoming imfeasible.

The surrounding East China region is populous, prosperous, highly developed, and still growing. Shanghai plays an important role as the center of that region.

History

While the area has been inhabited since prehistoric times and there has been a town at least since the Song Dynasty, a thousand years or so ago, Shanghai only rose to prominence after China lost the First Opium War in 1842. Shanghai grew amazingly after that; until then nearby cities like Hangzhou, Suzhou and Nanjing had been far more important, but since the late 19th century Shanghai has been the center of the region.

By the early 20th century, Shanghai was the largest and most prosperous city in the Far East, and one of the wildest. With the opening up of China since the late 1970s, Shanghai has regained much of its former glory and has surpassed it in many ways; the pace of development being absolutely furious. Today, Shanghai is back to being one of the largest and most prosperous cities in Asia, though not nearly as wild as it once was. It is now a very attractive city for Muslim travellers from all over the world, and a major tourist destination for both tourism and business. A Forbes article ranks Shanghai as the world's 14th most visited city, with 6.5 million visitors in 2012.

From the early 1840s to the late 1930s parts of Shanghai were areas administered by foreign powers. Eight nations—Britain, France and the US, Germany, Italy, Russia, Austria-Hungary, and Japan—had concessions in Shanghai, areas that they controlled and where Chinese law did not apply. Most of these were jointly administered as the "International Settlement", but the French ran theirs separately. In all of them and the population was mainly Chinese but there were also many foreigners, and the government and legal system were foreign. The police included many Sikhs and some French gendarmes.

Many important Chinese lived in the concession areas. Chairman Mao's Shanghai house is now a museum in Jing'an District, while both the houses of several other leaders and the site of the first national meeting of the Party are now museums in the French Concession.

Today most of the former concession areas are parts of downtown Shanghai, listed at #Downtown above.

"Central District" on the old map was British and the center of colonial Shanghai. It corresponds roughly to the modern neighborhood Huangpu.
The horse racing track on the edge of that area is now People's Plaza, considered the center of modern Shanghai.
"Western District" was mostly British but also included the Italian Concession. It corresponds roughly to Jing'an.
"French Settlement" on the old map corresponds roughly to Luwan District; the Concession later expanded westward to include Xuhui District, and our French Concession

The "Chinese City" is the area that was the walled city of Shanghai for hundreds of years before the modern city developed around it. It has its own article, Old City.

"Northern District" and "Eastern District" were once the American Concession; today they are parts of Zhabei and Hongkou respectively. They do not get as many visitors as the neighborhoods mentioned above, but they do have some attractions and the Shanghai Railway Station is in Zhabei. These are listed under #Inner suburbs.

Shanghai reached its zenith in 1920s and 30s and was at that time the most prosperous city in East Asia. On the other hand and the streets were largely ruled by the triads (Chinese gangs) during that period, with the triads sometimes battling for control over parts of Shanghai. That period has been greatly romanticised in many modern films and television serials, one of the most famous being The Bund, which was produced by Hong Kong's TVB in 1980. Shanghai also became the main center of Chinese entertainment during that period, with many films and songs produced in Shanghai.

Shanghai was occupied by the Japanese in 1937 after a bitter battle lasting several months (some of the military background is at Myanmar Road#Understand|Burma Road). Japan remained in control until 1945 and, as with elsewhere in China, life in Shanghai at that time was difficult.

The foreign concessions were removed after the war, and trade resumed. After the Communist victory in the civil war in 1949, many of the people involved in the entertainment industry, as well as much of the upper class, fled to Hong Kong and Taiwan, Province of China. Shanghai's days of glory were — temporarily as it turned out — over.

Since China's "reform and opening up", starting under Deng Xiaoping around 1978, Shanghai has been moving back toward its former role as a great industrial city and trading port, and in many ways even surpassing the old glory days. In the 1990s and the Shanghai government launched a series of new strategies to attract foreign investment. The biggest move was to create a Special Economic Zone called Pudong New Area with a range of government measures to encourage investment. This includes nearly all of Shanghai east of the river.

The strategies for growth have been extremely successful; in twenty years Pudong|downtown Pudong went from a predominantly rural area to having more skyscrapers than New York, including several that are among the tallest in the world. Pudong is now home to many financial institutions which used to have their main offices across the Huangpu river on the Bund.

Today, Shanghai's goal is to develop into a world-class financial and economic center, and it is already well on its way. 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. However, Shanghai has stronger links to the Chinese interior and to the central government, in addition to a stronger manufacturing and technology base. Shanghai has increased its role in finance and banking, with many international corporations having built their Chinese or even Asia/Pacific headquarters in the city, fueling demand for a highly educated and cosmopolitan workforce.

How is the Climate in Shanghai

Shanghai has a humid subtropical weather. Cities at roughly comparable latitude (just over 30°) include New Orleans, Cairo and Perth.

Spring can feature lengthy periods of cloudy and rainy weather.

Summer temperatures often get over 35°C (95°F) with very high humidity, which means that you will perspire a lot and should take lots of changes of clothing or plan on #Clothing|shopping for clothing during the visit. Thunderstorms also occur relatively often during the summer. There is some risk of typhoons in their July–September season, however they are not common.

Autumn is generally mild with warm and sunny weather.

During winter, temperatures rarely rise above 10°C (50°F) during the day and often fall below 0°C (32°F) at night. Snowfall is common, typically only occurring only once every few years, but transportation networks can sometimes be disrupted in the event of a sudden snowstorm. Despite the fact that winter temperatures in Shanghai are not particularly low and the wind chill factor combined with the high humidity can actually make it feel less comfortable than some much colder places that experience frequent snowfalls. Also, back in Mao's perioid the official rule was that north of the Yangtze buildings were heated in winter but south of it they were not; Shanghai is on the south bank so many older buildings do not have heating.

Travel to Shanghai

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

Buy a Flight ticket to and from Shanghai

Shanghai has two main airports, with Shanghai Pudong International Airport|Pudong the main international gateway and Hongqiao serving mostly domestic flights but also some international destinations in Asia. Transfer between the two takes about 1 hour by taxi. There are also direct shuttle buses.

You can travel between the two airports in about two hours by metro. Both airports are on line Station shanghai|2 and the main East-West line through downtown Shanghai, but at opposite ends of it. You can reduce the time some by taking the Maglev train (described in the next section) part of the way. A traveller making that transfer with a few hours to spare and a desire to get a quick look at Shanghai (and not too much luggage) might get off at Nanjing Road East and walk a few blocks to the Bund.

Free tourist maps of central Shanghai, with major sights labeled in English, are available in little racks as you come in at either airport. These are worth grabbing as you walk by since, except at some hotels, free maps are not available elsewhere.

Both airports also have direct bus service to major nearby cities such as Hangzhou, Suzhou and Nanjing, though the new High-speed rail in China|fast trains may be preferable, especially from Hongqiao Airport which has Hongqiao Railway Station quite nearby (one metro stop or about a kilometers on foot, indoors and level).

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 ¥600-1200 for Beijing-Shanghai. The low-cost airline Spring Airlines is based out of Shanghai with routes to most major Chinese tourist destinations, and frequently offers large discounts for tickets booked through its website. For budget travellers, it is often 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.

The city of Hangzhou, about a 45-min train ride from Shanghai, should also be considered if having a difficult time finding tickets to Pudong or Hongqiao. Also if coming in from South East Asia, since Air Asia has a affordable flight from Kuala Lumpur to Hangzhou. See Discount airlines in Asia.

Pudong Airport

Main article: Shanghai Pudong International Airport

Pudong Airport - 浦东机场, IATA Code: PVG 31.143333, 121.805278 40 km to the southeast of the city - Shanghai Pudong International Airport Shanghai Pudong International Airport Interior Shanghai's main international airport. If you are arriving in Shanghai on an overseas flight, it is likely that PVG is your point of entry.

The airport is on metro line Station shanghai|2, many of the better hotels provide free airport shuttles for their guests, and there are six airport bus lines connecting to downtown. There are also buses to other cities nearby such as Suzhou and Hangzhou.

If you have heavy luggage then almost certainly a taxi will be more convenient; expect cost in the ¥200-500 range.

The most interesting way to get into Shanghai is on the world's fastest train and the magnetic levitation train or Maglev. It covers the 30.5 km in 7 minutes with a top speed of 450 km/h (279 mph), although the speed is capped to 310 km/h during non-peak hours. Single tickets are ¥70, discounted to ¥60 if you have an airline ticket that day, and return tickets (return within a week) are ¥80.

The Maglev terminates at Longyang station in Pudong which is still some distance from the downtown and may not therefore be close to your ultimate destination. Here you can connect to metro lines Station shanghai|2, Station shanghai|7 and the new line Station shanghai|16. Longyang station also has a Maglev train museum for those interested in how magnetic levitation trains work.

Hongqiao Airport

Hongqiao Airport - 虹桥机场 IATA Code: SHA 31.198056, 121.336389 west of downtown in Minhang District - Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport Airport Shanghai-Hongqiao 4 - Shanghai's older airport, much closer to the center than Pudong. It serves mainly domestic flights and the only exception being the city shuttle services to Tokyo -Haneda, Seoul -Gimpo, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taipei -Songshan. There are two terminals: the shiny, new and enormous T2, used by virtually all airlines, and the now renovated but still comparatively small T1, used by only by low-cost operator Spring Airlines and the international city shuttle services. You can transit between terminals on the airport shuttle bus, although with waiting and travel duration it can take up to 45 minutes. For those in a hurry, taking metro line Station shanghai|10 between the two terminals may be worth the ¥7 for the ticket.

T2 is served directly by metro line Station shanghai|2, which connects the airport to People's Plaza and all the way east to Pudong Airport. Trains operate from 5:35AM to 10:50PM (service to and from Pudong Airport has limited hours). Line Station shanghai|10, which also goes to central Shanghai but on a different route, serves both T1 and T2.

Line Station shanghai|17 opened on 30 December 2017, and connects Hongqiao Railway Station (near the Airport) with Zhujiajiao.

Eventually Line Station shanghai|5 and the main line through the southern suburb Shanghai#Minhang|Minhang, will be extended to the airport at the north end and into Shanghai#Fengxian|Fengxian to the south. A new line from the airport will also be built, line Station shanghai|20 going north. As of early 2023 this is not in service.

A taxi can manage the 12 km trip to the city in 20 minutes on a good day but allow an extra 30 minutes for the taxi queue, especially when arriving after 7PM. Be sure to determine from which terminal your flight departs before you go to the airport as the English signage is confusing, taxi drivers will not be able to help you, and the shuttle between the terminals leaves on a half-hourly schedule with another twenty minutes drive.

Due to the metro line extension and the Hongqiao Airport Special Line bus (机场专线) has now been replaced with a night bus (虹桥机场T2夜宵巴士) that goes to Jing'an Temple, People's Plaza, and Lujiazui every 10-30 min from 10:30PM (when the metro closes) to 45 minutes after the last inbound arrival of the day for ¥20 (to Jing'an Temple or People's Plaza) or ¥26 (to Lujiazui). It leaves from Door 1 of the Arrivals level of Terminal 2. Tickets are purchased inside the bus shortly before it departs.

Although Hongqiao airport has fewer airport bus lines than Pudong, more public bus lines are linked to Hongqiao. Buses below run to T1, take the free shuttle to connect to T2 if needed or use Metro Line 10 if in a hurry.

No. 806: These buses run from Hongqiao airport to the Lupu Bridge between 6AM Monday - 9:30PM at intervals of 5-15 min. The line also has a stop at Xujiahui, and the whole trip costs ¥7.
No. 807: These buses operate between 6AM Monday - 10:30PM from Hongqiao airport to the Zhenguang New Village in Putuo District, stopping at the Shanghai Zoo and some other places of interest. ¥2.
No. 1207: This bus only runs between the airport and Shanghai Zoo. ¥2.

With the opening of Metro service to the airport, two buses no longer stop at Hongqiao, leaving only the above two routes.

However, one public bus line has now been moved to T2. The reverse applies- take the free shuttle or the Metro to T1 if needed. Note that bus service to T2 splits boarding and exiting- all passengers arriving at T2 get off at the Departures level of the airport, but those wishing to board must board the bus at the bus hub on 1/F of the airport/metro station complex.

No. 941: Linking Hongqiao airport and Shanghai Railway Station and the line runs from 6:30AM–10:30PM to the airport/11:00PM from the airport. ¥6. Interval between services is 10-12 min. Look for Waiting Room 1.

Additionally and the following night bus runs from T2 between the hours of 11:00PM and 5:00AM for anyone arriving late at night and needing to stop at destinations not covered by the T1 night bus:

No. 316: Links the airport to the Bund, following Metro Line 2 until Zhongshan Park and then makes stops near Changshou Road (Line 7), Xinzha Road (Line 1), and East Nanjing Road (Line 2/10) before terminating at the Bund.

An additional night bus from the train station side is available also.

No. 320: Links the train station to the Bund, but covers a different route in between. This bus makes a stop near the tourist part of Hongmei Road and then follows Metro Line 10 until Jiaotong University, stops in Xujiahui, continues along Line 10 and then starts following line 1 around the Changshu Road stop until it reaches the Xintiandi area and then makes one final stop in Yu Gardens before terminating at the Bund.

Muslim Friendly Rail Holidays in Shanghai

Shanghai has a few major train stations including:

Shanghai Railway Station 100 Moling Road 31.2503, 121.4509 three stops north from People's square on line Station shanghai|1}} - Shanghai train station Shanghai Railway Station (20151004102936) - Shanghai's largest and oldest, located in Zhabei District. Practically all trains used to terminate here, but many southbound services have been shifted out to the South Station and high-speed services to the new Hongqiao Station.
Hongqiao Railway Station|2|10|17 alt=上海虹桥站 - 31.196027, 121.316099 - west side in Minhang District - A huge new station located in the same building complex as #Hongqiao Airport|Hongqiao Airport. The connecting metro stop shares the same name, Hongqiao Railway Station, and is one stop beyond the Hongqiao airport stop. High-speed trains to Beijing, Tianjin, Jinan, Qingdao, Zhengzhou, Kunshan, Suzhou, Wuxi, Changzhou, Zhenjiang, Nanjing, Hefei, Wuhan, Jiaxing, Hangzhou, Hefei and other smaller stations use this station.
Shanghai South Railway Station|1|3 alt=上海南站 - 31.154425, 121.424161 - Shanghai South Railway Station SHNout - in Xuhui District. Provides service towards the South, except for high-speed trains on the Shanghai–Hangzhou high-speed line which now use the new Hongqiao station, and services to Hong Kong (due to lack of immigration and customs facilities).

Shanghai West Railway Station (上海西站) / Nanxiang North Railway Station (南翔北站) / Anting North Railway Station (安亭北站): Some high-speed trains to Nanjing direction stop at these smaller stations. In addition and there are a few trains to and from Shanghai Station for connections to other trains. Shanghai West Station is on metro line Station shanghai|11}}.
Shanghai East Railway Station. Plans to build the station, which will be based in Pudong's Chuansha neighborhood, were announced in 2012.

Self-serve automated ticket booths are prevalent and can be used for checking train times in the English mode, but you can only buy tickets from them if you have a Chinese ID card. Tickets are also conveniently booked in advance at one of the many travel service agencies, or the ticket office of any train station. See the China#Train tickets|train tickets section of the China article. Note that Hong Kong tickets go on sale 60 days in advance, and the Hong Kong–Shanghai segment sells out quickly.

Beijing (北京) — Beginning in March 2022, an all-new express line service from Beijing started, with the quickest travel duration option ringing in at 4 hours and 18 minutes (G17/G22). Additionally and there are a number of fast night sleeper trains running daily. These trains have D-prefix codes, take just over 10 hours from Shanghai to Beijing. Fare is around ¥730 for a soft sleeper lower berth or ¥655 for upper berth; the trains are very clean and the four-person cabins are quite comfortable. Two-person rooms are also available on some of these trains and the price is about ¥2470 for a lower berth or ¥2300 for an upper. Two-person rooms on D trains do not have private baths. In the same new train, normal second-class seat are available for around ¥727. For a regular normal sleeper in a standard train, which takes 13 hours from Shanghai to Beijing, expect to pay ¥706 to ¥727 for a hard sleeper or around ¥678 to ¥699 for a soft one. Two-person sleeper is available on one of the T-series trains, with private bath and a sofa, price is ¥881 for upper berth or ¥921 for a lower. But tickets for these cheaper normal sleepers are usually very tight.
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 18:20, T100 arrives here at 10:00), arriving at Hung Hom station in Kowloon (T99 arrives here around 13:00, T100 leaves here at 15:15). If traveling alone, expect to pay ¥800 each way for the soft sleeper, but discounts are given for group purchases (¥764 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 has compartments of 2 beds and a private mainland-style mains socket (but with the introduction of new train cars and 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 re-entry 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. Alternatively take a fast CRH train to Guangzhou and then another to Shenzhen on the border with Hong Kong (Total time is around twelve hours and costs ¥600).
Lhasa (拉萨) — The train to and from Lhasa, Tibet runs every day from Shanghai Railway Station. It takes just under 50 hours to arrive at Lhasa. A hard seat costs ¥606 and a hard sleeper priced around ¥900, soft sleeper costs around ¥2300. Oxygen is available for each passenger in the Golmud–Lhasa section. A Tibet travel permit is required for non-Chinese citizens.

The new fast (200+ km/h) CRH trains from Shanghai go southwest to Nanchang and Changsha, or north to Beijing, Zhengzhou and Qingdao. These are very comfortable and convenient. Train route codes being with D in this instance. High-speed trains (300+ km/h) to Nanjing and Hangzhou have a G prefix.

By car

Good modern highways link Shanghai to nearby cities in East China, including Nanjing, Suzhou, Hangzhou and Ningbo. Other highways, many of them as good, go to more distant cities anywhere in the nation. It only takes about an hour to reach Shanghai from Suzhou, 2 hours from Hangzhou or 2.5 hours from Ningbo and the latter via the 36 km long Hangzhou Bay Bridge and the world's longest sea-crossing bridge.

Travel on a Bus in Shanghai

There are several long-distance bus stations in Shanghai. You should try to get the tickets as early as feasible.

Beiqu Long-distance Passenger Station 80 Gongxing Lu
Hengfeng Road Express Passenger Station - 恒丰路客运站 | 270 Hengfeng Lu This is one of the largest and is just north of the main train 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 Plaza. From Shanghai Railway Station (North) metro 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-minutes walk) you'll find it. Motorcycle-taxis will loiter around the station exit and will take you there for around ¥7 if you bargain hard — however they can be pushy and aggressive.
Zhongshan Beilu Long-distance Passenger Transport Station 1015 Zhongshan Bei Lu
Xujiahui Passenger Station 211 Hongqiao Lu
Pudong Tangqiao Long-distance Passenger Station 3842 Pudong Nan Lu

Book a Halal Cruise or Boat Tour in Shanghai

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

Shanghai Ferry Company | @rry.co.jp ¥2,300-6,500 Once a week service from Shanghai to Osaka and vice versa. Takes two nights.
Japan-China International Ferry Company | 18th Floor, Jinan No.908 Dong Da Ming Road ☎ +86 21 63257642 +86 021-65957818Alternates each week with Osaka and Kobe as the Japanese departure/arrival city.

How to get around in Shanghai

Shanghai has an excellent public transport network with an extensive metro (subway and elevated train) system as its backbone and buses that go more-or-less everywhere. Taxis are plentiful, and affordable by international standards, and getting around on foot is often practical. Metro, taxi and walking will be the main means of transport for most travellers. The city is huge (24 million), though, and all transport methods sometimes have problems with congestion.

Metro cards

If you intend to stay in Shanghai for more than a few days, a metro card — also called a Shanghai Jiaotong Card (上海公共交通卡) or Shanghai Public Transportation Card — is a must. You can get these cards at any metro station, as well as some convenience stores like Alldays and KeDi Marts.

You can load the card with money and use it in buses and the metro and even taxis, saving the hassle of buying tickets (sometimes with long queues) and keeping change for buses and taxis. Also and the card allows you to change lines at some stations where without the card you would need to get another ticket, and gives a ¥2 discount for each bus↔bus or metro↔bus transfer.

These cards do not require contact with the card reader to work. It is quite common to see someone just pass a purse, wallet or shoulder bag over the reader without taking the card out, and this almost always works. The card can be used once after it runs out of money; up to a ¥8 "overdraft" is allowed.

Cards come in several sizes — regular (credit card size), mini, and "strap" (for hanging on mobile phones) — and special editions with interesting pictures are available for each. New machines that can load money to any size of card are replacing older machines, but they do not take cash, generally only accepting Alipay or UnionPay/Discover cards. Service counters in metro stations will recharge any type of card in multiples of ¥20, but a few stations are no longer staffing their service counters, so it is advised to make sure sufficient funds are available for your return trip if you are going to a less populated part of town.

There is a ¥20 deposit for the card; regular-sized cards can be returned for a deposit refund, but mini or strap sizes cannot. For any card type and the balance on the card can be immediately returned if it is less than ¥20. If the balance is between ¥20 and ¥2,000, an invoice should be taken to ask for the return of money; however, a 5% handling fee will be charged. Some metro stations have special offices for returning the cards. These stations include:

Line 1 - Hanzhong Road, Hengshan Road, Jinjiang Park;
Line 2 - Jiangsu Road, E Nanjing Road, Century Park, Songhong Rd;
Line 3 - Dongbaoxing Road, Zhenping Road, Caoxi Road, North Jiangyang Rd;
Line 4 - Yangshupu Rd.

You can also use the Shanghai Public Transportation Card Service Center, No 609, Jiujiang Road, Monday to Friday 9:30AM–6:30PM, Saturday Sunday 9:30AM–4:30PM.

By metro

Shanghai Metro Linemap.svg|Map as of November 2017

The Shanghai Metro network (see map at its official website]) is great — fast, affordable (¥7-10 depending on distance), air-conditioned, and fairly user-friendly with signs and station arrival announcements in both Mandarin and English. The drawbacks are that trains can get really packed during rush hour, trains do not run late at night (the latest you will see a train run is around midnight on Friday and Saturday nights), and the network does not go everywhere yet, though it is continually being expanded.

In central areas most lines (but not line 3 and 4) run underground. Out in the suburbs, most are above ground and many on elevated tracks. Shanghai Metro is the longest subway system in the world and the second busiest in the world (after Beijing's). There are over 500 km (250 miles) of line and over 250 stations. Usage averages about 6 million rides a day.

Metro lines

Three of the most important lines are line Station shanghai|1 north-south, line Station shanghai|2 east-west, and line Station shanghai|4 which encircles all of the downtown.

Many metro lines ( Crowded Nanjing Road in Shanghai - Nanjing Road on a fairly busy day

Nanjing Road - 南京路 Nánjīnglù - 31.234722, 121.474444 - Nanjing Road Shanghai - Nanjing Road.jpeg Is certainly Shanghai's best-known shopping street, and probably China's. At around a million shoppers a day, it is also one of the world's busiest. It has been busy for generations; Amy Tan's novel The Kitchen God's Wife mentions a figure of 100,000 visitors a day in the 1940s. Nanjing Road starts on the river side at The Bund and goes about kilometers 6 West from there to Jing'an Temple. It continues beyond the temple, gradually changing from intensively commercial to more office and residential use.

The park divides Nanjing Road into two parts:

[[Shanghai/Huangpu#Nanjing_Road_East | Nanjing Road East]] (Nanjing dong lu) in Huangpu District, mostly pedestrians-only and a major shopping area since the mid-19th century. It runs along the North side of People's Park (人民广场), which is often considered the center of Shanghai. It is a 1-km long pedestrian boulevard running inland from the Bund 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. The Nanjing Road East station (lines Station shanghai|2 and Station shanghai|10) is near the center of that pedestrian area. The People's Park station (lines Station shanghai|1, Station shanghai|2 and Station shanghai|8) is at the inland end, furthest from the Bund.

For high end international brands, go to Nanjing Road West (南京西路 Nanjing xi lu) near Jing'an Temple station (line Station shanghai|2 or Station shanghai|7). 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.

The French Concession is another major shopping area. Huaihai Road is a busy boulevard with upscale stores; well-off local residents tend to shop there in preference to the more tourist Nanjing Road. For boutique shopping, head to the smaller streets just off it — 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); the nearest Metro station is South Shanxi Road on Line Station shanghai|1. This area of low rise buildings and tree-lined streets bustles with small boutiques of clothing and accessories, where young Shanghainese looking for the latest fashions shop. A renovated but still picturesque older area called Tian Zi Fang also has boutique clothing, plus a lot of arts and crafts.

The Bund is mainly office buildings but does have some hotels, restaurants, and a few multi-storey high-end shopping centers. No. 3 on the Bund has, among other things, Giorgio Armani's flagship store in China. No. 18 has many stores including an art gallery.

Yuyuan Bazaar in the old town is well provided with Chinese crafts and jewellery. See Shanghai#Clothing for other tourist shopping areas.

Books, CDs and DVDs

Fuzhou Road runs from the Bund on the east to People's Plaza on the west, and is the first major street south of Nanjing Road. In colonial times it was Shanghai's main red light neighborhood; today it is the best place to look for books and is also a good street to wander around and find stationery and art supplies, especially for Chinese calligraphy and painting. Some of the art is sold there as well.

Shanghai Foreign Languages Bookstore (Shanghai Book Traders) at 390 Fuzhou Road offers a lot of books in English and other major languages, especially for learning Chinese. Just around the junction at 36 South Shanxi Road is 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.

Those interested in music CDs or DVDs of movies and television shows have a wide variety of options. The bookstores all carry some, people sell DVDs out of boxes on street corners, and there are local DVD shops in most neighborhoods. Costs go from about ¥6 per disk to about ¥60; you pay a bit more for DVD-9 format disks. See also discussion in the China#Software.2C_music_and_movies|China eHalal Travel Guide.

There are also some shops popular with the expatriate community; these tend to have English-speaking staff and a better selection of things that appeal to Westerners, though sometimes at slightly higher prices. One is the Ka De Club with two shops: one at 483 Zhenning Road and the other one at 505 Da Gu Road (a small street between Weihai and Yan'an roads). Another popular DVD shop is on Hengshan Road about halfway between two expat bars, Oscar's and the Shanghai Brewery. There are several more along Jiaozhou Road, which runs north from Jing'An Station.

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. It is also worth asking for a cheaper-by-the-dozen discount if you are making a large purchase.

Antiques

There are a number of markets in the city selling antiques, jade and Mao-era China memorabilia: China porcelain - Porcelain at Dongtai Road Market

Dongtai Road Antique Market - GPS: 31.2233, 121.4760 The largest antique market in the city, and the cheapest provided you bargain hard. Metro line Station shanghai|8 or Station shanghai|10 to Laoximen station and then walk a long block north looking for the market on side streets to your left.

Yuyuan Gardens is another good option for antiques and all manner of cheaply made and priced souvenirs (teapots, paintings, "silk" bags, etc.) Walk a few hundred meters East from Dongtai Road.
There are more upmarket antique markets between Fuzhou Road and the pedestrian part of Nanjing Road.

As with any market in China, don't be afraid to negotiate; it is usually the only way to get a fair price.

Exporting anything made before 1911 is now illegal. See the China#Shopping|China eHalal Travel Guide for discussion.

Electronics

Shanghai offers the opportunity to buy electronic products, and you may be able to find exotic gadgets and phones that are only available in China. Foreign electronics are expensive with a high sales tax. It can be helpful to buy online with clear cheaper prices and with delivery often feasible the same day with payment in cash on delivery. Games consoles are expensive and import restrictions extensive. Xujiahui is the place to go if you're after computer accessories and other electronics, but the mobile phone selection is a bit lacking. Try to go during the week; it gets awfully hectic on weekends.

Bu Ye Cheng Communications Market - 不夜城 - Shanghai Railway Station, exit 4 from line Station shanghai|1 side, turn left and it's the large Gold building Opening Hours: 10AM Monday - 6PM This is the one of the best-known open-style markets for mobile phones in Shanghai. 1F/2F for new phones (two-way radios too), 3F for second hand including various collectibles. Any reputable vendor that sets up shop here will allow you to try before you buy—if they don't then leave. Best way to get a good or unusual phone at low cost. 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.

There is a giant electronics mart at the Baoshan Road line Station shanghai|3}}/

Expatriates generally find these Shanghai-based media outlets preferable to the China-wide People's Daily and CCTV-9.

There are also several English-language papers that consist mainly of listings, reviews and advertisements for restaurants and dining. These are given away free in most of the Asian-style bars and some Halal restaurants and hotels.

Operator assistance

An amazingly helpful resource for visitors and expats alike is the Shanghai Call Center. Established prior to the Expo and maintained as a public service and the call center is a free-of-charge phone number that provides information regarding bus, metro, and taxi directions, business hours, attractions, and can even be utilized as a free translation service. If you are having trouble communicating with your taxi driver or a vendor, don't hesitate to call the number and pass the phone back and forth, having the operator translate.

The so-called "Magic Number" can be visited at 962288 from Shanghai cell phones. Chinese cell phones from other cities should dial 021 962288, and international phones should dial +86 021 962288. A short message in Mandarin will greet you, followed by a set of English instructions. Service is available in several European languages such as English and Spanish.

The service itself is free of charge, but you pay the cost of the phone call.

Etiquette

See the China article for discussion of some Chinese behaviours that may irritate visitors, but note that most of these are less problematic in Shanghai than elsewhere.

Crowding in, rather than queuing, is a problem you are likely to encounter; indeed this can be worse in busy Shanghai than elsewhere. Whether at a ticket booth, at a busy fast food counter, or even at the grocery store, everyone jockeys for position by crowding around a staff member, and will do whatever feasible to get in first, and get out. If at all feasible, avoid the situation in the first place; for example, recharge your metro card a bit early if you see a quiet ticket counter.

Pushing in the metro is normal, especially at the chaotic People's Plaza Station. Just dig in and push; don't feel sorry. However, compared to public transport in other Chinese cities and the Shanghainese are better at letting people alight first and the mad rush for empty seats is not quite so bad — your behaviour should follow the situation: if the station is crowded then pushing is acceptable, but if not then you are more likely to be looked upon as an 'uncivilised foreigner'. Also, outside of busy times you should stand to the right on escalators to allow people to pass.

Note that Shanghai Metro drivers will close the train doors and depart when the schedule says so, even if people are still boarding. When you hear the 'door closing' alarm (usually a series of beeps) stand back from the doors (particularly on the old Line 1 and 2 trains as the doors close very quickly and may not re-open if blocked).

Work permits and visa extensions

Please refer to Working in China for general information about Chinese work visas. For specific information on the process in Shanghai, see the article for Pudong where the Entry and Exit Bureau is located.

Consulates in Shanghai

Most consulates can be found in the Jing'an area of Shanghai.

Brazil - 巴西驻上海总领事馆 | Jiangning Road 188, ASA Building, 7/F -703 200041 ☎ +86 21 6437-0110 +86 21 6437-0160 Opening Hours: 9:30-13:00

India | 1008, Shanghai International Trade Centre, 2201 Yan'an Xi Lu ☎ +86 21 62758882 - 8885 - 8886 +86 021 62758881

Indonesia | Shanghai Mart Building (Office Tower) 16/F Room 1611, Yan'an Road West No. 2299, Changning District ☎ +86 21 5240-2321 +86 21 3251-6022

Ireland - Ste 700A West Tower Shanghai Centre, 1376 Nanjing Road West ☎ +86 21 62798729 +86 021 62798739 Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 9:30AM Monday - 12:30PM, 2PM Monday - 5:30PM

Jamaica | 989 Dong Fang Lu, Zhong Da Plaza, 16F ☎ +86 21 58313553 +86 021 68763299

Malaysia | Room 1101, CITIC Plaza,1168 Nanjing Xi Road ☎ +86 52925424{{flag|New Zealand

Pakistan - Ste 0, 7F Hongqiao Business Center, 2272 Hongqiao Road ☎ +86 21 62377000 +86 021 62377066 Opening Hours: 8:30AM Monday - 5:30PM

Peru | Room 2705,Kerry Center, 1515 Nanjing Xi Road - ☎ +86 52985900

Philippines | Ste 301 Metrobank Centre, 1160 West Yan'An Road ☎ +86 21 62798337 +86 021 62798332

Singapore 89 Wan Shan Road ☎ +86 21 62785566 +86 021 62956038 Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 8:30AM Monday - noon, 1PM Monday - 5PM

South Africa | 27F, Rm 2705/5, 222 Yan'an Road E ☎ +86 21 53594977 +86 021-63352980

News & References Shanghai

Travel Next

Several other major cities are near Shanghai and conveniently reachable on the new CRH high speed (over 300 km/h) 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 — 45 minutes away by high-speed train, is one of China's top domestic tourist destinations, featuring the famous West Lake, a fine silk market, and Buddhist caves. The popular times of year to go are Spring and Fall. There is an information booth at the train platform exit that provides a useful booklet with maps.
Suzhou — a historic town half an hour away from Shanghai by high-speed train, is also a major tourist destination for Chinese tourists, traditionally a city of scholars and poets with many fine classical Chinese gardens and enough canals that it has been called the "Venice of the East". It has also become a major center of hi-tech manufacturing.

There is a Chinese saying along the lines The sky has heaven; the Earth has Suzhou and Hangzhou.

Nanjing — about 1.5 hours away by high-speed train, is a great place to get a Chinese history lesson. Nanjing was the former capital of China under several dynasties, and of the Nationalist government in the early 20th century. From the city walls to the Presidential Palace, it's 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.
Ningbo — is two and a half to three hours away from Shanghai, across the 36 km-long Hangzhou Bay Bridge. The train, via Hangzhou, is faster.

Two places serve as the main somewhat rural escapes for Shanghai residents. Both are near cities mentioned above, and probably neither would seem at all rural to someone from a less densely populated country.

Lake Tai, a large lake with some temples and nature preserves, near Suzhou.
Mount Putuo, a very scenic island with an important Buddhist temple, near Ningbo.

See East China for other cities and attractions in the area around Shanghai.