World City Guide

Mini Guide of Shanghai

City Overview

City of sin and decadent exoticism in the 1920s and 30s, theatre of vicious conflict during Japan’s ‘China Incident’, cradle of Chinese Communism and the Cultural Revolution, flag bearer of modern China’s market reforms, inspiration for lurid novels, films and cocktails – Shanghai is probably the most evocative city for an outsider in the whole of China. Beijing may be more mysterious but Shanghai offers a headier brew of half-digested images and preconceptions.

For the second city of the world’s oldest surviving ancient civilisation, Shanghai is surprisingly new. Literally ‘Above the Sea’, Shanghai is a port city on the Huangpu River, where the Yangzi River empties into the East China Sea. The area was marshland until the Song Dynasty (AD 960-1126), when refugees from Mongol and other northern nomad invasions settled the area. By 1291, Shanghai had become a county capital. The growing city got its wall in 1553 (prophetically, against Japanese pirates) and a customs house in 1685. Shanghai was only thrust into the spotlight in June 1842, when a British seaborne force captured it during the First Opium War. One of five cities pried open to Western colonial trade by the Treaty of Nanjing, Shanghai gained foreign districts controlled by the colonial powers – the British and American Concessions (soon combined as the International Settlement) and the French Concession. This hybrid city boomed as the focus of Chinese colonial trade and Qing Dynasty China uneasily coexisted with Western power for almost a century.

Today, the Yuyuan Gardens in Shanghai’s Old Town is all that remains of the city’s pre-colonial past. Colonialism is visible in the period architecture of the former French Concession, as well as the grand old buildings along the river-front Bund. Across the river from the original settlement of Puxi is Shanghai’s future, the Pudong New Area, with its emblematic Orient Pearl Tower, and soaring modern art-deco JinMao Tower.

By 1937, Shanghai was the world’s fifth largest city and China’s most advanced, home to a rich ethnic mix of East and West and protected by its colonial status from the political storms ravaging the rest of China. In August that year, bombs (actually Chinese) fell on the foreign concessions for the first time. The Westerners began pulling out and by the start of the Pacific War in 1941, there were few Western nationals left for the Japanese to intern. The British and Americans gave up their colonial rights in 1943, to their new allies, the Nationalist Chinese, who took over Shanghai after the Japanese surrender in 1945. However, four years later, the city again fell to the Red Army.

Under the Communists, Shanghai’s businesses were nationalised but the city remained quiet until the Cultural Revolution, when Mao Zedong made it his new power base for his ‘Gang of Four’ and his campaign against the Beijing leadership. Shanghai remained a centre for Cultural Revolution excesses until Mao’s death in 1976. Reconstruction proceeded slowly afterwards. From 1990, Shanghai has developed at breakneck speed, experiencing massive-scale investment and urban regeneration and an economic renaissance assisted by China’s accession to the World Trade Organisation in 2001.

In 2004, Shanghai hosted the inaugural Chinese Grand Prix and will also benefit from the knock-on effects of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Centre-stage status will follow, in 2010, when Shanghai hosts World Expo. Easily China’s richest city, Shanghai is now a showcase for modern China - replete with hundreds of futuristic skyscrapers, increasing urban affluency and restaurants, bars, hotels and levels of brand awareness that compete with New York, Paris and London.

Shanghai experiences climatic extremes, with bitter winters and hot and humid summers. The best time for visitors to plan a trip to the city would be during the autumn or spring months.

Getting There By Air

Pudong Airport (PVG)
Tel: (21) 3848 4500.
Website: www.shanghaiairport.com

Pudong Airport is located 30km (19 miles) southeast of Shanghai, on the East China Sea coast. Officially opened on 1 October 1999, Pudong Airport is Shanghai’s international hub and growing at a rapid pace. A second runway and terminal are due to open in 2005, with a third terminal also planned. The penalty for this modernity is that Pudong is about a 45-minute drive from downtown (traffic permitting). In May 2004, a prestigious flagship infrastructure project – the 431km/hour magnetic levitation shuttle train, running between the airport and Longyang Lu metro station in Pudong, was opened, which covers the 30km distance in just short of 8 minutes.

Airport facilities: Facilities include banks, ATMs, bureaux de change, post offices, car hire, restaurants and tourist information. Most of the major city hotels have reservation desks, left-luggage, souvenir stalls and other shops, cafés and public telephones. Business facilities are available at the Pudong Airport Hotel.

Transport to the city: Shanghai Airport Bus Co. and the Shanghai Dazhong Bus Corporation shuttle buses depart every 30 minutes 0600-2100 (journey time – 60-90 minutes) from outside the arrivals hall, between doors 7 to 15. Buses take five routes into the city, with only route five going to Pudong itself. The other routes are to Gongzhufen in western Shanghai and to Zhongguancun in the city’s northwest district. The fare is RMB15-20, with tickets sold on the bus. Transfer buses to Hongqiao Airport cost RMB40 and leave every half an hour 0600-2100. Further information is available from Airport Shuttle Bus Services (tel: (21) 6834 6912 or 6645).

The magnetic levitation (Maglev) train (tel: (21) 2890 7777) runs daily every 20 minutes between 0900-1730, linking the airport with Longyang Lu metro station in Pudong, from where you’ll need to catch a connecting cab to your final destination. Single maglev fare is RMB50, return RMB80.

Metered taxis are available at the official stand outside the arrivals hall (ignore the touts) – the fare to downtown Puxi/Pudong is approximately RMB150/RMB120 (journey time – 45-60 minutes).

Hongqiao Airport (SHA)
Tel: (21) 6268 8918 or 8899.
Website: www.shanghaiairport.com

Formerly the principal airport, Shanghai’s Hongqiao Airport is now used for all domestic departures and arrivals (except Hong Kong and Macau, which depart/arrive from/at Pudong International Airport). The airport is situated 18km (11 miles) southwest of central Shanghai, approximately a half-hour taxi ride away.

Airport facilities: Facilities include bureaux de change, banks, ATMs, post office, luggage lockers, car hire, duty-free and other shops, cafés, restaurants and tourist information. There are also hotel reservation services.

Transport to the city: Four public bus routes run from Hongqiao to central Shanghai (see Public Transport section in Getting Around). There is also a blue and white airport shuttle bus that leaves from outside the domestic arrivals. Shanghai Airport Bus Co. and the Shanghai Dazhong Bus Corporation operate shuttle buses, which depart every 30 minutes 0600-2100 (journey time – 30-45 minutes). Luggage space is limited. The fare is RMB15-25, with tickets sold on the bus. Transfer buses to Pudong Airport leave from outside domestic arrivals every 30 minutes 0600-2100 (journey time – 60 minutes). The fare is RMB40. Further information is available from Airport Shuttle Bus Services (tel: (21) 6834 6912 or 6645).

Metered taxis are available from one of the two main taxi stands (one for short distances within Puxi, the other for longer journeys in Puxi and Pudong – make sure you choose the correct line) outside the domestic arrivals hall, thus avoiding touts. The fare is approximately RMB65-75 to downtown Puxi, and RMB85-100 to Pudong, including toll fees (journey time – 30-50 minutes). It is best for tourists either to have the destination written in Chinese or a map handy.

Getting There By Water

Getting There By Road

Foreign visitors are not encouraged to drive cars in China. Foreign residents can bring their own cars into the country but this involves a huge bureaucratic effort. Ex-pat drivers need a physical examination and a written exam of local traffic rules to obtain a local licence from the vehicle administrative department (VAD) under the Municipal Public Security Bureau. They must already possess a valid International Driving Permit. The licence is temporary for residents staying less than a year, permanent if longer. To obtain it, they must present their original driving licence and a translated version, passport and local residence certificate.

All foreign visitors who want to travel within China by car are advised to hire a car with a local driver.

Emergency breakdown service: There is no breakdown service in China. Drivers have to rely on assistance from other passing vehicles.

Routes to the city: Main routes out of Shanghai are denoted by city names such as the Shanghai-Nanjing Highway. The Shanghai-Beijing Expressway provides a (relatively) fast artery to the north. There are fast-improving road links to Zhouzhuang, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Ningbo and most of the other regional centres.

Coach services: Coach and bus travel can be very slow, but are improving as domestic travel increases. Nevertheless, bus tickets are cheaper than rail fares and, as the number of services increases, more readily available. There are many service providers, including Shanghai Dazhong Bus Corporation (tel: (21) 5651 3313). Information on coach travel is available from a passenger information and complaint hotline (tel: (21) 5652 4623).

There are few facilities at the bus stations and travellers should purchase tickets in person at the ticket office. There are many bus stations around the city, but the main hub is across from the Shanghai Stadium, 666 Tianyaoqiao Lu (tel: (21) 6426 5558) – where buses leave frequently for several local and long-distance locations In the north, the key station is Hengfeng Lu Bus Station, Hengfeng Lu (tel: (21) 6317 4966), which has buses for Nanjing, Ningbo and Wuxi. In the south, Xujiahui Bus Station, Hongqiao Lu (tel: (21) 6469 7325), located behind Grand Gateway, has departures to Nanjing and Yangzhou.

Getting There By Rail

The national railway service within China, which is operated by the Ministry of Railways (website: www.chinamor.cn.net), has developed rapidly and is very extensive. Shanghai Railway Station, 385 Meiyuan Lu (tel: (21) 6317 9090), is the main terminus and point of arrival for the hordes of provincial workers and travellers descending on the city. The station has left-luggage facilities, ATMs, tourist information, shops and restaurants.

Rail services: All Chinese express trains have four different classes – soft sleeper, soft seat, hard sleeper and hard seat. Tickets for overseas visitors are available for purchase at the next-door Longman Hotel. Reservations, especially for sleepers, should be made three to five days in advance. Some of the most popular routes include Shanghai to Beijing (journey time – 12 hours),the overnight sleeper from Shanghai to Hong Kong (journey time – 25 hours 45 minutes) and the short hop to Hangzhou (1 hour 30 minutes).

Travellers should purchase tickets for these routes through the China International Travel Service (website: www.cits.net), Jingling Dong Lu, or China Youth Travel Service, CYTS, Hengshan Lu.

Getting Around

Public Transport
The public buses are rarely used by foreign visitors without a good understanding of Mandarin Chinese. Travel by metro or taxi is by far the easier option. Shanghai Municipal Public Transportation Administration operates a cheap and comprehensive system.

City buses (tel: (21) 1608 8160) run 0500-2300 and can get very crowded during rush hours (0630-0830 and 1700-1900). Flat fares of RMB2 (up to RMB3 for air-conditioned buses) are paid to the conductor. Major city-centre routes are numbered – suburban and long-distance buses only have their destination in characters.

Shanghai metro (operating 0500-2300) is clean, efficient, and easy to navigate. Three lines are running to date, with more being built. The Number 1 Line operates north–south from Shanghai Railway Station to the southern suburb of Xinzhuang. The Number 2 Line runs west–east from Zhongshan Park to Zhangjiang Gao Ke in Pudong, while the Pearl Line runs north–south from Jiangwan Zhen in the north to Shanghai South Station in the south. Stations have a red sign resembling an ‘M’. Ticket prices vary depending on the number of stops. These are available from machines and ticket offices near the entrance. Integrated metro, bus, ferry and taxi travel cards are also available if you think your Mandarin is up to asking for one. Signs and station announcements in trains are in Mandarin Chinese and English.

Taxis
Despite the alarming metal cages around the drivers, Shanghai taxis are actually reliable, plentiful, cheap and safe. A variety of fleet companies operate Shanghai taxis, which are almost uniformly locally manufactured Volkswagens. All taxis are metered. Flag fall during the day is RMB10 for the first two kilometres and RMB2 per kilometre thereafter, rising to RMB13 and RMB2.6 per kilometre at night (2300-0500). Maps and written addresses in Chinese are the best tools for foreigners to direct taxi drivers, as few speak English.

Taxis can be pre-booked from some of the major fleets, including Friendship Taxi (tel: (21) 6258 4584) or Dazhong Taxi (tel: (21) 6320 7207).

The Shanghai Municipal Taxi Association (tel: (21) 6368 1055) can provide further information.

Driving in the City
With the prevalence of taxis in Shanghai, it makes little sense for a visitor to hire a car without good reason. Hiring a driver is also recommended, given the chaotic traffic, the Chinese road signs and the difficulties involved. Bicycles are very common and many accidents involve them – drivers are advised to remember this.

Car Hire
Driving in Shanghai is not for the faint of heart. There is little point hiring a car in the city, and we don’t recommend you do, as the roads are dangerous, traffic hectic and public transport very efficient. If you want more flexibility, hiring a car with a local driver is another option. If you still want to rent a vehicle, an International Driving Permit, air ticket, passport and a credit card to cover the large deposit are required. Shanghai Angel Car Rental (tel: (21) 6229 1119) is one of the biggest local agencies, with offices at both airports. Dazhong (tel: (21) 6320 7207) is another reputable company. In 2000, Hertz signed an agreement with China National Auto Anhua to operate jointly in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Xiamen, however, despite this, the company still recommends that foreign visitors hire a car with a local driver.

Bicycle and Scooter Hire
No-one rents bikes in Shanghai as again, it is too dangerous to cycle in the city.

Business

Business Etiquette
Business Etiquette Doing business in Shanghai, at least on the formal level, requires considerable patience and persistence. Unflappable good and cheerful manners help save face for business clients and public displays of anger must be avoided. Nevertheless, protracted negotiations can often be wound up neatly during a business banquet or an after-hours KTV (karaoke) session – these are the settings where China’s legendary guanxi (connections) are exercised. Public business is very formal, with executives wearing suits and exchanging business cards (given with both hands), bows and handshakes. Women should avoid wearing high heels or short sleeved blouses. Both men and women should dress in neutral colours and avoid using large hand gestures, personal contact and pointing. Gifts often help open initial contacts, although these should never be open to misinterpretation as bribes. In many companies, especially larger and older ones, a Party appointee, who has an honorary or nominal senior post in the company, will preside at the first sessions, then leave the real business to the operational management. Business hours are usually 0800-1700 weekdays, with one or two hours for lunch.

Seniors are usually granted respect, at least to their faces. Likewise, political change may have emancipated women in China before the law, but in business circles men still take precedence. Businesswomen are expected to dress and behave soberly, while businessmen in Shanghai should be prepared for evenings in hostess bars with clients and associates. Foreigners are usually treated with cautious respect, although outsiders should not always expect a Japanese-style enthusiasm for foreign languages and culture – mainland Chinese have a strong pride in their own language and traditions.

Public manners in eating and drinking can seem hugely lax to foreigners – Shanghainese spit, belch and pick their teeth quite openly. However, visitors are advised to tolerate but not emulate this. After-hours drinking sessions to seal negotiations and cement relations are common. Shanghainese are stronger drinkers than many overseas Chinese, although they will react badly to heavy consumption by foreigners.

Sightseeing

Sightseeing Overview
Shanghai boasts a rich and, often troubled, history and has kept many relics of it intact, with municipal conservation policies preserving large swathes of the colonial architectural inheritance. Add to this a city government that has implemented grandiose urban planning on an unprecedented scale and the result is one of China’s most elegant and futuristic cities, and certainly its most sophisticated and cosmopolitan.

The Huangpu River separates the west (Puxi) and east (Pudong) Shanghai, with the historic Bund promenade on one side and the futuristic Pudong New Area on the other. The Old Town contains some cultural delights, such as the Yuyuan Gardens and Bazaar, while People’s Square (formerly a racecourse, and in the 1980s a location for protest) is once again the focus of the city’s cultural and entertainment scene. no sightseeing passes currently available in Shanghai.

Tourist Information
Shanghai Tourist Information and Service Centre
303 Moling Lu (South Exit of Shanghai Railway Station)
Tel: (21) 5123 4490
Website: www.tourinfo.sh.cn or www.shanghaitour.net

Other offices are at: 1699 Nanjing Xi Lu (6248 3259); 561 Nanjing Dong Lu (5353 1117); 127 Chengdu Nan Lu (6372 8330) and 2931 Longhua Lu (opposite the Buddhist Temple) (5410 4694). Hotels also offer excellent tourist information.

Shanghai China International Travel Service (SCITS)
1277 Beijing Xi Lu
Tel: (21) 6289 8899.
Website: www.scits.com

Passes
There are no sightseeing passes currently available in Shanghai.

Key Attractions

The Bund
Shanghai’s most popular tourist attraction, the Bund features 24 historic riverfront buildings, separated from the Huangpu River by a raised terrace embankment. The word ‘bund’ is an Anglo-Indian construction meaning ‘embankment’, recalling the flood barriers that used to line it.

The grand remnants of colonial power are crowded along the Bund. These include the Customs House (with its famous bell ‘Big Ching’), the former Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank, the Peace Hotel (one of Asia’s Art Deco masterpieces and a favourite of Noel Coward’s) and the Bank of China. Three buildings (Numbers 3, 5 and 18) have been lavishly refurbished and now contain high-end retail, arts and restaurant complexes. This parade of Shanghai’s past faces-off with the futurstic skyline of Pudong on the opposite riverbank.

Known in Chinese as ‘Waitan’
Free admission.

Shanghai Museum
Rebuilt in the shape of an ancient Chinese bronze ritual vessel in 1994, the Shanghai Museum houses over 120,000 historical and artistic treasures and is one of the city’s cultural gems. Its four storeys present a chronological and stylistic tour of China’s greatest artistic traditions, with bronzes, sculptures, ceramics, paintings, calligraphy, jades, coins, furniture and ethnic minority folk art, as well as special exhibitions. Particular highlights are the display of ancient bronzes on the entrance level and the Chinese paintings on the floor above. Given the size of the collection, only some 3% of the museum can be shown at any one time.

201 Renmin Dadao, Renmin Square, Huangpu
Tel: (21) 6372 3500.
Website: www.shanghaimuseum.net (in Chinese).
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700 (last ticket sales 1600), Sat 0900-2000.
Admission charge.

Yuyuan Gardens and Bazaar
Yuyuan Gardens and Bazaar cover several blocks of the historic downtown area, where souvenir shops and eating houses are packed together in brightly coloured alleys. A haven of tranquillity after the throngs of tourists in the bazaar, the Yuyuan Gardens were founded by a family of Imperial officials in 1559. Although looted by the 19th century Western colonialists the gardens still preserve an exquisite catalogue of tunnels and grottos, a stone boat for staging river parties, quiet pools, a fine Chinese opera stage and a hall that became the headquarters of the Small Swords Society. Outside this walled tranquillity, the Mid-Lake Pavilion Teahouse and Nine Twists Bridge have become attractions in themselves, with queens and presidents ceremoniously brought to visit it.

Old Town, from Fuyou Lu to Fangbang Dong Lu
Opening hours: Daily 0830-1700.
Admission charge.

Former French Concession
Lined with French colonial-era architecture that survives remarkably unspoilt in the heart of this dynamic city, the former French Concession is a great place to wander aimlessly and typifies Shanghai’s international sophistication and style. Particular gems include the grounds of the Ruijin Guest House, 118 Ruijin Er Lu, formerly the Morris Estate, full of restaurants, and the art galleries, designer boutiques and cafes of Taikang Lu. Fuxing Park has its shady walks and bar strip and there are many old residences along Sinan Lu (including ones belonging to Sun Yatsen and Zhou Enlai) and some fine colonial-period hotels – the Okura Garden Hotel, 58 Maoming Nan Lu, and the Jinjiang Hotel opposite.

French Concession, Puxi
Free admission.

Site of the First National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party
One for the history buffs, this site stands as testimony to Shanghai being the nursery of Chinese Communism. Here, the Chinese Communist Party was formed, in a room belonging to one of the delegates, Li Hanjun, on 23 July 1921. Another delegate, Mao Zedong, was one of only two of 13 that ever served in the first Chinese Communist government, formed in 1949. The modern museum occupies the whole building and documents the formative years of the CCP. Renovated in 1998, it incorporates delights such as a life-size wax diorama of the first meeting, with Mao centre stage, at his most idealised.

374 Huangpi Nan Lu
Tel: (21) 5383 2171.
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1700 (last ticket sold 1600).
Admission charge.

Shanghai Municipal History Museum
Shanghai’s most modern (and probably most expensive) museum, the Shanghai Municipal History Museum occupies the lowest ball of Pudong’s signature Orient Pearl Tower and uses all the latest interactive devices to tell the city’s history, including a diorama of a ‘main street’ from the 1920s. The museum documents 6,000 years, with sights, sounds and even scents of the colonial era. But the most recent exhibits, such as the lion dogs that used to guard the old Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank building, are the most interesting. The high entrance fee reflects the admission price for the Tower itself – there is no way to get into the museum without entering the Tower, packaging past and future in one.

Gate 4, Oriental Pearl Tower
1 Shiji Dadao, Pudong
Tel: (21) 5879 3003.
Opening hours: Daily 0900-2100.
Admission charge.

Further Distractions

People’s Square
An unmissable central landmark, People’s Square’s crescent shape betrays its former function as Shanghai’s racecourse (the neo-classical clock tower was the former Jockey Club, and now houses the Shanghai Art Museum). In the 1960s, it was the site of massed Red Guard demonstrations and, in 1989, Shanghai’s own civic protests. Now it is the setting for grand scale reconstruction. The Shanghai Grand Theatre and Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall flank the Shanghai Government Building on the north side, while the Shanghai Museum (see Key Attractions) stands in the centre. Despite the mass of new concrete edifices, the magnificently brooding art-deco Park Hotel still stands proud and aloof.

Renmin Dadao, Puxi
Free admission.

Hongkou Park
A pleasant park with a boating lake and a quiet atmosphere, Hongkou Park also holds the Tomb of Lu Xun, which gives the park its other name, Lu Xun Park, and the museum of the Lu Xun Memorial Hall. Lu Xun (1881-1936), the novelist and essayist, is celebrated as the writer who created modern Chinese literature with a vernacular fictional style that is worlds away from outworn classical influences. This is a place of pilgrimage for the great writer’s devotees – other visitors can simply enjoy the park.

Sichuan Bei Lu, on the corner of Dalian Xi Lu and Baoshan Lu
Opening hours: Daily 0600-1800.
Free admission.

Lu Xun Memorial Hall
2288 Sichuan Beilu
Tel: (21) 6540 4378.
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1700; no entry after 1600.
Admission charge.

Xintiandi
No trip to Shanghai is complete without a visit to this smart restaurant, bar and retail complex in the heart of the city. Covering two large city blocks of restored (make that ‘completely rebuilt’) traditional shikumen (‘stone gate’) houses, Xintiandi has become a showcase symbol of modern Shanghai where moneyed locals, tourists and expats linger over a Starbucks coffee, eat at some of Shanghai’s most noted restaurants or drink German beer while enjoying Filipino covers band shows in designer bars. Add in a cinema complex, several souvenir shops and ice cream parlours and you have the quintessential ‘new Shanghai’ experience.

Xintiandi, Puxi
Free admission.

Tours of the City

Walking Tours
There are no organised walking tours available in Shanghai. However, the former French Concession, Bund and Yuyuan Gardens and Bazaar are perhaps the best areas for tourists to explore on foot, seeing as they are compact and possess great character. Many of Shanghai’s residents strolls along the Bund at weekends, while the many parks are pleasant refuges.

Bus Tours
Jinjiang Shanghai Tour (tel: (21) 6208 7990 or 139 0184 1246) operates a hop-on hop-off bus service that departs from outside the Okura Garden Hotel on Maoming Nan Lu every 45 minutes Monday-Friday 0900-1715, Saturday and Sunday 0845-1745, arriving at each stop every half an hour. Tickets can be purchased on the bus. The tour takes in Pudong, Yuyyan Gardens, the Bund and Renmin Square, returning to the Jinjiang Hotel. There are multi-lingual commentaries available.

The Shanghai Transportation Bureau excursion buses, some with commentary (in Chinese only), travel from the east side, Xu Jia Hui (parking lot four) of Shanghai Stadium, out of metropolitan Shanghai and pass through some major sightseeing destinations. The routes taken vary. For instance, the No 3 Bus Line, departs every 30 minutes 0700-1730, to Pudong, while the No 10 Bus Line, goes every 15 minutes 0630-1930, to Huaihai Dong Lu and Nanjing Dong Lu. Trip costs vary.

Excursions

For a Whole Day

Songjiang: About 30km (19 miles) from the southern outskirts of Shanghai, Songjiang has much to see that is of interest. A Square Pagoda dates to the Song Dynasty (AD 960-1126) and the oldest Buddhist structure in Shanghai, the Toroni Sutra Stela, dates from AD859 and is now incorporated within the grounds of a school. Yet another ancient attraction is the 14th-century mosque. There are also picturesque old streets away from the centre. Shanghai Transportation Bureau sightseeing 1A Bus Line leaves from Shanghai Stadium to the Square Pagoda, every 30 minutes, daily 0730-1730.

Suzhou: A famously picturesque silk town, Suzhou is located 70km (43 miles) west of Shanghai. Some 2,500 years old, the town is far older than Shanghai and a hot contender for the title of ‘Venice of the East’. Among countless sights of interest are the towering North Temple, the Taoist Temple of Mystery and the leaning Yunyan Pagoda on Tiger Hill. Celebrated gardens are the Garden of the Master of the Nets, the Garden for Lingering In, the Humble Administrator’s Garden, the Lion Grove and the Blue Wave Pavilion. There is also the Suzhou Silk Museum and the Suzhou Museum.

Bus routes to Suzhou from Shanghai include hourly services, 0715-1615, from Hutai Lu, Zhongshan Bei Lu or Xujiahui bus stations and sightseeing buses leaving from Shanghai Stadium at 0800 on the weekend. The China International Travel Service office, Zhongguo Guoji Luxingshe, and other branches at the station and in Nanling Hotel, provides information on the city’s many museums and attractions.

Zhouzhuang: Another delightful water town, located 30km (19 miles) south of Suzhou, with canals and cobbled streets that draw hordes of local tourists. Yet Zhouzhuang still preserves an oasis of quiet tranquillity. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Old Town has official residences, temples and gardens and is completely pedestrianised. A single ticket can be purchased which covers admission to all the major sights of the Old Town. Buses to Zhouzhuang from Shanghai include four services daily (more frequent at weekends) from the western end of Shanghai Stadium, as well as slower services from other stops.

Hangzhou: Located on the Qiantang river in southeast China, 180km (112 miles) from Shanghai, Hangzhou is insanely popular. Some 2,200 years old, the town earns its tag as the ‘tourist capital of China’. Hangzhou’s West Lake has been immortalised in paintings and poetry, while its Lingyin Temple, with a 20 metre (66ft) wooden Buddha, is a place of pilgrimage for innumerable tour groups. Other sights include the mausoleum of the heroic Song Dynasty commander, General Yue Fe, and the Six Harmonies Pagoda, once a lighthouse for river traffic (reached by bus 308 from Pinghai Lu). Buses to Hangzhou leave from several stations: the long-distance terminals at Hutai Lu and Zhongshan Bei Lu and the tourist bus terminal outside Shanghai Stadium. Journey times to Hangzhou are about two hours. Trains also leave Shanghai’s main station for Hangzhou, with journey time of about two hours.

Sport

Shopping

Shanghai’s shopping scene befits its economic status and the city boasts easily the best shopping in China. Brand awareness and access to much-coveted western labels accelerated following China’s accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in 2001. New rules further opening up China’s retail sector will be implemented just before Christmas 2004, and should encourage the few western retailers not already established here, such as Gap and Body Shop, to open shop.

Armani, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Tiffany & Co, Ferrari, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs and Bulgari have all recently opened new signature stores, and high-end retail outlets such as Plaza 66 on Nanjing Lu, Three on the Bund and Bund 18 complement Huaihai Zhong Lu’s status as Shanghai’s Fifth Avenue. Parkson and Printemps, on Shaanxi Lu, typify the international-style department stores in the former French Concession area. Super-cool boutique clothes outlets, opened by Chinese and international designers, can be found at Xintiandi, Xinle Lu, Taikang Lu and Changle Lu. Further out of town, hypermarkets and mega-malls are sprouting on typically Chinese scale, with Ikea, B&Q and Carrefour operating huge premises. Ikea is at Harvest Building, 585 Long Hua Lu, Xuhui, while Carrefour operates six outlets, including 555 Biyun Lu, Pudong, and a mammoth store in Gubei favoured by expats. TESCO recently announced a 50% stake in the local Hymall supermarket brand.

For tacky tourist memorabilia, nowhere can better the Yuyuan Gardens and Bazaar. Open daily, from dawn until dusk, the Xiangyang Fashion and Gift Market, on Huaihai Zhong Lu, offers a plethora of fake brand goods and curios and swarms with touts hawking pirated DVDs and watches. It’s a surefire tourism magent. The most uniquely regional ware from Shanghai is the local blue cloth, patterned in blue and white and similar to batik cloth. The Chinese Printed Blue Nankeen Exhibition Hall, at No 24, Lane 637, Changle Lu, is open daily, 0900-1630, and is the highest quality producer of this. Countless lesser versions are available from all around Yuyuan Bazaar, Maoming Nan Lu, Nanjing Dong Lu and other popular souvenir areas. Silks from Suzhou are also a fine gift – Suzhou itself is obviously the best place to buy these, although Jinguan Silk and Woollen Store, 373 Nanjing Dong Lu, also has some good silks. Good-quality antiques are available among the huge numbers of cheap stalls in Yuyuan Bazaar, while the government Shanghai Antique and Curio Store, 218 Guangdong Lu, sets a higher standard.

Visitors should note that antiques over 100 years old are marked with a red wax seal and an export licence must be issued in order to take them out of the country.

Usual shopping hours in Shanghai are 1000-2200. VAT is charged at 17%, which cannot be reclaimed upon departure.

Culture

Exposed to Western influences as well as unparalleled economic growth, pre-war Shanghai was the nursery of many modern developments in Chinese culture. Lu Xun led the development of modern Chinese literature during his time here and literature by Shanghainese writers followed his lead. The prints and graphic arts of the period are rightly renowned as important cultural manifestos for new artistic styles and fashions. Shanghai cinema likewise was an important catalyst for China’s cultural evolution. All this ended with the war and the Communist government has since kept a tight lid on cultural activity. Cultural experimentation that has happened since has been more or less controlled. Well supported ensembles, such as the Shanghai Ballet Company, the Shanghai Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra and the Shanghai Municipal Performance Company, keep the city at the forefront of official culture. Common prejudice has it that Beijing has the intellectuals and artists, while Shanghai has the wealth creators – but such easy categories fly in the face of Shanghai’s modern cultural importance. Shanghai is also smart and sophisticated and that implies a cultural gloss.

There is no central ticketing agency in Shanghai, however, since so many events take place at the Shanghai Grand Theatre (see below), a venue that serves, in some respects, as a de facto agency for high-culture events. Details on cultural and artistic events can be found in 8 Days (website: www.8days.sh), That’s Shanghai (website: www.thatsshanghai.com) and City Weekend (website: www.cityweekend.com.cn) city listings magazines.

Music: The recently relocated Shanghai Concert Hall, 523 Yan’an Dong Lu (tel: (21) 6386 5772), inevitably is the leading vehicle for classical concerts. The Shanghai Municipal Performance Company is associated with both it and the Majestic Theatre, 277 Fengxian Lu (tel: (21) 6217 2426). The Shanghai Grand Theatre, 300 Renmin Da Dao (tel: (21) 6372 8701; website: www.shgtheatre.com), is a major venue for music concerts, as well as for theatrical performances. The Shanghai Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra plays here. The Jing An Hotel, 370 Huashan Lu (tel: (21) 6437 1888), has a well-regarded series of chamber music concerts performed by a variety of local and touring ensembles. Opera is a Shanghainese favourite, particularly the Chinese variety. The Shanghai Grand Theatre and the Majestic Theatre frequently host traditional and modern Chinese operas.

Theatre: Theatre buffs are splendidly served in Shanghai, with a large number of high-class venues. Shanghai Grand Theatre (see above) offers official prestige productions by visiting ensembles, including some Chinese opera. The Dramatic Arts Centre Theatre, 288 Anfu Lu (tel: (21) 6473 4567 or 6433 4546 for bookings), is more purely dramatic, eschewing musical and operatic productions.

Dance: The Shanghai Grand Theatre (see above) plays host to both the National Ballet of China and the Shanghai Ballet Company, as well as visiting ensembles. For traditional acrobatic dance, the Shanghai Acrobatics Troupe (website: www.acrobatsofchina.com) performs regularly at the Shanghai Centre Theatre, 1376 Nanjing Xi Lu (tel: (21) 6279 8663).

Film: Raise the Red Lantern (1991), Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2001) and Hero (2002) have convinced the outside world that China has a vibrant film culture. China is now the focus of great interest from western movie companies, with an eye on both its lower production costs, magnificent settings and huge interest for both local and international cinema. Between Sept-Dec 2004, Merchant and Ivory were in town to film a new period movie set in the city: The White Countess, starring Ralph Fiennes and Natasha Richardson.

Hollywood classics like Josef von Sternberg’s The Shanghai Gesture (1941) or Orson Welles’ The Lady From Shanghai (1948) may have played heavily to the Western conception of Shanghai as the ultimate Oriental flesh pot of vice, but native film culture of the time was far more diverse and sophisticated, the latest global hits debuting almost as soon as they hit American screens. Post-war, Shanghainese film has been as drab and sparse as general cultural activity in the People’s Republic of China. Shanghai Triad (1995) by Zhang Yimou, the wunderkind of modern Chinese cinema, only touches on the glamour of 1930s Shanghai at its beginning, despite its title.

Cinema venues are the Golden Cinema Haixing, in the Haixing Plaza in Ruijin Nan Lu (tel: (21) 6418 7034), and Studio City at the Westgate Mall, 1038 Nanjing Xi Lu (tel: (21) 6218 2173). The Shanghai Film Art Centre, 106 Xin Hua Lu (tel: (21) 6280 4088), is the city’s closest approximation to an arts cinema. The Shanghai International Film Festival (website: www.siff.com) is the city’s regular prestige film event.

Literary Notes: The creator of modern Chinese literature, Lu Xun (1881-1936), is a pervasive presence in Shanghai. The house at Shangying Lu, where he spent the last four years of his life, is a museum to the writer, while Hongkou Park contains his tomb. However, his writings offer little in the way of a key to the city itself. For a fictional guide to Shanghai in its worst crisis, there is Shanghai ’37 (1939) by Vicky Baum, which deals with the run-up to the catastrophic bombing of the city by the Chinese Nationalist air force in 1937. J G Ballard brought a surrealist sensibility to the depiction of wartime Shanghai, which had been nurtured by his own childhood there. His Empire of the Sun (1987) is one of the few works to do it justice. Man’s Fate (1933), by André Malraux, is the French novelist and politician’s account of Communist revolutionaries in Shanghai in the 1920s, based on his own experiences. Shanghai Baby (2001) by Wei Hui is a far more up-to-date, and controversial, portrayal of modern Shanghainese sexual mores and sensibilities.

Nightlife

China’s nightlife capital, Shanghai has a frenetic nightlife scene, with a proliferation of venues. There is also a strong ex-pat strain in the nightlife scene, which makes it very welcoming to outsiders. Bars and clubs seem to be everywhere, although they are concentrated particularly along Hengshan Lu, Dongping Lu, Xintiandi and Maoming Nan Lu (with offshoots in Fuxing Park and the grounds of the Ruijin Guest House, 118 Ruijin Er Lu), Nanjing Xi Lu (for a quieter, more mature ambience) and Julu Lu (for sleaze). A new ‘bar street’ is due to open at Tongren Lu/Nanjing Lu by the end of November 2004. As ever, the major hotels (Grand Hyatt, Hilton, JW Marriott, Four Seasons and Westin, in particular) have fine high-class bars. Bar prices can be surprisingly hefty, though many bars offer happy hours and one-price-all-you-can-drink deals in response to increased competition. There is no fear of passing a Sunday or Monday without action.

Details of the best venues are carried in 8 Days (website: www.8days.sh), That’s Shanghai (website: www.thatsshanghai.com) and City Weekend (website: www.cityweekend.com.cn) city listings magazines.

Bars: Face, Building 4, Ruijin Guest House Gardens, 118 Ruijin Er Lu, is one of the loveliest buildings and bars in Shanghai – a dark-panelled 1930s mansion filled with pan-Asian artifacts and a cosmopolitan herd of drinkers. O’Malley’s, 42 Taojiang Lu, is a staple of the ex-pat/sports bars, with a solidly Irish beer garden. KABB, Lane 181, Taicang Lu, is a great terraced vantage point for watching the chic street crowd in Xintiandi. Sasha’s, 9 Dongping Lu, by Hengshan Lu, is a swanky bar/restaurant in a restored villa formely owned by the infamous Soong family, while Windows Too, 1699 Nanjing Xi Lu (by Jing An Temple metro station) is the most sociable and vibrant of the RMB10-per-drink dive bars.

Casinos: Casinos are officially illegal everywhere in China except Macau.

Clubs: Rojam, Fourth Floor, Hong Kong Plaza, 283 Huaihai Dong Lu, attracts the cream of international DJs that visit Shanghai, and is a full-on clubbers’ resort on its regular nights. California Club/Park 97, 2 Gaolan Lu, Fuxing Park, is part of the Shanghai Lan Kwai Fong strip imported from Hong Kong and sells itself on cosmopolitan sophistication. Next-door, Guandii offers specialist trance and drum-and-bass nights and is popular with the moneyed local set. Recently opened, Mint, 2/F, 333 Tongren Lu, by Beijing Xi Lu, is proving to be the hottest new spot for partying expats in need of somewhere different to drink and dance.

Live Music: Live bands are regular features of the Shanghai bar and club scene, often appearing at both Malones and O’Malley’s (see above). CJWx, Xintiandi, has excellent soul singers performing most evenings. The Cotton Club, 1428 Huaihai Zhong Lu (near Fuxing Lu), offers nightly top-notch nightly jazz and blues.

City Statistics

Location: Shanghai Special Municipality, China.
Country dialling code: 86.
Population: 10,500,000 (city); 16,900,000 (metropolitan area).
Time zone: GMT + 8 (GMT + 7 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October).
Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz; two-pin and sockets care standard .
Average January temp: 3°C (45°F).
Average July temp: 28°C (77°F).
Annual rainfall: 1,200mm (47.2 inches).

Special Events

New Year’s Holiday, national holiday, 1-2 Jan, throughout the city
Chinese New Year, Jan/Feb, throughout the city
Shanghai International Tea Culture Festival, Apr, various venues
Shanghai Music Festival, May, various venues
International Labour Day, national holiday, 1 May, throughout the city
Shanghai International Film Festival, June, various venues (www.siff.com)
Birthday of the Chinese Communist Party, 1 Jul, throughout the city
Anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Liberation Army, 1 Aug, throughout the city
Shanghai Tourism Festival, Sep, various venues
Chinese Grand Prix, Sep, Jiading racetrack
Shanghai International Arts Festival, Oct, various venues
Shanghai Biennale, every other Oct, various venues
Mid-Autumn Festival, harvest moon festival, Sep/Oct, throughout the city
National Day, national holiday, 1 Oct, throughout the city
Shanghai International Marathon, Nov, city centre

Cost of Living

1 Chinese Renminbi (or Yuan) RMB1 = £0.07; US$0.12; C$0.14; A$0.16; ¬0.10
Currency conversion rates as of October 2005