Anyone can tell me about Shanghai, please? (2)?
I'm from Thailand and I wanna travel to Shanghai but I don't know anything about it. I'm gonna stay there about 10 days. Do I need a visa for traveling to Shanghai? Where should I stay? I don't like to travel with a tour guide, so I'll just go there with my friend. Is that dangerous.
This is the link for the Chinese Embassy in BKK.
http://www.chinaembassy.or.th/eng/ (English)
http://www.chinaembassy.or.th/th/ (Thai)
You will need to get a toursit visa. So you will need a passport and some visa photos.
First you should say where you are from, but most foreigners need to have a visa to come to China (and Shanghai). If you arrive on an international flight you will probably land at the Pudong airport. You can catch a bus, cab, or the MAGLEV into the city center. Hotel Rooms can be found for 60 RMB (Captain's Hostel near the Bund) to several thousand RMB (I suggest the Grand Hyatt in the JinMao Building).
Yu Garden (Yu Yuan) and Chenghuamiao (Temple of the City God) are some famous sights for buying Chinese gifts. The Garden is also worth visiting. And it is a good place to take a walk around the old city. (Take a Cab there). From there you can go to XinTianDi--it is upscale shopping and a place the many foreign tourists find impressive. This area is in The French Concession and you can enjoy looking at some buildings from the early 1900s when Shanghai was booming. I enjoy walking along Fuxing LU or Changle Rd.
HuaHaiZhongLU from Huangpi Nan Lu to Changsu Rd is good for shopping.
Xhijiahui is also good for shopping. It is popular with locals.
At Nanjing Xi Lu you can find many expensive top brands in the shopping malls. This is probably the most expensive place to shop in Shanghai. Nanjing Rd East of the People's Square is a Pedestrian Area with lots of shopping as well. Many people also enjoy the botique shops along ShangxiNan and Bei Lu. Taikang Lu features many galleries and unique art shops.
A visit would not be complete without walking along the Bund and taking in the European style buildings. You will also get a great look at the modern part of Shanghai---Pudong. It is also worth a trip over to Pudong (take a cab and not the pedestrain tunnel) or the subway--line 2. There is a riverside promenade with Starbucks and other western places that shows a great view of the Bund. For a great view of the City head to the JinMao Building or the Oriental Pearl Tower (Jin Mao is my preference) The Super Brand Mall in Pudong has a great place to eat on the 9th floor called South Beauty (for 300 RMB per person you can get a table with a Bund View).
Shanghai is an intresting city. It thrived in the Pre World War days as many foreigners came to Shanghai in seek of wealth. The loss of the Opium War by the Chinese to the British resulted in the British demanding the opening of some ports. Shanghai was one of these ports. Other countries demanded the same concessions. There is an international settlement in Hongkou area (which is also where the Jews settled during WW2). There is the French Concession which is in Jing'an and LuWan Districts, and the Old Chinese City which is located around the city temple. Shanghai in the 1920s was called the Paris of the East. Unfortuately, the Japanese took control of the city during WW2 and many of the foreigners fled the city. Those who remained were kicked out when Mao took power and the Cultural Revolution began. In the late 1970s, China was reopened and Shanghai continued to grow. The city is divided by the HuangPu River. The West side of the River is PUXI and the east side is called PUDONG> The area of Pudong was mainly swampland or farmland about 15 years ago. When looking at the current skyline it is hard to imagine. Shanghai is a city of about 20 million people. It attracts people from all over China. It is a city of contrasts of old and new, of the west and the east, the poor and the rich. Shanghai is fast moving and dynamic, what was once a housing complex could be torn down and in a matter of weeks transformed into a park.
I think overall Shanghai is quite a safe place to visit. I have never encountered any problems. The biggest problem is thieves. You will need to be very careful with your purse or wallet and this kind of robbery often happens. Theives are very clever and you should always take care of your belongings (even in places that you may feel are safe.)
For more information about Shanghai, I strongly reccommend reading about it on ctrip.com.
From Shanghai there are several neighboring towns that are worth a day trip. Most notable are Suzhou (famous for Gardens, the Grand Canal and Silk) and Hangzhou (famous for teahouses, relaxation, and tea). Shanghai is just one face of China. If it is the only face you see, you will have a innaccurate understanding of how most of China looks. Some of the watertowns around Shanghai like Zhouzhang, Tongli, and XiTang are also popular spots to visit.
I am a foreigner and I have been living in Shanghai for 2 years. On the surface and after my first impression of Shanghai, I was not all that impressed (it could have been the heat), but after living in Shanghai, I must admit that the city has somehow captured my heart. Just being here I feel I can soak up the energy that surrounds the city. I am constantly delighted by the changes I witness in the blink of and eye. I am fascinated with the history of Shanghai's past, and the possibilities for the future are unimaginable.
Shanghai Travel Guide
shanghai travel guide
shanghai travel guide
shanghai travel guide
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