Shanghai

Good to know

1. 1The Bund, the line of grand early twentieth-century buildings along the Huangpu River, dates from the years when Shanghai was an international trading port. Across the river, Pudong was largely farmland a few decades ago and is now the city's skyline of towers.
2. 2Shanghai was one of the treaty ports opened to foreign trade in the nineteenth century, and the old French Concession still shows it in its tree-lined streets and mix of architecture.
3. 3Local food is gentle and a little sweet compared with much of China. Xiaolongbao, soup dumplings with a thin skin, and shengjianbao, pan-fried pork buns, are the dishes the city is best known for.
4. 4Many older residents speak Shanghainese, a separate variety of Chinese from Mandarin. Mandarin is what you will hear in shops and on the metro, and signs are usually in both Chinese characters and pinyin.
5. 5The old neighbourhoods are full of shikumen, stone-gate houses that combine Chinese courtyard layouts with Western-style terraces. Some have been turned into cafes, shops and restaurants.
6. 6The currency is the renminbi, also called the yuan. Mobile payment is very common in the city, so many locals rarely handle cash.

Tips for a first visit

• The metro is the easiest way to get around. It is extensive, clearly signed in English, and avoids the traffic on the roads above.
• Set up a way to pay before you arrive. Mobile payment apps are used almost everywhere, and foreign cards can often be linked to them, but carry some cash and a card as backup.
• Try soup dumplings the local way: bite a small hole, let the steam out, sip the broth, then eat the rest. Take care with the first bite because the soup is very hot.
• Walk the Bund at dusk and again in daylight, and spend a slow afternoon wandering the French Concession on foot.
• Avoid the main sights on public holidays, when the whole country seems to travel and crowds are very large.
• Download a translation app and save your hotel's address in Chinese characters, since taxi drivers may not read English.

When to go

Spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons, mild and often clear, and are the best times for walking. Summer is hot and very humid, with heavy rain at times, while winter is damp and cold, though rarely snowy.

From the airport

Shanghai has two main airports, Pudong and Hongqiao. From Pudong, the Maglev train runs to a metro station on the edge of central Pudong in a few minutes, and from there you continue by metro or taxi. Metro line 2 also links Pudong to the centre, taking roughly an hour, and taxis take about the same depending on traffic. Hongqiao is much closer to the centre and connected directly by metro lines 2 and 10, with the ride into the middle of town taking around half an hour.