In this last article of the series, we will show you more fun with the most popular Tourist spots, Entertainment attractions and Amusement Parks in Shanghai!

Shanghai has many interesting tourist places to visit. These are good choices for returning to the nature while exploring new and exciting activities on a day tour or family day outing.

Changfeng Ocean World 长风海洋公园

Shanghai Changfeng Ocean World, opened in April 1994 at the cost of 25 million dollars, is 13 meters under the surface of the Silver Shovel Lake in Changfeng Park. The Ocean World is China’s first large-scale theme aquarium and is the flagship tourist attraction of the Oceanis Australia Group, the world’s largest aquarium operator.

The Shanghai Changfeng Ocean World offers a mix of marine sightseeing, aquarium viewing and show and performances at the stadium. The park has become a famous tourist attraction of Shanghai.

This theme park in East China is also known as “Shanghai Ocean World” and is the only theme park which combines marine sightseeing with ecological leisure.

Info

Website : Changfeng Ocean World

Address: No.451 Daduhe Road

Opening hours: 9:00am – 5:00pm

Ticket Price:

Adult 130RMB

Child 90RMB

Shanghai Ocean Aquarium 上海海洋水族馆

Shanghai Ocean Aquarium is located just next to the Oriental Pearl Tower in Shanghai’s busy financial district of Lujiazui, Pudong. It is the largest modernization in Asia Marine Aquarium and covers an area of about 13,000 square metres and a total construction area of over 20,000 square metres.

In Shanghai Ocean Aquarium, you will find distinctive fresh water and marine creatures all over the world. Not only that, Shanghai Ocean Aquarium is currently the only aquarium that has the separate exhibition area showing the aquatic animals in China, especially the rare animals along Yangtze River.

Info

Website: Shanghai Ocean Aquarium

Address: No.1388 Lujiazui Ring Road

Opening hours: 9:00am – 6:00pm

Ticket Price:

adult 135RMB

child 90RMB

Jinjiang Action Park 锦江乐园

Jinjiang Action Park is the first modern amusement park in Shanghai. There are more than 40 attractions in the park and the huge Ferris wheel has been regarded as a landmark among theme park lovers.

With other activities such as shopping, dining in the park, Jinjiang Action Park will be a fun-filled attraction for everyone.

Info

Website: Jinjiang Action Park

Address: No.227 Hongmei Road ,Minhang District

Shanghai Happy Valley 上海欢乐谷

Shanghai Happy Valley is renowned as a theme park of beautiful scenery, with huge areas to explore, superb scientific and technological content with breathtaking and exciting amusement rides.

It is located in the central area of Shanghai Sheshan National Holiday Resort, Songjiang District, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) west of the downtown area. It covers an area of 863,500 square meters (213 acres).

Shanghai Happy Valley is composed of seven major areas, each with different themed zones, such as Sunshine Beach, Happy Times, Typhoon Bay, Gold Mine Town, Ant Kingdom, Shanghai Beach and Shangri-la Woods. There are more than a hundred attractions and 12 top recreational attractions.

Info

Website: Shanghai Happy Valley

Address: No.888 Linhu Road, Sheshan, Songjiang District

Entrance Fee: 200RMB

Shanghai Film Shooting Base 上海影视乐园

Shanghai Film Shooting Base (also known as Shanghai Film Park) is invested by The Shanghai Film Group Corporation. It is built as an ideal site for film shooting, sightseeing and culture communication.

What attracts visitors here are the beautiful and unique buildings only seen on the television of the olden China streets and sights. You will find yourself back in time at different scenes in the park, like “Nanjing Road in the 30′s”,”Shanghai traditional houses”, “Downtown Shanghai in old times”, “European style architecture”, “Suzhou Creek”, “Church”, “Peace Plaza”, “Old Shanghai bridge” and scenic “Lake and mountain area”. You can also visit the large soundstages, costume and prop ware-house, film library and their screening rooms.

Other attractions include Exhibition of SFS Costumes & Props Selection and old Shanghai street show, just to name a couple.

Info

Website: Shanghai Film Shooting Base

Address: No.4915 Beisong Road, Songjiang District

Entrance Fee: 50RMB

Shanghai Wild Animal Park 上海野生动物园

Shanghai Wild Animal Park (SWAP) is the first national wild animal park established by Shanghai Municipal Government and State Forestry Administration. The park is located in XuanQiao Town of Nanhui District in Pudong New Area, and about 35km from Shanghai downtown and coving an area of 153 hectares.

More than 200 types of representative and rare animals from the world were collected in SWAP. The total number of animals is about 10,000. These include foreign giraffe, zebra, antelope, white rhinoceros and more. Shanghai Wild Animal Park also house Nationally protected animals like the giant panda, snub-nosed monkey, and Chinese tiger.

The park is divided into 2 parts, Bus visiting area and Walking area.

In the Bus visiting area, you can see gentle giraffe, elongating his neck in expectation of your visit. You also can see elephants – the biggest mammal on land, greeting guests gently. Spot the fastest animal in the world, the cheetah, whose speed can reach up to 110 km per hour. Be in awe at the African lion, the king of beasts, showing his grand demeanor. Observe the Clumsy bear, begging for food from the passing buses. And watch the Majestic tiger striding along.

In the walking area, you can enjoy the world’s rare animals such as white lion, white tiger, white kangaroo, giant panda, Chinese alligator and more. You can even take photos with the alpaca camel, zebra and elephant. It is an amazing experience to be able to view these unique animals at such close proximity.

In the small animal garden, you can even hug the small animals, feed the lovely monkeys, and experience how it is like being close to the animals.

At the Wild animal Park, there are shows and performances by some of the animals. There are many animal shows like the beast training show or where both the tiger and lion perform on the same platform, or a world-class sea lion show which will sure to give you a stunning experience. The greyhound race is also a popular and exciting show to watch out for.

Info

Website: Shanghai Wild Animal Park

Address: No. 178 Nanliu Road, Nanhui District

Opening hours:

Mar.1st – Nov.30th           8:00am – 5:00pm

Dec.1st – Feb.29th           8:00am – 4:30pm

Entrance Fee: 120RMB

Shanghai Circus World 上海马戏城

Shanghai Circus World is located in the Pudong district of Shanghai City and is renowned as the No. 1 Circus World in China. The Circus World has a large indoor circus stadium and with unique architectural shape of a golden dome-like roof, Shanghai Circus World has become a landmark in Shanghai.

The Acrobatics Field, the main body of Shanghai Circus World, has 1,638 seats. The field is equipped with modern computer-controlled lighting facilities, multi track and stereo sound systems. The design of the performance area is creative with a revolving stage, a lifting stage and picture-frame stage.

The glittering Shanghai Circus World has been well known internationally. The place is a center for national and international acrobatic and circus performances exhibitions and exchanges. The prominent Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe gives its sensational performances here on a regular basis.

Circus performance with amazing acrobatic acts and performances with animals like elephants, chimps, horse, giant pandas and some fierce beasts including tigers, lions can be enjoyed at the Circus World.

Info

Address: No.2266 Gonghexin Road

Qibao Ancient Town 七宝古镇

Qibao Ancient Town, approximately 18 kilometers from downtown Shanghai, is the only ancient Chinese town in Shanghai. This old town is 2 square kilometers in size and is crossed by two strips of water. Surrounding the water is a variety of well preserved ancient Chinese houses, shops, and restaurants. Qibao means “Seven Treasures” in Chinese and the town got its name from a legend that referred to seven treasures in this area. Qibao Ancient Town, with a history of more than 1000 years, is one of the most important historical sites in Shanghai.

This old town started development in the Song dynasty of China and was at its best in the Ming and Qing Dynasty. The stone roads and long narrow lanes that are worn over time at Qibao Ancient Town date all the way back to the Song Dynasty while the traditional Chinese architectural specialties, such as pavilions, terraces, and towers came from the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Walking along the lanes in the ancient town, you will be transported back in time to ancient China with the scenic sights of stone bridges and chinese pavilions.

Info

Website: QiBao Ancient Town

Address: QiBao Town, Minhang District, Qing Nian Road (Subway Line 9 – Qibao station)

ZhuJiaJiao 朱家角

ZhuJiaJiao is located in a suburb of Shanghai city and is also popularly known as the Venice of Shanghai. With a history of more than 1700 years, ZhuJiaJiao is a water town that exhibits ancient charms of the Ming and Qing Dynasty. The architecture is preserved and representative of that time. 36 unique wood and stone bridges connect this town with numerous rivers running through it.

The ancient water town well-known throughout the country and worldwide. Covering an area of 47 square kilometers, the little fan-shaped town glimmers like a bright pearl in the landscape of lakes and mountains.

Endowed with another elegant name – ‘Pearl Stream’ – the little town is the best-preserved among the four ancient towns in Shanghai. Unique old bridges across bubbling streams, small rivers shaded by willow trees, and houses with courtyards attached all transport people who have been living amidst the bustle and hustle of the modern big city to a brand-new world full of antiquity, leisure and tranquility.

Info

Website: ZhuJiaJiao

Address: Qingpu district, Zhu Jia Jiao Town

Grand View Garden 大观园

Shanghai’s Grand View Garden, located at the lakeside Dianshan in Qingpu in Shanghai, is a complex in typical architectural style of the Qing Dynasty (1616 AD – 1911 AD).

The garden is modeled from the scenes described in The Red Chamber Dream, one of the greatest Chinese novels. Because the landscapes in the garden and the stories depicted in the book are beautiful and accurately created in reality, the Grand View Garden quickly, become an attractive scenic spot in Shanghai area in recent years.

Chinese literature classic - The Red Chamber Dream

The beautiful scenery and sentimental love story depicted in The Red Chamber Dream have enchanted readers for generations. It is said that this is a love story that can be retold over and over again and still charms and interests people.

Visitors walking in the Grand View Garden can imagine the scenes described in the love story vividly as they experience the sight and atmosphere of the imperial private gardens of the Qing Dynasty.

Walk inside Bamboo Lodge – the home of Lin Daiyu, the male protagonist and stroll along the Pleasant Red Court in which Jia Baoyu, the female protagonist lives. Exquisitely constructed pavilions, towers, caves, rocks scenes and pavements will leave you in a surreal and beautiful world of the ancient Chinese era.

Info

Website: Shanghai Grand View Garden

Address: No.701 Qingshang Road

Opening hours: 8:00am – 5:00pm

Entrance Fee: 60RMB

Mt. SheShan 佘山

Last but not the least of Shanghai’s attractions, is the breathtaking Mt. SheShan. Mt. Sheshan is the only existing hill of Shanghai and it is renowned for its mesmerizing natural beauty. The place boasts of a pleasant weather and attracts large number of tourists especially during the spring. Mt. SheShan features some popular tourist destinations like the Basilica Minor of St Mary, which is a Roman and Gothic-styled Catholic basilica along with a butterfly garden that covers an area of 800-square-metre.

Marian Basilica

Sheshan National Forest Park is another popular destination in the area, which is located in the nearby Tianma Hill. The entire area boasts of a rich cultural and historical heritage, which is reflected in numerous monuments, landmarks and temples, all of which are scattered throughout the area.

Info

Website: Mt. SheShan Tourism Site

Address: Shanghai, Songjiang District

Shanghai Attractions Articles

This is the last part of Shanghai Attraction, I hope you will thoroughly enjoy yourself in Shanghai! Shanghai is really a place of attractions and opportunities and you are sure to find yourself mesmerized by the city’s charms. I hope this series of Shanghai Attractions could do you a little favour by providing you information on where to go and what to expect. Have fun in Shanghai!

Learn Some Mandarin

]]> http://ilearn-culture.com/travel/shanghai-attractions-tourist-entertainment-spots/feed/ 1 http://ilearn-culture.com/travel/shanghai-attractions-famous-streets-buildings/ http://ilearn-culture.com/travel/shanghai-attractions-famous-streets-buildings/#comments Thu, 27 May 2010 09:42:17 +0000 Simon Zhang http://ilearn-culture.com/?p=4486 Shanghai is a place of fantasy. Hanging around the city, you will find that the streets and buildings here absorb different flavours from east and west, classical and modern, tradition and novelty. And all of these elements result in the unique combination of styles which defines Shanghai.

Following our previous article on Sightseeing in Shanghai, today we visit the Famous Streets and Buildings in Shanghai.

XinTianDi 新天地

XinTianDi literally means ‘New Heaven and Earth‘. In Chinese language, this ‘Heaven and Earth’ is usually referred to as a realm or world. Hence XinTianDi is a ‘new world’. This statement is both right and wrong, because while basking in its unique atmosphere and architecture does make one feel like you are in a different world, the elements of XinTianDi is not exactly foreign within the city of Shanghai. Conversely, XinTianDi represents the very blend of western and eastern influence existing in Shanghai.

XinTianDi is considered one of the first lifestyle centres in China and currently still an active and popular spot for both tourists and locals alike. Here, you can find retail, entertainment, cultural, recreational, commercial and residential facilities in restored Shikumen houses (an architectural style distinctive of Shanghai which combines western and eastern elements).

Shikumen houses are restored to create XinTianDi's unique architecture style of old and modern.

Artistically ancient architecture coupled with modern and trendy interior is what makes XinTianDi special. Fashionable boutiques, designer shops, restaurants and cafes can be found at every corner. The open-air bars are especially popular; sipping your drinks whilst basking in the atmosphere is a relaxing and culturally enriching experience.

Get enthralled by the nightlife at XinTianDi, which is when the place really becomes alive.

Nightlife at XinTianDi. Lively crowds in the restaurant bars. Some halloween decorations added to the festive mood seen in this photo.

Coloured lightings give XinTianDi alleys a serene and mysterious feel.

There are a number of outstanding stores in XinTianDi, click here and get more information about them.

TianZiFang 田子坊

TianZiFang is a residential area near downtown Shanghai. It is transformed and furnished by old houses of the Shikumen architecture style.

TianZiFang is similar to XinTianDi but also special in its own ways. It has become a place which is embraced by the artistic community in Shanghai. You can find many contemporary Art galleries, studios and craft shops. There are also bars and fashion boutiques here. Walking down the narrow lane of TianZiFang, you will be forgiven for wondering if you were really in Cosmopolitan Shanghai.

TianZiFang is not just about the mix of old and refurbished brick houses. Strolling along the alleys, you will find the atmosphere inspiring and refreshing.

TianZiFang Art Galleries

With many artists and local designers setting up boutiques and laid-back cafes, TianZiFang draws crowds of yuppies, fashionistas, designers, expatriates as well as visitors with its alluring charms.

Art Galleries, craft shops, fashion boutiques and cafes in brick house styled architecture give TianZiFang a unique and vibrant atmosphere.

At night, TianZiFang lights up with a different charm.

TianZiFang night scene

Contemporary Chinese Art hangs along the alleys of TianZiFang

Info

TianZiFang Address: Lane 210 Taikang Road

Hengshan Road 衡山路

About 2.3 kilometres long, Hengshan Road was first constructed in 1922 by Police Consulaire Francaise. Its old name was Beidang Road, and was renamed “Hengshan Road” in Oct. 1943. Its over 80-year history has left many outstanding historical architectures and human landscapes for Hengshan Road now.

One end of the Hengshan Road connects to the bustling Xujiahui District, where many young white collars work in foreign-founded enterprises. The other end adjoins to the areas of embassies and high-class residences, inhabited mostly by expatiates and the more well-to-do locals.

Recently, along with the increasing prosperity of Xujiahui business circle, Hengshan Road ceaselessly rediscovers its cultural and historical extract details, combining the business and tourism, and putting priority on the development of businesses such as the catering industry of different countries’ tastes and customs, leisure bars, entertainment and bodybuilding.

Hengshan Road has now built an atmosphere of unique individuality, enterprise culture and management characteristics. It is a leisure and characteristic street of New Shanghai with an European taste.

Duolun Road 多伦路

Located in Hongkou District, Duolun Road is a peaceful taste of the past behind busy Sichuan Road. The villas, which line this pedestrianized road, are attractive examples of the Chinese and International architecture styles of this former American concession area.

Today the road is home to a fascinating selection of art and antique shops as well as the more usual souvenirs stalls selling Chinese curios and collectibles.

Duolun Road was once a popular haunt of many eminent figures from Shanghai’s past. Life size bronze figures of some of the road’s former patrons are poised at intervals around the beautifully paved road and add some extra historical perspective.

Shanghai Museums and Theatres

Shanghai Museum 上海博物馆

As a museum of ancient Chinese art, Shanghai Museum possesses a collection of 120,000 precious works of art. Its rich and high-quality collection of ancient Chinese bronze, ceramics, painting and calligraphy is specially celebrated in the world.

History of Shanghai Museum

Founded and first open to the public in the building previously of the horseracing club at no.325 W. Nanjing Road in 1952 and then moved into the former Zhonghui Building at no.16 S. Henan Road in 1959, the museum developed very quickly in aspects of acquisition, conservation, research, exhibition, education and cultural exchanges with other institutes.

In 1992, the Shanghai municipal government allocated to the Museum a piece of land at the very center of the city, the People’s Square, as its new site. The whole construction took three years, from August 1993 to its inauguration on October 12th, 1996.

The 29.5 meters high building has a construction space of 39,200 square meters. Its unique architectural form of a round top with a square base, symbolizing the ancient Chinese philosophy that the square earth is under the round sky, is a distinguished architectural combination of traditional feature and modern spirit. The present Shanghai Museum has eleven galleries and three special temporary exhibition halls.

Info

Shanghai Museum Address: No.188 Wusheng Road, People’s Square

Opening hours: 9:00am – 5:00pm (9:00am – 8:00pm)

Entrance Fee: Free

Shanghai Science and Technology Museum 上海科技馆

As the primary site for the APEC meeting in 2001, Shanghai Science and Technology Museum is a rising helicoids structure that resembles the advancement of science and technology. Located in Shanghai City, Shanghai Science and Technology Museum has a spacious construction area of 68,000 square meters and a total floor area of 98,000 square meters.

The museum’s themes, “Nature, Human, Science and Technology“, are well integrated into all aspects of its features. The Shanghai Science and Technology Museum features exhibitions, science and technology education, scientific studies and exchange, collections and productions, and tourism in Shanghai. With 12 various exhibition halls, four scientific theatres and many interactive stations, Shanghai Science and Technology Museum offers all kinds of entertainments and information about science and technology. Shanghai Science and Technology Museum contains a large 3-D screen cinema and a 4-D screen cinema that provides spectacular experiences for its visitors.

Info

Shanghai Science and Technology Museum Address: No.2000 Pudong Century Avenue

Opening hours: 9:00am – 5:30pm (closed on Monday)

Entrance Fee: 60RMB

Shanghai Grand Theater 上海大剧院

Shanghai Grand Theater is located to the north of People’s Square in the heart of the city. Since its opening on August 27, 1998, the Shanghai Grand Theater has staged operas, musicals, ballets, symphonies, chamber music concerts, spoken dramas and various Chinese operas.

The construction of the Grand Theater lasted four years from 1994 to 1998. The theater covers an area of 11,528 square meters, with 10 stories, two underground, six making up the theatre and two above. The Grand Theater houses three stages: a 1,800-seat main stage for ballets, operas and symphonies, a 600-seat medium theater for chamber orchestras and a small 200-seat auditorium for dramas and fashion shows.

The elegantly decorated lobby covers approximately 2000 square meters. A large chandelier, shaped like six pan-pipes, is suspended in the lobby. The floor is made of a rare marble called “Greece Crystal White”. The floor has piano keyboard patterns, together with the pillars and the stairs, making the lobby seem full of rhythms.

Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall 上海城市规划展示馆

The Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall is a six-story building, with two basement levels, which displays Shanghai’s urban planning and development. Exhibitions include models of planned and recent developments, as well as Shanghai’s history. The centerpiece of the exhibition is a huge scale model of the city of Shanghai, showing all existing and approved buildings. Visitors can view the model at “ground level”, or ascend a gallery running around it for views from above.

The model is intended to represent the entire city, including all planned developments. However, a few stout pillars, necessitated by the building design, penetrate the scale model. This means certain areas are missing from the model, and views of the model are sometimes obscured by the columns.

Info

Address: No.100 Renmin Avenue

Opening hours:

9:00am – 5:00pm (Monday — Thursday)

9:00am – 6:00pm (Friday – Sunday)

Entrance Fee: 30RMB

Shanghai Art Museum 上海美术馆

The Shanghai Art Museum (上海美术馆) is an art gallery in the city of Shanghai. It is located in the former clubhouse building of the Shanghai Racing Club. Today, it is the home of the Shanghai biennial and stands adjacent to People’s Square. It sits on the edge of People’s Square, and was once the Shanghai Horse Racing course.

The Shanghai Art Museum features 12 exhibition halls, located on five floors and exhibiting a mixture of modern and traditional fine art. Various temporary art shows are also organised regularly and often support local artists. Visitors can take sketching and painting lessons for a small fee, and popular art lectures are held regularly at the gallery.

Info

Address: No.325 Nanjing West Road

Opening hours: 9:00am – 5:00pm

Entrance Fee: 20RMB

More of Shanghai

Next we will bring you to some popular shopping spots in the bustling metropolis of Shanghai in our next article!

Learn Some Mandarin

View of Shanghai's The Bund on a hazy night

Shanghai is the largest and most developed city in China. It has a population of more than 18 million and over 5.8 million migrants!  This busy city has the nicknames of “Paris of the Orient” or “Pearl of China”, reflecting its importance and significance in China and the World.

Even during the 1930′s, Shanghai was already the largest and most prosperous city in the Far East regions. Today, Shanghai city still shines as a dynamic city. It homes to both western and eastern cultures and showcases the essence of new and old China.

Not only that, Shanghai also upholds a reputation of being a successful financial and commerical centre. A modern, International and fashionable metropolis, Shanghai attracts millions of visitors every year for business, shopping, sightseeing and entertainment.

With the current World Expo 2010 being held in Shanghai (2010 May – Oct), the city once again proves its capabilities to stand on the world stage and open its arms with warm hospitality to welcome visitors from over the world.

If you are one of the millions coming to Shanghai for the Expo 2010, you have to take some time to experience what else Shanghai has to offer – to engulf yourself in the unique flavours and cultures that makes Shanghai so appealing.

This article, we will bring you to the popular Sightseeing spots in Shanghai City!

The Bund

The Bund (外滩: wài tān) is one of the most famous Sightseeing Spots in Shanghai. It refers to Shanghai’s  waterfront running along the west shore of the 114 kilometres Huangpu River, which forms the eastern boundary of the old downtown Shanghai.

The Bund now forms a marvelous promenade for people to stroll along the river bank and admire the wonderful scenery along both sides. Along the Bund is one of Shanghai’s signature cityscape – a long stretch of colonial-era Europan buildings that were erected in the 1920′s by foreign governments, trading houses and expatriate millionaires.

Colonial architecture along the Bund in Shanghai

On the other side of the river bank, are the towers and skyscrapers of modern Shanghai. These skyscrapers of the Pudong New Area include some of Asia’s and the world’s tallest and amazing structures.

Night scenes across the river viewed from the Bund

Walking down the long pedestrian walkway, you get to enjoy the sights of Shanghai’s tastefully old colonial architectures as well as the scenes of Shanghai’s spectacularly modern city skyscrapers. Visiting the Bund both during the day and the night offers you a different view altogether. At night, the bright and colourful lights across the Bund, give this place a new life and look! After 7pm, the colonial stretch of building along the Bund will light up, making it a gorgeous night scene.

Yu Yuan

The Yu Yuan (豫园: yù yuán) area is a famous and popular Tourist attraction in Shanghai; it’s a must visit spot if you come to Shanghai. In Yu Yuan area, you will find yourself absorbed in the lively atmosphere, where there are several popular attractions. Here, you can shop and eat local snacks at the bustling Yu Yuan Tourism Mart, visit the famous Shanghai City God Temple, enjoy the beautiful and serene Yu Garden and stroll along Yu Yuan Old Street.

Yu Yuan Tourism Mart

Yu Yuan Tourism Mart (豫园商城: yù yuán shāng chéng) lies in the heart of bustling Shanghai. The buildings date back to the fabled Ming Dynasty. Now Yu Yuan Area is still preserved and revamped to showcase to visitors the long history and rich cultures of Shanghai and of China.

You can find charming opera theatres, Chinese tea houses and restaurants here. Local snacks are abundant and delicious. There are also many shops that sell Chinese traditional ornaments and handicrafts.

Info

Address: Fang Bang Middle Road 方浜中路

（He Nan South Road 河南南路 – Ren Min Road 人民路 – An Ren Road 安仁路）

Website: www.yuyuantm.com.cn

City God Temple

Shanghai’s City God Temple (城隍庙: Chéng huáng miào) is a famous and popular spot for both locals and visitors. Locals pray and make offerings at the temple, while visitors bask themselves in the rich cultures and traditions housed within.

City God Temples are common in China. According to the ancient Chinese tradition, every city is supposed to have its own city god temple. Shanghai being one of the most important cities in China also has a city god temple, which is the central shrine for Daoist worship in the city.

History of Shanghai’s City God Temple

The history of the temple dates back to 1403 AD, when Qin Yubo (秦裕伯), a local official was chosen as Shanhai’s patron town god by the Ming Dynasty Hongwu emperor. The temple was built to honor Qin Yubo and renovated in 1994.

Info

Address: No. 1 Yi Cheng Road 邑城路 , No. 249 Fang Bang Middle Road 方浜中路

Website: www.shchm.org

Yu Garden

Yu Garden (豫园: yù yuán) is located at the heart of Old Town, a few blocks southwest of the Bund in downtown Shanghai. It is one of China’s loveliest classical gardens. Its name means ‘Garden of Contentment‘, and it is indeed a pastoral world apart from modern and hectic Shanghai.

History of Yu Garden

Its construction was completed in 1577 by an official, Pan Yunduan, as the private estate for his father, who served in the Ming Dynasty as the governor of Sichuan. Laid out by a landscape artist, Zhan Nanyang, it has become one of the most renowned gardens in South China. The portion known as the Inner Garden (Nei Yuan) was added in 1709. It is a remarkable maze of gorgeous Ming Dynasty pavilions and elaborate rockeries, arched bridges, and goldfish ponds, encircled by a massive, undulating dragon wall. Occupying just 5 hectares (12.5 acres), it nevertheless seems as expansive as a small town, with room for 30 pavilions.

As the Pan family declined, the garden was gradually abandoned and overgrown until the local gentry restored it in 1760. It became the headquarters of the Small-Sword (Dagger) Society Uprising against foreign imperialists in Shanghai, Xiamen and other parts of China in 1853. During the early time of Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Revolution (1851-1864), it was damaged badly. Part of the garden became the bazaar and local guildhalls, but over 20,000 square meters remain of tall rockeries, halls, ponds and pavilions linked by zigzag corridors.

Garden Info

Address: No.218 Anren Street 安仁街

Opening hours: 8:30am – 5:30pm

Entrance Fee:

April 1st – June 30th & Sep.1st – Nov.30th      40RMB

Dec.1st – Mar.30th & July 1st – Aug.30th       30RMB

Website: www.yugarden.com.cn

Yu Yuan Old Street / Shanghai Old Street

Yu Yuan Old Street (豫园老街: yù yuán lǎo jiē) or also known as Shanghai Old Street (上海老街: shàng hǎi lǎo jiē) is a 825m long street (Ren Min Road to He Nan Road), lying North of Yu Yuan Tourism Mart.

This street has a long history with old shop houses, consisting of goldsmiths, wine shops, tea houses, opera theatres and merchant shops. It now still retains its past glamour and showcases the more ancient Shanghainese traditions and businesses.

Info

Address: Fang Bang Middle Road 方浜中路 （Zhong Hua Road 中华路 – He Nan Road 河南路）

Oriental Pearl TV Tower

The 468-metre-high Oriental Pearl TV Tower (东方明珠电视塔, Dong Fang Ming Zhu) is one of the most popularly visited attractions in Shanghai.  The Oriental Pearl Tower is often depicted as a symbolic representation of Shanghai, due to its unique and futuristic design as well as its prominent location and height.

Constructed from 1991 to 1995, Oriental Pearl Tower was the tallest structure in China, until it was surpassed by the Shanghai World Financial Center in 2007.

Inside the tower, there is a revolving restaurant (at 267m high) and Observatory level / scenery-viewing platform (263m), which can accommodate 1,600 people in the tallest ball. Here visitors can enjoy a clear and magnificent panoramic view of The Bund and the Pudong New Area.

Visitors can also explore the Shanghai City’s History and Development Exhibits in the tower which introduce Shanghai’s histories and cultures.

Info

Address: No.1 Pudong Century Avenue

Opening hours: 8:00am – 9:30pm

Charges:

100RMB      263m scenery-viewing platform

135RMB      the second ball + History and Development Show

150RMB      three balls

35RMB       History and Development Show

200RMB      revolving dining-room buffer lunch     11:00am – 2:00pm

280RMB      revolving dining-room buffer dinner     5:00pm – 9:00pm

The Oriental Pearl Tower lights up at night

Skyscrapers of Shanghai

Shanghai is a worldwide architects’ dream place to put their new angled large installations on this paradise of adventures. Skyscrapers as the symbol of metropolis definitely would be a part of the skyline of the city. The number of skyscrapers above 200 metres in Shanghai is more than thirty. Near the shore of Huangpu, it is a hypaethral skyscrapers museum. Here are two of them worthy of visiting.

Three distinct Skyscrapers in Pudong of Shanghai

Jin Mao Tower

The Jin Mao Tower (金茂大厦: jīn mào dà shà) is an 88-story (420.5m) landmark super tall skyscraper in the Lujiazui area of the Pudong district of Shanghai. It contains offices and the Shanghai Grand Hyatt hotel.

Jin Mao Tower’s design draws on elements of traditional Chinese architecture such as the tiered pagoda. A rhythmic pattern is formed with its gentle tiered design.

The Tower’s design revolves around the Chinese lucky number – 8. There are 88 floors, its built around an octagon-shaped concrete wall core and many of the pillars and foundations of the tower coincides with the number 8.

Top down view of the atrium of Jin Mao Tower

Shanghai World Financial Center (SWFC)

Shanghai World Financial Center (上海环球金融中心: Shàng hǎi huán qiú Jīn róng zhōng xīn) is supertall skyscraper in Pudong, Shanghai. SWFC is uniquely designed, with the top somewhat resembling a bottle opener. It has received several design awards by its stylish looks and innovations in structural design.

Jin Mao Tower and Shanghai World Financial Center

At 492 metres, SWFC is currently the third tallest building in the world and the tallest in China.

SWFC consists of offices, hotels, conference rooms and shopping malls. There are also 3 observation decks. The highest deck being 474m high!

Observatory deck in Shanghai World Financial Center

Shanghai World Financial Center

The Shanghai Tower

Currently under construction and estimated to be completed in 2014, the Shanghai Tower will eventually become the tallest building in China and 2nd tallest in the World.

More of Shanghai

Can’t get enough of the wonders of Shanghai? Read on about Shanghai Famous Streets and Buildings where we will bring you to popular chill out spots as well as museums in Shanghai!

Shanghai snacks are not only exquisite in look but delicious in taste too! Here are a list of Famous and Popular Shanghainese Snacks and where to find them!

Nanxiang Steamed Stuffed Bun / Xiaolong Bao

南翔小笼包 (nán xiáng xiǎo lóng bāo)

Nanxiang Xiaolong Bao (steamed stuffed bun)

Xiaolong Bao (also known as soup dumpling or steam stuffed bun) is one of the famous snack Shanghai is known for. The Shanghai-styled Xiaolong Bao supposedly originated in Nanxiang Town in a northern suburb of Shanghai. Hence the Nanxiang Steamed Stuffed Bun is often known as the authentic Shanghainese Steamed Stuffed Bun.

The Steamed Stuffed Bun is well-known for its thin wrap and generous meat filling. Its meat is tender and well-flavoured. The Shanghainese Steam Stuffed Bun is small and exquisite. What makes it such a unique dish is – as you bite into the small bun, hot and delicious soup flows out!

The soup liquid in the bun is not pre-prepared. The soup is actually created by the meat jelly in the bun. As the bun is steamed, the meat jelly melts to form the thick and savoury soup.

Right way of eating Xiaolong Bao

1. Carefully bite a small opening at the side of the dumpling.
2. Savour the thick delicious soup inside first. You may sip from the dumpling opening or pour the soup onto your spoon. Be careful as the soup may be piping hot.
3. Lastly, dip the dumpling with some vinegar. Depending on preference, you can also add some sliced ginger stripes. You may then finish off the delightful dish.

The pork meat filling is usually mixed with different ingredients during different seasons: bamboo shoot in Spring, shrimp in Summer and crab meat in the Autumn.

Variation of the Soup Dumpling

Xiaolong bao has since developed some variations. Different province may serve them in their own styles. One of the variation is a slightly bigger dumpling with a straw stuck from the top.

Steam Stuffed bun with straw to drink the soup

This dish has over a century of history. The decendents of its creator now still manages two restaurants located in downtown Shanghai, serving up hot and fresh Steam Stuffed Buns (Xiaolong Bao) everyday to long queues of patrons and food lovers.

The two restaurants are:

Nanxiang Mantou Restaurant:

(At the famous Shanghai Attraction – City God Temple 城隍庙 chéng huáng miào)

Add: 85 Yuyuan Laolu, Shanghai
Tel: 021-63554206
Opening hrs: 7:30-21:00

Gu Yi Yuan Nanxiang Xiaolong

Add: 238 Guyiyuan Lu, Nanxiang Town, Jiading District, Shanghai
Tel: 021-59121335, 59126013
Opening hrs: 7:30-21:00

Crab-Yellow Pastry

蟹壳黄 (xiè ké huáng)

The Crab-Yellow Pastry is named as such by its resemblance to the shell of a cooked crab. This Shanghainese pastry can be either sweet or salty depending on its filling. The savoury ones are stuffed with shallot oil, pork, shrimp or crab. The sweet ones contains sugar, roses, sweetened bean paste or Chinese date paste.

This snack uses oil-mixed dough and after stuffing with filling, wrapped with sesame and oven baked. The Crab-Yellow Pastry’s fragrant and cripsy texture makes this another Shanghai snack you have to try!

Recommended Restaurant to try the snack:

Wuyuan Bakery

Add: 255 Yanping Lu, Jing’an District, Shanghai
Tel: 021-62565556

Fried Stuffed Bun

生煎馒头 (shēng jiān mán tou)

Shenjian Mantou or Fried Stuffed Bun is a popular Shanghai snack. The bun is soft and munchy while the bottom, being pan-fried, is crispy and fragrant. The wraps are made of semi-fermented paste and filled with pork, shallot and ginger. Soy, pepper and sesame further enhances its taste. Served hot, the fried stuffed bun makes for a great scrumptious snack!

Recommended Restaurants to try the snack:

Xiaoyang Shengjian Restaurant (Yang’s Fry Dumpling):

Add: No. 54 and No. 60, Wujiang Road, Jing’an District

Fengyu Shengjian Eatery:

Add: No. 48, Guangling 2nd Road, Hongkou District

Youlian Shengjian Restaurant:

Add: No. 45, Xinzha Road, Putuo District

Feilong Shengjian Restaurant:

Add:   1F, Dongtai Plaza, No. 2002, North Sichuan Road, Hongkou District

Dahuchun Eatery:

Add:     No. 4-6, Lane136, Pudong Avenue, Pudong New Area

Pork Chop with Rice Cake

排骨年糕 (pái gǔ nián gāo)

Paigu Niangao (Pork Chop with Rice Cake) is a distinct dish of Shanghai. The pork chop is first marinated and boiled with sauce, oil, sugar, ginger and wine, while rice is beaten into paste and cut into small pieces of cake. The pork chop is then wrapped with the rice cake and fried briefly.

This creates a uniquely delicious dish, where the aroma of the meat blends perfectly with the crisp texture of the rice cake.

Recommended Restaurants to try the snack:

Two restaurants in Shanghai are specifically popular for their Pork Chop Rice Cakes, since 1930s. Each have their own style of preparation and taste.

Shuguang Restaurant:

Add:  at the intersection of Middle Sichuan Road and Fuzhou Road, Huangpu District

Xian De Lai:

Add:  No. 69, South Yunnan Road, Huangpu District

LeiSha Dumpling

擂沙圆 (léi shā yuán)

Leisha dumplings are glutinous-rice balls which can have either meat or red bean or sesame paste as filling. The rice ball is then coated with powder to add to its flavour as well as prevent it from sticking to each other. The powder coating can be of sesame or red bean.

The riceball is chewy and finely coated with the fragrant powder.  Matched with the sweet flowing filling inside, this Shanghai snack is irresistible to people of all ages and appeals especially to those with a sweet tooth.

Recommended store to try the snack:

Qiaojiashan Snack Store:

Add:   No. 313, South Xiangyang Road, Xuhui District

You Dun Zi

油墩子(yóu dūn zi)

YouDunZi (oil-grilled pastry) is another yummy local snack of Shanghai. It is also known as “oil-grilled turnip cake” as it is stuffed with shredded turnip.

You can easily find YouDunZi being sold along Shanghai streets. The pastry is crispy, delicious and exceptionally satisfying, especially when you are getting a little hungry during your sightseeing!

Vegetable Stuffed Bun

素菜包子 (sù cāi bāo zi)

Vegetable Stuffed Bun, as its name suggests, has no meat in its filling. However, the taste is just as good as any meat bun, if not better and more unique. The bun is a soft white bread, while the vegetarian filling includes finely chopped green vegetables, mushrooms, bamboo shoots and marinated brean curd.

Vegetable Stuffed Bun have a history of over 70 years and can be found in many restaurants in Shanghai. It tastes fresh, light and delicious, so give it a try and you might just grow to love your greens.

Recommended restaurant to try this snack:

Chunfeng Songyue Vegetarian Restaurant:

Add: No.99, Jiu Jiaochang Road, Huangpu District (near Bailing Road)

Won Ton

馄饨 (hún dùn)

Won Ton is a popular dumpling in China. In Shanghai, there are commonly two distinctions of Won Ton- Big Won Ton (dà hún dùn) and Small Won Ton (xiǎo hún dùn).

The Big Won Ton are stuffed with pork meat and shepherd’s purse (a herb like plant). The Small Won Ton are stuffed with meat alone. The Won Ton wrap is very thin; half a kilo of flour wrap can produce 50 Big Won Tons or 70 Small Won Tons.

Won Ton provides a very satisfying meal or snack. It is usually served in soup – thicker broth for Big Won Ton and lighter flavoured chicken soup for the Small Won Ton.

Recommended Restaurant:

Jin Shifu Won Ton Restaurant:

Add: No. 78, Sinan Road, Luwan District

Cold Noodle With Sauce

开洋葱油拌面  (kāi yang cōng yóu bàn miàn)

Cold noodle is a popular dish in Shanghai, especially during hot summers. Although a simple dish, the Cold Noodles with Sauce, offers the Shanghainese simple delights of a cool and refreshing light meal.

Recommended Restaurant:

Wuyue Renjia

Add: No. 200, Wujiang Road, Jing’an District

The Small Shaoxing Chicken Porridge

小绍兴鸡粥 (xiǎo shào xīng jī zhōu)

The Small Shaoxing Chicken Porridge originated from a restaurant opened in 1947 in Shanghai. The founder and its chefs of the restaurant were from Shaoxing, Zhejiang province. Serving their local chicken porridge dish and being a place the Shaoxing community would gather, it soon became known as “Xiaoshaoxing Chicken Rice Congee Restaurant”.

The Small Shaoxing Chicken Porridge is cooked with chicken soup. Served with chopped chicken meat, and with condiments like shallot, ginger powder and chicken oil, this savoury and sweet dish is not only delicious, it is also highly nutritious.

Recommended restaurant to try this dish:

Xiao Shaoxing Restaurant

Add: No. 69-75, Yunnan South Road, Huangpu district, Shanghai

Tel: 21-63260845 63203562

GaoQiao Muffin / Pastry

高桥松饼(gāo qiáo sōng bǐng)

Gaoqiao Pastry is a soft pastry with fruity fillings. The pastry’s sweet taste comes from its various fillings of different fruits and adzuki beans. It is a popular snack in Shanghai and especially so during Chinese New Year as one of the festive goodies.

Recommended place to try this snack:

Gao Qiao Shi Pin Chang (Gao Qiao Food Company)

Add: No. 25 Rui Jin Road (Junction of Huai Hai Zhong Road)

Learn Mandarin Words:

Learn Mandarin Phrases:

• nǎ  lǐ  yǒu hǎo chī de xiǎo chī
  哪  里  有  好  吃  的  小  吃？
  Where (can I find) delicious snacks?

• jiù zài zhè cān guǎn !
  就  在  这  餐  馆！
  Right in this restaurant!

The characteristics of Suzhou cuisine lie in its delicate preparations, emphasis on ingredients quality and its uniqueness in their dishes look and taste. Suzhou food delicacies tend towards the sweet side while retaining the ingredients’ natural flavour.

Suzhou Banquet Dishes

The formal Suzhou style banquet is renowned throughout China. It is made up of many Suzhou signature dishes.

The most famous of them is Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish.

Squirrel-shaped Mandarin Fish (Song Shu Gui Yu)

Suzhou Squirrel-shaped Mandarin Fish

The Squirrel-shaped Mandarin Fish is characterized by its lack of bones and soft meat. The name is derived from the dish’s resemblance to a squirrel. The meat of the fish is made to protrude outwards like the fur of a squirrel. The placement of the fish and the red sauce poured over it also adds to its resemblance.

The fish is deep fried to give it a beautiful fragrance, while the meat inside is soft and fresh. The sweet and sour sauce further enhances its flavour, making this a mouth-watering and appetizing dish!

Whitebait Soup

Whitebait Soup is another typical dish in the Suzhou banquet.

Whitebait Soup

This light and delicious soup is features the soft textured whitebait as its main ingredient. Ham, bamboo slices, green vegetables in the soup adds to its aromatic taste.

Biluo Shelled Shrimps

Biluo Shelled Shrimps is named after Bi Luo Chun tea, which is produced in Suzhou and is arguably the finest green tea.

BiLuo Shrimps

This dish is prepared using Bi Luo Chun tea leaves to flavour the shrimp, giving the dish its unique taste.

Cracking Eel Paste

Cracking Eel Paste, is another Suzhou dish. The eel paste is made with rice field eels being broiled, stir-fried or quick-boiled.

Cracking Eel Paste

The word cracking refers to the cracking sound of oil still present when the dish is served right out of the kitchen.

Watermelon Chicken

Watermelon Chicken is unique in look and taste. The chicken is first braised, then marinated in a watermelon. The final result is a dish with both sweet and savoury flavours.

Watermelon Chicken

Taihu Boat Dishes

In addition to these formal banquet dishes, Taihu Lake in Suzhou also offers a unique array of seafood dishes.

Taihu Lake Scenery

With Taihu lake in the backdrop, you can experience what is known as Taihu Boat Dishes. Taihu Boat Dishes dates back to the Tang Dynasty, which is over 1,000 years ago. Officials and merchants would hold banquets on boats at the lake, enjoying the beautiful scenery while feasting. Since 1994, Boat Dishes have become a well established tradition in Guangfu town, at the eastern bank of the lake.

Suzhou Taihu boat dishes

Currently, there are 13 boat restaurants along the fishing harbor at Taihu Lake. The wide variety of seafood available includes the well known Steamed White Fish, White Shrimps and Whitebait.

Taihu Lake white Fish

White fish is a specialty of the Taihu Lake. It is steamed with shredded ginger and red and green peppers. The dish is wonderful in texture, look, aroma and of course, taste.

Suzhou Snacks

If you have sweet tooth, Suzhou has various snacks to impress and satisfy your sweet desires. Some of these snacks may not appear in large restaurants but you will definitely be able to find them in ordinary snack booths or shops.

Green Dumpling

Green Dumpling Snack

Green Dumpling is a special food during April. It is made from glutinous rice, the green colour is from the juice of bromegrass which takes you a fresh taste, and the filling is made from sweetened bean paste and sugar.

Pan-Fried Steamed Bun

Pan-fried Steam Buns

It’s classical, fantastic, wonderful, unexceptionable, terrific and awesome. In fact, shengjian mantou (生煎馒头, Shengjian mantou) is not a kind of steamed bun but stuffed bun. Shengjian mantou is fried on a big pan in shallow oil, so the bottom of shengjian mantou is very crisp and tasty. The most wonderful part is the filling which select and use leg meat of the hog. The secret of the dainty lies in the meat jelly which is mingled with the filling. After the frying, jelly is melted into juice, so it’s absolutely tasty.

Tips:

Enjoying the shengjian mantou you need some skills. The mantou just off the fried pan is very hot, you should take care of your mouth and tongue. The right way is use your tooth to tear a small hole on the top and sip off the delicious meat juice carefully, the last step is eating up the mantou.

Paopao Wonton

Paopao Wonton Dumpling Soup

Wonton is a classical snack in South China, paopao wonton is the favourite for girls in Suzhou. The fillings usually use pork and shrimp and not filled too full, the remaining space is left for the air.

Suzhou style Noodles

Suzhou style noodles

Suzhou style noodles is very famous in the Yangtze River Delta area. The same as Japanese Ramen, Suzhou style noodles emphasize the soup too. Soup is the soul of the noodle. The different is Suzhou local noodle use fine noodles not the thick noodles in Japan. Due to the different colour of the soup, there are red soup noodles and white soup noodle. Also, the toppings (in Chinese it is called jiaotou 浇头) are important too, you can choose chop steak, smoked fish, peeled prawns, eel paste or something else as your toppings.

Suzhou style Mooncake

Suzhou style mooncakes

Mooncake is the traditional snack during the Mid-Autumn Day. Suzhou style mooncake is very special in China. It is pan fried with pork as the special filling. Other styles of mooncakes use fillings like sweetened bean paste, yolk, lotus and pineapple. The savoury taste and pork filling makes this Suzhou style mooncake unique.

More Suzhou Snacks

There are actually a lot of local snacks left to you to discover on the street, such as Dragon Head Sweet Potatoes with Sugar Juice, Gorgon Fruit with Osmanthus, Plum Blossom Cakes, Smoked Fish and Boiled Lotus Roots with Osmanthus.

Dragon Head Sweet Potatoes with Sugar Juice

Gorgon Fruit with Osmanthus

Plum Blossom Cakes

Suzhou smoked fish

Please do check out the other articles on Discover Suzhou. We hope you’ll enjoy your stay in Suzhou.

Learn Some Mandarin

]]> http://ilearn-culture.com/travel/discover-suzhou-food-delights/feed/ 1 http://ilearn-culture.com/travel/attractions/discover-suzhou-silk-art-food/ http://ilearn-culture.com/travel/attractions/discover-suzhou-silk-art-food/#comments Wed, 21 Apr 2010 08:57:58 +0000 Simon Zhang http://ilearn-culture.com/?p=4274

Suzhou Silk and Silk Embroidery

Suzhou is not only a famous cultural city and a city of gardens, but also the silk capital of China.

During the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties, it was the silk producing centre; in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties most of the high-grade silk produced for the royal families was made by Suzhou silk weavers.

Authentic Suzhou silk is produced from the cocoons of silkworms. Silkworms are actually not worms, but caterpillars. Silkworms feed on mulberry leaves until they are one mouth old. Then the worms build a cocoon to protect themselves until they change into a moth.

Once the cocoons are finished workers will collect the cocoons and place them in hot water. This kills the worms and melts the natural glue that holds the cocoons together. Once the natural glue has been melted each cocoon can yield over 2,000 feet of silk thread. Once the silk thread has been unspun, it is hung outside to dry in the sun and then woven on looms. It is an extremely labor intensive process, but only this will guarantee silk of the finest quality.

Suzhou artisans are also masters of silk embroidery. Beddings, clothes, wall art, and many other objects can carry stitched works of the local Suzhou style, one of China’s Four Traditional Embroidery Styles. Large wall arts, equivalent of laborious paintings can take years to complete, carefully choosing the perfect threads by color and thickness.

Through highly skilled motions and unparalleled dedication, artists create unbelievable realism. Suzhou specializes in double-sided embroidery, where one single piece of cloth can display different images on either side.

If you are interested in admiring these works, you can visit these places below:

Suzhou Silk Museum

Suzhou Silk Museum is multi-functional, and combines exhibits with demonstrations of silk weaving. Exhibits on display in its various exhibition halls reflect the origin, evolution and development of silk production, from primitive times to the Shang, Zhou, Han, Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties right through to present day.

Address: No.2001 Renmin Road

Entrance Fee: 15RMB

Opening hours: 9:00am – 5:00pm

Suzhou Institute of Embroidery

The institute is a worldwide name, with over 100 professional technical personnel, including some masters of Chinese arts and crafts. The silk and brocade works of art produced by the institute won gold prizes at the international fairs and golden cup awards at the national quality competitions time and again.

Address: 272 Jingde Road

Entrance Fee: Free of charge

Opening hours: 8:30am-4:45pm

Suzhou No. 1 Silk Factory

For over 80 years, Suzhou No.1 Silk Factory has been a leader in local silk production. A complete silk manufacturing facility, the No. 1 Silk Factory handles every facet of production from raising silkworms and cocoon boiling to reeling and packing. Visits to the silk factory include a tour of the facility, a lecture about silk production, a workshop on making silk goods and a visit to the factory’s showroom.

Address: No.94 Nanmen Road

Entrance Fee: Free of charge

Opening hours: 8:00am – 5:00pm

Chinese Embroidery Art Gallery

Chinese Embroidery Art Gallery is the largest professional embroidery exhibition gallery in China. The whole gallery was built with the classic garden concept in mind. The gallery shows various embroidery art works from all over the country. It is a multi-functional gallery with embroidery for sale, embroidery art research and development, embroidery art communication and so on.

Address: Zhenhu Street, New & High-tech District

Entrance Fee: 10RMB

Opening hours: 9:00am-4:00pm

Suzhou Performing Arts

Kunqu

Kunqu (昆曲, Kun Qu), also called Kun Opera, is one of the oldest forms of Chinese Operas, also considered to be one of its Four Great Characteristic Melodies.

Born in the Wu Kingdom, today’s Kunshan area of Suzhou, it grew and thrived. However, during the Cultural Revolution, opera performances were suppressed. Despite this and against all odds, Kunqu gained in popularity and significance, leading to its current position of importance and appreciation.

Another aspect of Kunqu that is still unknown to many is that it has influenced many other styles of Opera, especially its better known cousin, the Peking Opera. It is even said that the appearance of Kunqu was the key reason for the rise in popularity and success of Chinese theater and drama.

Where can you watch Kun Opera shows?

Suzhou Opera Museum

In the museum, you can discover the great achievements made by groups of artists since the liberation and their successful performances in and out of the country. Their journey will leave you with a deep respect for the art.

Address: 14 Zhangjia Lane in the middle of Pingjiang Road

Entrance Fee: Free of charge

Opening hours: 8:30am-4:30pm

Pingtan

Pingtan (评弹, Ping Tan) must also be noted as yet another exquisite performance art of Suzhou, after all, it is probably the most local form of performing art.

Essentially, Pingtan is a story telling art where together, two artists/storytellers, one male and one female, retell traditional tales. Stories can take hours, even days to be told and so, traditionally, these performances take place in peaceful teahouses.

The name Pingtan comes from the unison of two Suzhou words: pinghua and tanci, storytelling and ballad singing. And so, true to its origins, Pingtan uses Wu Kingdom Chinese or Suzhou dialect, in addition to traditional Chinese instruments. Normally, the woman plays the Pipa, while the man plays a three stringed instrument. Together the melodies are sweet and support the story being told.

Here is a list about where you can enjoy the show:

Plum and Bamboo Storytelling Garden

Address: No. 30 Taipingfang, Stone Road

Opening hours: 1:30pm-3:30pm

Price: 4 RMB per person (including tea)

Guangyu Storytelling Hall

Address: No. 8 Diyi Tianmen, Guanqian Street

Opening hours: 1:30pm-3:30Pm

Price: 4 RMB per person (including tea)

Pinfang Teahouse

Address: No. 24-25 Xijiaomen, Guanqian Street

Opening hours: 1:30pm-3:30pm

Price: 3.5 RMB per person (including tea)

Food & Drink

Bluish Green Spring

Bi Luo Chun (碧螺春) is a famous green tea originally grown in the Dongting Hill near the Tai Hu Lake. It is renowned for its delicate appearance, fruity taste, floral aroma, showy white hairs and early cropping.

Chinese tea experts regard it very highly. Zhen Jun (1857 – 1918), the author of famous tea encyclopedia Cha Shuo, ranked it first among Chinese green tea.

Bi Luo Chun from East Hill is considered the best. Every March and April is considered the right to pick the tea. Due to the different picking period and quality, Bi Luo Chun is divided into many grades and it is said the Supreme grade cost about 6000RMB per kilogram!

Yangcheng Lake Hairy Crab

Yangcheng Lake hairy crab (阳澄湖大闸蟹, Yang Cheng Hu Da Zha Xie) is a kind of Chinese Mitten Crab. White bottom, golden hairy and a pair of big pincers, those are distinguishing features of the crab. Every late autumn when every crab’s weight gains more than 150 gram, then it’s the time to enjoy the cate.

Just steaming is the best way to cook the crab, dipped in the sauce just made from vinegar, sugar and tiny baby ginger slices so that you can taste the natural flavor.

Vocabulary

sī chóu

丝 绸                                       Silk                   n.

cán

蚕                                        Silkworm              n.

cì xiù

刺绣                                 Embroidery            n.

jiǎn

茧                                         Cocoon                n.

áo

螯                                          pincers               n.

]]> http://ilearn-culture.com/travel/attractions/discover-suzhou-silk-art-food/feed/ 1 http://ilearn-culture.com/events/shanghai-expo-2010-trip-plan-guide/ http://ilearn-culture.com/events/shanghai-expo-2010-trip-plan-guide/#comments Mon, 19 Apr 2010 04:58:17 +0000 Kenneth Mun http://ilearn-culture.com/?p=4271 If you have seen photos of the amazing pavilion designs and following the news and anticipation of the World’s biggest Expo since last year, I’m sure you are as excited as me about making your visit to Shanghai World Expo 2010!

However, if this is your maiden visit to the Middle Kingdom and you are a little clueless as to where to start, just follow this guide to make your preparation smooth and easy.

You will also find a list of useful articles in our Shanghai World Expo 2010 Definitive Guide, covering topics from Ticketing to Transport to Travel attractions in Shanghai. With a little reading, you can plan your itinerary better.

Planning your Trip to the Expo

So you have made up your mind to set foot on Shanghai for the big event. As you throw your clothes, ipods and your beloved pet dog into your luggage bags, you pause and ponder.. ‘should I purchase my air tickets first, or call to check if my laundry is ready?”

Truth is, there is no right order of doing things as long as it works. However, at iLearn, we have created a clear and easy checklist as our recommendation.

1. Create an Itinerary

Draw up a simple Plan:

1. Duration of trip
   • How long do you plan to visit?
   • How long can you afford to take leave from work?
2. Dates for trip
   • When to travel?
   • Try to avoid visiting during the 17 Expo Peak Days as it is expected to be more crowded than usual.
     • China Labor’s Day (May 1st-3rd, 2010)
     • National Day (October 1st – 7th, 2010) and
     • Expo Ending Week (October 25th – 31st, 2010)
3. Number of people
   • Who to bring along as companions on the trip?
     Companions are good for reducing lodging and transport expenses, sharing the fun of exploring new places and for pointing the blaming finger at when you occasionally get lost.
4. Places to visit
   • Being in Shanghai for the Expo, you probably will want to spend another 2-5 days exploring Shanghai city.
     If you have the time, why not visit nearby attractions in neighbouring cities like Suzhou and Hangzhou?
     Perhaps take a flight north to Beijing Capital or south to the bustling cities of Guangzhou or Hong Kong?
5. Set a Budget
   • You may want to set a rough budget, how much you are willing to spend. This can be used as a reference to where you stay, how long your trip is and where to visit.

With these factors set, you are ready to make your trip arrangements.

2. Making Preflight Arrangements

Air tickets

Plane is your obvious choice of transport to Shanghai if you are living outside China. Check with your local travel agents or International Airlines what flights and routes are available.

Your choice is usually a Direct flight (a straight ride from your city to Shanghai) or an Indirect flight (requiring you to stop over and change flights somewhere in between the journey)

Either way, you will end up at Pudong International Airport of Shanghai. (Shanghai has another airport in Hongqiao, but that serves mostly for domestic flights)

Generally booking your air tickets early will get you a cheaper price, so planning early is advantageous. You also would want to avoid last minute bookings as you might not get your desired flight dates and timings.

Keeping your ticket flexible

In the event where you want to extend your trip, Airlines usually do allow you to make changes. Additional fees may incur. It is encouraged to check with the Airlines regarding their terms and conditions for flight date changes just so you know what to expect incase of changes in plans.

Hotel booking

It is strongly advisable to make your hotel booking beforehand, at least for the first few days when you land. If you want to extend or change your plans later on, you can do so easily when you are there.

Another thing to note is, all hotels require your passports when you check in. It may seem like an obvious thing; however, in a case where you leave your luggage in your Shanghai hotel, to travel on a day trip to neighbouring Suzhou city, this becomes applicable. If you didn’t bring your passport along, it will not be possible to plan a stay over.

Where should you stay?

The site of the Shanghai World Expo 2010 is not too far South from Shanghai downtown centre. It is on the waterfront area between Lupu and Nanpu bridges and stretches along the banks of the Huangpu River.

Shanghai Map showing location of World Expo 2010 Site

Shanghai is relatively easy to commute around in and there are several modes of transport to the Shanghai Expo site (Transport info to Expo site – official Expo website), so it will be relatively convenient for you no matter your choice of hotel. Your budget and lodging preferences should be your priority when seeking lodging. Of course, a hotel near the city with shops and restaurants in close vicinity is usually a good idea.

Look at our Shanghai Lodging article for more information.

You can also visit Expotia.com which is the Shanghai World Expo Official Hotel Reservation website.

Visa Application

Visa is an approval document required to enter foreign countries. As with visiting other countries, the People’s Republic of China requires visitors to obtain Chinese Visa prior entry.

There are exceptions where certain nationalities are eligible to enter without visa to stay in China within 15 or 30 days. Terms vary with different countries. You can verify this with your traveling airline, travel agency or local China embassy.

Chances are that you will be required to apply for a visa. Simply head down to your local China embassy for application.

Generally you will need:

• One completed application form (form available from the embassy or its website)
• A valid passport with six (6) months of remaining validity and at least one blank visa page in it.
• One recent passport-sized photo (approx. 2 x 2 square inch or slightly smaller)
• Visa application charges applies

Different types of Visas are available dependent on your reason for visiting as well as duration of stay. A Single Entry Tourist Visa is probably what you need. Your maximum stay allowed is usually 90 days. Processing Time is about 3-5 business days. You can apply for express service to shorten your processing time and you may also entrust someone else or your travel/visa agent to drop off your application on your behalf.

Don’t fret on the fuss of visa application. It is usually simpler than it seems. Do a web search on your nationality’s requirements for entry to China or just call up the embassy for specific steps.

Travel Insurance

As with every overseas travel trip, it is advisable to apply for travel insurance. Temporary travel insurance is available to cover just the duration of your trip. A basic travel insurance policy is generally pretty affordable. Some common risks covered includes: medical expenses, trip cancellation/ interruption, delayed departure, loss or damage to personal possessions and legal assistance.

Specific coverage will depend on the type of policy and its terms.

Traveling Agents

Seeking Travel Agents are optional in your arrangements. You may seek them for air ticket booking and hotel booking. Or if you are the type who prefers to just go with the flow and let other people handle the nitty-gritty stuffs, full tour packages can be arranged with travel agencies.

Agencies will usually take care of visa application and travel insurance for you too, if you sign up for packaged tours.

There are times when you may feel rushed or lack of freedom over the itinerary, especially if it is a huge group tour, however customization may be arranged. Compare your agencies and packages if interested.

Currency in China – Renminbi (RMB)

Chinese Currency - renminbi / RMB

The currency you will be using in China is the Renminbi (RMB) (人民币).

Converting currency to RMB outside China

You will be able to convert your currency at most banks or currency exchange counters in your country or at the International airports. Usually the exchange rate may not be as favourable as converting in China.

Converting currency to RMB in China

You may convert Foreign banknotes and traveller’s cheques to RMB in major banks in China.

Four major banks in China are Bank of China (BOC), the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), Agricultural Bank of China (ABC) and Construction Bank of China (CBC).
Your passports may be required for the conversion procedure. Your hotel may also have a currency exchange counter.

Credit / Debit Cards and ATMs

Major Credit and Debit cards like MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted in major cities in China and of course in Shanghai. Large department stores and restaurants accept card payments. You will also be able to find ATMs (Automatic Teller machines) that allow you to withdraw RMB cash with your card.

Credit/debit card usually support International networks like Plus and Cirrus. Look behind your card to see what networks are supported. You will be able to find these logos on the ATMs in China where you will be able to withdraw from. An exchange rate will incur as well as a transaction fee according to your bank.

It is advisable to convert at least a small amount of RMB before your trip so that you do not have to hassle with finding currency exchange counters immediately after you land. Then you have the option of converting the rest of your currency after checking into your hotels.

For your information, a cab fee from Shanghai airport to the city centre should cost below 300-400 RMB/yuan (40-70 minutes dependent of traffic conditions).

Check out our comprehensive guide to Chinese Currency – RMB.

Expo Tickets

You can read our detailed article on Shanghai World Expo 2010 – Ticketing Info.

But basically, you need to know that tickets in Expo are defined by either Peak day or Standard day. Peak days are during the dates of May 1st-3rd, October 1st – 7th and October 25th – 31st. The rest of the expo period is Standard day.

Peak day tickets are slightly more expensive, limited in volume and dated. One Peak day ticket allows 1 entry on the specified date. On the other hand,

Standard days are not dated and multi-day tickets are available.

Visting on Peak Day

This generally means that if you intend to visit the Expo during the Peak days, you will need 1 ticket for each day of expo visit. It is also advisable to purchase the Expo ticket prior your trip arrangements, to assure your entry to the expo site.

Visting on Standard Day

If your intended expo visit does not coincide with the Peak days, you are assured of your entry to the expo site as Standard day tickets are not volume limited and also not date specific.

I.e. – Getting a Single Day Standard Day ticket will allow you 1 entry ANY day within the expo period (not coinciding Peak days).
a 3 Day Standard Day ticket will allow you a TOTAL of 3 entries on ANY day within expo period (not coinciding Peak days).

Hence for your Standard day tickets, there is no rush to purchase beforehand. You may buy your ticket onsite or at authorized sellers in Shanghai. Of course if you would like to purchase online or through overseas agents prior your trip, that is fine too and that may save some queuing time.

3. Packing your bags

According to our checklist, it is not a good idea to pack your dog in the luggage.

With your trip arrangements done, all you are left with is luggage packing! Here is a recommended short checklist of items to bring:

• Travel documents (passports, air tickets, expo or other tickets, hotel booking info, itinerary, etc)

• Cash / Credit Cards

• Necessities (clothes / medication if required)

• Personal comforts (mp3 player / laptop / phone)

• Cameras and videocams (with enough storage capacity, battery and charger)

As with all holiday trips, you are sure to end up with bags of shopping and souvenirs. Either leave some room in your luggage, or bring along an empty bag to fill your goodies with.

4. Information to Prepare

• Find out how best to reach your hotel from airport.
  Check with your hotel beforehand.If you do not mind bringing your luggage around and your hotel is near a metro station, the metro is a viable option. Pudong Shanghai International airport is connected to the metro system by a 15 minutes ride on the Maglev Train, the World’s fastest train. Otherwise, a cab is usually your choice of transport from the airport.

• Print out or Write down your Hotel Information
  - hotel name, address and phone on paper (preferably in Chinese characters too). Show this to the driver to avoid ambiguity.
  

  Find out about the China Pavilion and other uniquely designed pavilions

• Do a little more reading on the Expo.
  You may want to read more on the Expo Pavilions and Expo Events and Performances to get an idea of what to expect and what to look out for.
  .
  The expo site is a huge place and if your visit is not long enough, you will have to be selective on what to visit.

5. Some Tips and Additional Information

• You will find official Taxi Stands at airports and train stations. Use them. Be wary of people approaching you to offer rides in non-taxi cars. There is no guarantee taking these ‘non official taxis’.
  So better be safe and take a cab that looks like a cab.

• Transportation in Shanghai via metro/subway is an affordable and most convenient transport means. Taxis are relatively cheap too, but getting one during peak hours can prove to be a daunting task.

• If you would like to maintain contactable on mobile while overseas, make sure your local mobile phone plans support Global/International/Auto Roaming.
  You may need to call up your mobile network provider to activate roaming services.

• You may purchase prepaid mobile SIM cards at the airport or in many authorized shops around the country if you wish to. Passports may be required.

• Most hotels will provide Internet connections.

• You can find More Tips regarding touring Shanghai World Expo:
  • Touring the Shanghai World Expo 2010 Tips – Part 1
  • Touring the Shanghai World Expo 2010 Tips – Part 2

I hope this guide has been useful for those keen on making the trip and if you need any more information or help, just leave a comment or send us an email

In Suzhou, it is impossible not to mention the SIP.

In the beginning, it was a cooperative project to build a modern industrial park in the east of Suzhou with Singapore’s experience and investment. The China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park (CS-SIP) was thus born on Feb. 26th 1994, after these years’ development the SIP is not only a world famous investment paradise but also the interpretation of modern life. Around Jinji Lake and Dushu Lake, a lot of people settle and are enjoying the modern live there.

Museums

If you want to know a city, then go to visit its museums to understand the city’s history & development, here is a list should be useful to you:

• New Suzhou Museum

The New Suzhou Museum is the final design of world-renowned designer, Mr. I. M. Pei in his glittering career. It is not only a symbol of public construction in Suzhou, but also an innovative monument, bridging traditional Chinese architecture with the future. Prompting the protection of Suzhou’s cultural heritage, the new museum also has turned a new page for Suzhou Museum.

Address: No.204 Dong Bei Street

Entrance Fee: Free of Charge

Opening hours: 8:15am-5:00pm

• Suzhou Arts and Crafts Museum

Here you can watch artists in action. They carve jade, cut latticework fans from thin sheets of sandalwood, and fashion traditional calligraphy brushes. Perhaps most amazing is the careful attention to detail of the women embroidering silk. The attached shop is a good place to pick up quality crafts

Address: No.58 Dong Bei Street

Entrance Fee: 15RMB

Opening hours: 8:30am-3:45pm

• Museum of Suzhou Folk Customs

The Museum of Suzhou Folk Customs, located in an ancient residence, is a regional folk custom museum. The building of the Museum, featuring the architectural style of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), is listed as one of the major historical sites under the protection of Jiangsu Province.

Address: No.32 Panru Lane

Entrance Fee: Free of charge

Opening hours: 8:30am-3:45pm

• Suzhou Garden Museum

In order to commemorate the 2,500th anniversary of Suzhou, a Garden Museum was established inside Humble Administrator’s Garden. The exhibitions in this museum mainly introduce the history of Suzhou’s ancient gardens, plus their current conditions and the technology of building gardens. There are four exhibition halls.

Address: Inside Humble Administrator’s Garden

Entrance Fee: Free of charge

• Suzhou Inscriptions Museum

Address: No.613 Renmin Road

Entrance Fee: Free of charge

Opening hours: 8:30am-3:45pm

• Suzhou Art Museum

Address: No.4 Canglang Ting

Entrance Fee: Free of charge

Opening hours: 8:30am-3:45pm

• Art Museum of Suzhou Art Academy

Address: Xinghu Street (Southern Square E-103)
Open Hours: 9:00am- 5:00pm
Entrance Fee: Free

Shopping and Recreation

• Guanqian Street

Guanqian Street (观前街, Guan Qian Jie) is famous for shopping and recreation in Suzhou.

The history of the street can date back to Qing Dynasty, 100 years ago. It is named after the Xuanmiao Guan which is a Taoist temple, meaning of “the street in front of the Guan”. In the Guanqian block, you can shopping, dining, see a film, sing karaoke, watch festival performances and everything about recreation you can find here. What special in Guanqian is you also can find some old & famous shops and traditional craft.

• Shiquan Street

Shiquan Street (十全街, Shi Quan Jie) was once the old downtown of Suzhou, it is home to many hotels, including the famous Nanlin Restaurant, Suzhou Hotel, Nanlin Hotel as well as the classical Master-of-Nets Garden. Ming-and-Qing-Dynasty-style architectures can be found dotted along this famous street.

Shiquan Street is well known for its art and craft products, such as chinaware, silk, inscriptions, jade, rosewood, etc. Other general shopping items can also be found here.

• Shilu Shopping Street

Located in Jinchang District, it is said that the Shilu (石路, Stone Road) street was very prosperous in ancient times.

Reconstructed in 2003, and now one of the best shopping centers in Suzhou. Nearby Xinfeng Lane has been restored and is now a leisure area with cafes and pubs to accommodate any weary shoppers. The opening of the Shilu pedestrianised Shopping Street has also attracted shoppers, especially with the market at night in the Shilu commercial area. Business hours of the stores on Shilu (Stone Road) have been extended to 10 PM.

• Times Square

On the east shore of Jinji Lake, Times Square (时代广场) is the biggest shopping mall in Suzhou. You can find the latest fashion things here.

The Guinness World Record for the biggest commercial LED ceiling over the world is right smack in the middle of Time Square. It measures 500m in length, 32m in width and had more than 2,000,000 LED.

A number of other bigger & well known shopping area.

• Stage

Numbers of international brands, often discount

Address: No.9 Houdai Street, modern avenue, SIP

• INCITY PLAZA

Address: Donghuan Road, Modern Avenue

• Wanda CBD (万达广场, Wan Da Guang Chang)

Shopping Mall, CBD, Leisure District, HOPSCA

Address: No.3188 Renmin Road

• Suzhou Amusement Park

Suzhou Amusement Park (苏州乐园, Su Zhou Le Yuan) is the largest modern park with a special theme in East China. The park falls into two parts: Water World and Happy World. Water World is the largest aquatic amusement park in terms of size and advanced facilities in all of China. The Happy World is regarded as “Oriental Disney Land” with beautiful European and American architectural styles.

Address: Changjiang Road

Entrance Fee: 60RMB for Happy World ; 40RMB for Water World

Opening hours: 9:00am-5:00pm Happy World ; 9:00am-9:00pm Water World

• Suzhou Ferris Wheel Park

As a land-mark project, Suzhou Ferris Wheel (摩天轮乐园, Mo Tian Lun Le Yuan) is the most eye-catching facility in Suzhou Industry Park. It is in the new amusement Park, which is one part of Jinji Lake Area.

Looking at the giant wheel located on the east bank of Jinji Lake, visitors are always impressed, and excited, about taking a trip on the wheel. In addition, there are many other amusement facilities around the park, such as the 28-seater 4D cinema, a roller coaster with a track in the shape of butterfly, and more. Hours of fun can be had here, for both the young and the young-at-heart!

Address: East of the Jinji Lake in Suzhou Industrial Park

Entrance Fee: 80RMB

Opening hours: 9:00am-5:00pm

Other fun & exciting places for fun & entertainment are:

• Suzhou Ocean Aquarium (苏州海洋馆, Su Zhou Hai Yang Guan)

Address: No.28 Taihu Lake Avenue, Taihu Scenic Zone

Entrance Fee:   adult 130RMB ; children(1-1.4m) 90RMB

Opening hours: 9:00am-5:00pm

• Night clubs

Shiquan Street – a European-style bar street paradise

On the 300-meter-long stretch between Anli Bridge and the crossing of Phoenix Street, there are more than 20 bars. Each of which offers a different style of music, drinks, and food. Rock, blues, and pop music; pool tables, darts, and sports channels guarantee you find the fun you want. Here you can also enjoy cheaper drink prices, warm service, good food, and games.

Japanese Bar Street – a pure Japanese world

To make businessmen, travelers, and expatriates coming from Japan feel more at home, a Japanese Bar Street was set up in the Suzhou New Area. Walking this 1000-meter-long commercial street, you can find over 80 Japanese restaurants and bars, all with Japanese signs and menus and Japanese speaking waiters. Here, you can really enjoy Japanese-style nights, with authentic customs and flavors.

Li Gong Di – Modern Leisure Life Palace

Li Gong Di (李公堤) is the only causeway in Jinji Lake of Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP). It is a water-side leisure area that represents the most modern face of Suzhou. High-level night clubs and spas are spread around the area and can provide you a luxurious evening. Most clubs here take on a European style. While walking along the Li Gong Di, you can enjoy graceful views of Jinji Lake and relax.

Vocabulary

yú lè

娱乐                                 Recreation           n.

jì niàn bēi

纪 念    碑                        Monument          n.

tán xiāng mù

檀   香     木                    Sandalwood       n.

bēi wén

碑   文                             Inscriptions        n.

International

Plane

There are two airports in Shanghai- Pudong International Airport (PVG) and Hongqiao International Airport (SHA).

Pudong is the new International airport and and it is located 55 km from the city center. The Maglev (Magnetic Levitation) Train links Pudong Airport to the Shanghai Metro System.

The airport for most domestic flights is Hongqiao which is older, and located in the west of Shanghai, 15 km from the city center. A taxi to Hongqiao airport from CBD should cost approximately RMB30-50.

Shanghai is connected with domestic flights to most cities within China.

Inter-city

Train

Shanghai Railway Station and Shanghai South Railway Station are the primary railway ports of the city. Travelers can get to Shanghai from virtually any city in China, arriving in one or the other of these stations.
Long-distance buses are also convenient when traveling to Shanghai, but most foreign travelers reserve this form of travel for short distances to nearby cities (Hangzhou, Suzhou, Wuxi and Ningbo).

Water

Transportation via Shanghai’s waterways is extremely convenient as it is located at the estuary of the Yangtze River and the East China Sea.

You can travel by ships to many cities like Zhejiang, Chongqing, Nangjing, Putuoshan and Wuhan. There are also International passenger ship lines that travel to Ichon and Pusan of South Korea, as well as Osaka and Kobe of Japan.

The main passenger port – Shiliupu Passenger Port is on Zhongshan Nan Road. 1 km south of the Bund, there are also several other passenger ports in Shanghai, which are usually far away from the city center.

As a general rule, for long distance destination this is a cheap but slow way to travel. For destination closer to the city however the train is more efficient.

City Transportation

Metro:

The fast-growing Shanghai Metro network has 10 lines with another 9 under construction, with nearly all lines operating underground.

The Metro is fast, cheap, air conditioned and fairly user-friendly with most signs and station arrival announcements in English, but the trains can get very packed during rush hour.

The main city scenery and shopping centers of Shanghai are along metro lines, so metro is a very convenient way for you to visit Shanghai.

Shanghai Metro Map (2010 Feb)

Bus:

There are more than 1,100 bus lines in Shanghai. Buses are often fully-packed and at times, impossible to board. Once on board, keep your valuables tucked away since pick pocketing is easy under such conditions.

Contrary to popular belief, buses are not color coded-the bus number is. Routes 1 to 30 are for trolley buses (now supplemented by regular buses). Buses 1 to 199 operate from 5 am to 11pm. Buses in the 200 and 400 series are peak-hour buses, and 300 series buses provide all-night service. Suburban and long-distance buses don’t carry numbers-the destination is in characters.

The ticket prices are divided into several kinds which are according to the length of the routes and the condition of the bus, RMB1 for the routes less than 13 km long, RMB1.5 for the over-13 km long routes, RMB2 for air-con buses.

For tourists and travelers, we do not recommend you to use bus since it is crowded and often gets caught in jams. Taxi and metro are your first choices.

Taxi:

There are 50,000 taxies running in Shanghai City. They are reasonably cheap and easy to flag down, but try to avoid the peak hours of 7 to 9 am and 5 to 7 pm. The start price is RMB10 for 3 km and RMB2 for following each 1 km.

At night (23:00-5:00) the start price is RMB13 for 3 km and RMB2.6 for following each 1 km, once exceeding 10 kilometers’ journey, it would be RMB3.9 for each kilometer, and the bargain is permitted, also, you could take the taxi to travel in a group.

Hope your stay in Shanghai will be a pleasant one.

Vocabulary

交通    jiāo tōng                      transport

出租车    chū zū chē               taxi

公交车     gōng jiāo chē         bus

Food in Shanghai is like any global metropolis. You are able to find all sorts of International cuisines in this city, from Western steaks to Japanese sushi. Popular food and beverage chains like Mac Donald’s, KFC and Starbucks can be commonly spotted too. However if you are in Shanghai, you must try the Shanghainese cuisine and snacks.

Must Try Shanghai Snacks

Shanghai is the paradise of snacks, and its Snacks could be traced back to as early as the Southern Song Dynasty and became more exquisite in cooking when Shanghai grew into an important city in early Ming Dynasty.

After Shanghai was listed as a trading port by the end of the Qing Dynasty, various regional snacks were assimilated, developed and refined, bringing forth the specialty of Shanghai style. Four must-haves Shanghai Snacks are:

• Baked Sesame Pan Cake,
• Deep-fried Dough Sticks,
• Soybean Milk,
• Sticky Rice Combo

As well as dozens of kinds of pastries, buns, stuffed dumplings and cakes.

Shanghai snack is famed for being light, fresh and tasty, and has long been diners’ favourite for its characteristics.

Famous Snack Streets

There are a number of Famous Snack Streets (小吃街 xiǎo chī jiē : snack street) in Shanghai, such as:

• Qibao snack street – Minghang district
  • 七宝老街 (qī bǎo lǎo jiē : Qi Bao Old Street)
• Wujiang road snack street – Luwan district
  • 新吴江路 (xīn wú jiāng lù : New Wujiang Road) – near Metro Line 1 Nanjing Xi lu Station
• Huanghe food street – Huangpu district
  • 黄河路 小吃街 (huáng hé lù xiǎo chī jiē : Huanghe Road Snack Street)
• Zhapu road snack street – Hongkou district
  • 乍浦路 美食街 (zhà pǔ lù měi shí jiē : Zhapu Road Delicacy Street)
• Yunnan South road snack street – Huangpu district
  • 云南南路 小吃街 (yún nán nán lù xiǎo chī jiē ：Yunan South Road Snack Street)
• Guling road snack street – Jing’an district
  • 牯岭路 小吃街 (gǔ lǐng lù xiǎo chī jiē : Guling Road Snack Street)
• Chenghuang Temple – Huangpu district
  • 城隍庙 小吃广场 (chéng huáng miào xiǎo chī guǎng chǎng : Chenghuang Temple Snack Square)

Famous Restaurants Popular for its Snacks

There are also some Famous Restaurants Popular for its Snacks.

He Feng Lou

He Feng Lou brings all Chinese snacks together and introduces 144 snacks and dishes from 8 major styles and their 16 sub-cuisines. The two-storey restaurant serves on the first floor buffet-style Chinese cuisine numbering 300 in kinds according to their origins such as Shanghai, Sichuan & Hunan, Taiwan, Jiangsu, etc. The second floor features special Chinese and overseas snacks including Japanese Teppanyaki and is popular with tourists.

Address: 10 Wenchang Road

Tel: 021-63557878

Transportation: Bus 55, 930, 932, 980

Guang Ming Cun Restaurant

Guang Ming Cun Restaurant, open in 1948, is known for its dim-sum and snacks with over ten dishes awarded “Shanghai specialty snacks”. Those snacks are highly appreciated including Juicy Chicken Wanton Soup, Fried Crabmeat Stuffed Bun and Steamed Pork Stuffed Bun. Some signature dishes are superb like Crystal Shrimp, Peppery Beef Fillet with Honey, Crispy Duck, Turtle and Snake Soup with Herbs, Eye Brow-shaped Crispy Cake and Milky Date. The restaurant is popular with customers for its inexpensive price, authentic taste, comfortable ambience and excellent service.

Address: 588 Huaihai Road (M.)

Tel: 021-53067878

Transportation: Bus 42, 911, 945

Lu Bo Lang Restaurant

Lu Bo Lang Restaurant, located by nine-twist-bridge at Old City God Temple (Chenghuang Temple), has an elegant and peaceful surrounding matching the elegance of Mid-Pond-Pavilion tea house next door. It is well-known for its carefully selected raw materials and meticulous preparations and is highly praised by gourmands from home and abroad. The signature dish “Osmanthus Cake” is so sticky in texture that it gets stuck on plate or chopsticks but does not stick to your teeth and feels smooth in the mouth, carrying a faint fragrance of rice wine.

Address: 115-131 Yuyang Road

Tel: 021-63280602

Transportation: Bus 11, 64, 66, 126, 920

Wang Jia Sha Restaurant

Wang Jia Sha Restaurant, lying at the crossing Nanjing Road (W) and Shimen Road, enjoys high popularity in Shanghai for its wide selection, meticulous preparations and delicious taste. The most popular four must-eat dishes are its tasty and fried stuffed bun, delicious shrimp wanton soup, crunchy red bean pastry and crispy double-side fried noodle. Recently the restaurant has created a new and unique crab meat dim-sum series and dishes.

Address: 805Nanjing Road (W.)

Tel: 021-625330404

Transportation: Bus 21, 17, 112, 921

Feng Yu Restaurant

On early mornings of autumn or winter, it is a delight to visit this cozy restaurant and have some hot fried stuffed bun and fried tofu rice noodle soup. The white skin breaks once bitten.  The warm delicious soup and golden dough crusts are so luscious that they cover the slight grease of the buns. Inexpensive and tasty, Feng Yu is fairly popular in Shanghai.

Address: 41 Runjin Road (NO.2)

Tel: 021-53061742

Transportation: Metro Line 1 (Shaanxi Road (S) Station), Tourist Line 10, Bus 26, 945

.

Read our following article on More Shanghai Snacks!