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!

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

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

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Read our following article on More Shanghai Snacks!

The Shanghai World Expo 2010 will attract numerous tourists to Shanghai. So iLearn has compiled some traveler guide during the expo season to fully utilise your wonderful stay in Shanghai. In this article, we introduce your lodging options in Shanghai.

Shanghai city view from 'the Bund'

Hotel

With the Shanghai World Expo taking place soon, many hotels have offer special packages for your stay during this period.

You may make your hotel booking through the numerous hotels in Shanghai. Below are a list of a few hotels you can consider.

International Hotel Chains in Shanghai:

• Intercontinental Shangai Hotel
• Hilton Shanghai Hotel
• The Portman Ritz-Carlton Shanghai
• Swissotel Grand Shanghai
• Marriott Hotel Shanghai
• Sofitel Hotel
• Wyndham Grand Plaza Royale Oriental Shanghai

Other Hotels:

• Novotel Atlantis Shanghai
• Okura Garden Hotel Shanghai
• The Salvo Hotel Shanghai
• Holiday Inn Express

There are also several local Budget Hotel Chains in Shanghai:

• Motel 168 (168连锁旅店)
• Jinjiang Inn (锦江之星)
• Hanting Hotels (汉庭快捷酒店)
• Homeinns Hotel (如家快捷酒店)

Making your Hotel Booking

You can make your booking directly with the desired hotel or through

Expotia.com the Shanghai World Expo Official Hotel Reservation website.

There are also several local Travel and Lodging Agents in China, with 3 popular ones being

• ctrip
• elong
• mangocity

where you can consider using to book flights and hotels.  They are relatively reputable.

Expo Homestay

Sharing the joy and warmth of the Shangainese home

In conjunction with the Shanghai Expo, more & more local Shanghai people are taking part in the “expo home-stay” where visitors or tourists are able to live in the Shanghai residents’ homes, to get a feel of a Shanghainese lifestyle.

The host will also provide with culture exchanges, catering, accommodation, tourist information and other services to you, so that all foreign visitors can experience the lives of shanghai residents

“Expo home-living” is a vivid interpretation of the theme of the expo “Better city, better life”. It makes the expo experience out of the park, into the city. It not only to demonstrate the charm of urban development, but also reflects the beautiful lives of the public; not only provides a new way to experience the Shanghai World Expo for foreign visitors, but also opens another window for Shanghai  residents to see the world.

At the moment, 500 families have been selected by the organizers of the 2010 World Expo to be the first batch of applicants to participate in the home-stay program. Whilst you may want to search online for classified ads on home stay opportunities, the details of the official Expo home stay program and how to sign up is not available yet. We will update this page when the news of the program is finalized.

Update: 18th May 2010

There are two types of Homestay programmes: Expo City Homestay (世博人家) ShiBo RenJia or Expo Farmhouse Homestay (世博农家) ShiBo NongJia.

Expo City Homestay (世博人家) ShiBo RenJia

Expo City Homestay

ShiBo RenJia is a homestay programme for visitors to experience the city life in Shanghai. The hospitable Shanghai city folks will welcome you with pride and joy and share their Chinese traditions and cultures with you.

Expo Farmhouse Homestay (世博农家) ShiBo NongJia

ShiBo NongJia is a homestay programme that brings visitors to the more suburban areas of Shanghai, to experience a totally different lifestyle from the bustling city. You will experience life in the smaller villages, where you can try your hands at their suburban activities like farming or fishing. Experience the joys of simple living and the warmth of the welcoming town folks.

Expo Farmhouse Homestay

Cost

The homestay cost approximately 150-200 rmb per day.

Expo Homestay Application

It seems that at the moment, only group applications are entertained. If interested you may download the contact list here which is posted from expo 2010 official website (http://www.expo2010.cn/a/20100429/000155.htm)

We have done a simple (English) translation of this contact list for your convenience. You may view it at:

Expo Homestay Contact List – 1st batch (pdf file)

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Learn Some Mandarin

Welcome to China

We have already reviewed lots of traveling spots for you in China, so this time I will write about things that you need to take note of before you start your journey. We hope this would help you to enjoy the trip! It’s a must!

Background of China
Before we go further let’s have a look at the country.

China is a large country with a size of 9,596,960 sq km, and it’s also known as the biggest population in the world after India. China also has a very long history; Ancient China was an earliest centre of human civilizations.Not only does China have a very rich culture and history, food and scenery in China are also one of its greatest attractions. China has a very beautiful natural beauty. there are just so much to do and see in China!

And right now, we go to the main part. Here are some TIPS for you on traveling in China,

1. Apply visa
China requires an entry Visa from most countries just like any other country, and there are different types of Visa depend on how long you want to stay. Each country has their own application process. Remember to apply one (or check if you need one) if you plan to visit China

2. Climate
As I said before, China is a very large country, that’s why the weather could be extremely diverse, from tropical on South to Subarctic in North of China. Make sure it is a proper weather when you plan to travel to China.

3.    Money
I don’t need to mention this; you should know that you won’t get anywhere if you don’t have money. What I need to tell you is the currency in China. The unit known as Renminbi (RMB) or Yuan. So, get some RMB first before you travel to China. You can exchange foreign currency at Banks, Hotels, or money changers in your country.
FYI, currently, at August 2009 the exchange rate is approximately US1$ to 6. 8 RMB.

Besides money, in China you also can use credit cards or travelers cheques as long as the hotels or shops can accept it, small shops or restaurants would only take cash. Most of the major China bank ATMs allows you to withdraw cash with your foreign bank credit card.

4.    Camera
Camera is a must for the trip to China, because not only can you take pictures for fun, but China has very wonderful scenery that you will not want to forget. Snap it for your memory.

5.    Language
There are various languages in China- local dialects like Cantonese, Shanghainese, Hokkien, etc. But, the main language would be Standard Mandarin (putonghua). Depending on which province you visit, the Locals may not speak English well or speak English at all.

However most of the bigger hotels and restaurants have staffs that speak English. Most road signs and public notice boards in China will carry both English and Chinese, but occasionally the English text, translated not so accurately, may end up meaning different from its original message. Generally, if you are touring major cities like Beijing or Shanghai, you don’t need to be overly concerned, although knowing a few common Mandarin phrases will definitely be useful. In more rural areas, consider getting a local guide or following an English speaking tour group.

6.    Security in China
China is generally a safe country but still you have to take precautions, hang on to your wallet especially on crowded and popular tourist sites.
Be careful when approached by touts trying to sell things from jelleweries to female companionship. Generally, just be a little more cautious as you would travelling to any foreign country.

7.    Slurp… FOOD!
Now, this is one of my favorite! You can find a lot of variety of food in China. From western food to unique Chinese dishes that you never seen before can be found here. My tip for you here is “Try as much food as you can!” and the good part is the price of the food is reasonable.

That should be what you need to know generally when you travel to China, and here are some other tips to take note

• Try to get an English speaking tour guide at every opportunity you can. China has a rich and wonderful history and culture; it’s such a waste if you miss all of it.
• Always ask for a receipt from a taxi driver so that you can complain if you have been cheated or for tracing purposes if you miss something in the taxi.
• Get a Map. It will help you in any situation, in case you got lost.
• If you cannot speak Mandarin, it helps to write down on paper in Chinese the place you want to visit. You can find the Chinese characters from online research or get your hotel staff to help

We are going to keep on updating the tips and help for you, and for those who has a question feel free to ask. so, Stay Tune! take care and have fun!

Vocabulary

chū zū chē
出 租 车 taxi

jiǔ diàn
酒 店 hotel

dì tú
地 图 map

qián
钱 money

yīng yǔ
英 语 English

Zhōng wén
中 文 mandarin

shí wù
食 物 food

gōng gòng qì chē
公 共 汽 车 bus

huǒ chē
火 车 train