Post by Raoul Duke on Jun 2, 2005 11:25:16 GMT 7
This is going to become a very long thread I'm sure but I will start simple for now...
Shanghai rates pretty well as a place to live. Easily arguable as the most exciting city in China. Lacks the cultural clout of Beijing but has better nightlife (?), a much freer atmosphere, and is easier to get around in...great Metro system!
There are foreigner goodies galore here. Best in China, generally, and far beyond Beijing. Look for City Supermarket...there are several in the city; best and easiest to find is in the Shanghai Centre near the Portman (Bo Te Men) Hotel, behind the Starbucks. I've seen strong men weep in City Supermarket. How does a dairy case with about 50 varieties of cheese sound? Or a Euro-style bakery? Or toaster waffles and maple syrup?
Downsides: Shanghai is huge, crowded, has terrible air, and frightfully expensive if you plan to have much fun.
If you fly there from within China, tell the agent you want to fly into Hongqiao Airport, not Pudong International. Pudong Intl is waaaaaay out there and you can spend 400 RMB just getting into town if you aren't careful. There is some cheaper public transport out of the airports during certain hours...links to info on the Shanghai (and Beijing) airports are available on our Links Page here in the Library.
By all means go up into the Oriental Pearl Tower (Dong Fang Ming Zhu) over on the near side of Pudong, across the Huangpu River from the Bund. The tickets are about 100 RMB as of my last visit. Spectacular view, especially at night! I don't know the address but it's, like, one of the more famous landmarks in China and visible from most of the city. C'mon.
Shanghai rates pretty well as a place to live. Easily arguable as the most exciting city in China. Lacks the cultural clout of Beijing but has better nightlife (?), a much freer atmosphere, and is easier to get around in...great Metro system!
There are foreigner goodies galore here. Best in China, generally, and far beyond Beijing. Look for City Supermarket...there are several in the city; best and easiest to find is in the Shanghai Centre near the Portman (Bo Te Men) Hotel, behind the Starbucks. I've seen strong men weep in City Supermarket. How does a dairy case with about 50 varieties of cheese sound? Or a Euro-style bakery? Or toaster waffles and maple syrup?
Downsides: Shanghai is huge, crowded, has terrible air, and frightfully expensive if you plan to have much fun.
If you fly there from within China, tell the agent you want to fly into Hongqiao Airport, not Pudong International. Pudong Intl is waaaaaay out there and you can spend 400 RMB just getting into town if you aren't careful. There is some cheaper public transport out of the airports during certain hours...links to info on the Shanghai (and Beijing) airports are available on our Links Page here in the Library.
By all means go up into the Oriental Pearl Tower (Dong Fang Ming Zhu) over on the near side of Pudong, across the Huangpu River from the Bund. The tickets are about 100 RMB as of my last visit. Spectacular view, especially at night! I don't know the address but it's, like, one of the more famous landmarks in China and visible from most of the city. C'mon.