Han City Fashion & Accessories PlazaCLOTHING
(韩城服饰礼品广场, Hánchéng Fúshì Lǐpǐn Guǎngchǎng MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 580 West Nanjing Rd; 南京西路580号 h10am-10pm; mLine 2, 12, 13 to West Nanjing Rd, exit 1)
This unassuming building is a popular location to pick up knock-offs, with hundreds of stalls spread across four floors. Scavenge for bags, belts, jackets, shoes, suitcases, sunglasses, ties, T-shirts, DVDs and electronics. Prices are all inflated, so bargain hard.
Pǔdōng
IFC MallMALL
(上海IFC商场, Shànghǎi IFC Shāngchǎng MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.shanghaiifcmall.com.cn; 8 Century Ave; 世纪大道8号 h10am-10pm; mLujiazui)
This incredibly glam and glitzy six-storey mall beneath the Cesar Pelli–designed twin towers of the Shànghǎi International Finance Center hosts a swish coterie of top-name brands, from Armani via Prada to Miu Miu and Vuitton, a host of great dining options including Lei Garden, and branches of Baker & Spice, Simply Thai and Haiku by Hatsune.
AP Xīnyáng Fashion & Gifts MarketGIFTS & SOUVENIRS
(亚太新阳服饰礼品市场, Yàtài Xīnyáng Fúshì Lǐpǐn Shìchǎng GOOGLE MAP ; h10am-8pm; mScience & Technology Museum)
This mammoth underground market by the Science & Technology Museum metro station is Shànghǎi’s largest collection of shopping stalls. There’s tonnes of merchandise and fakes, from suits to moccasins, glinting copy watches, Darth Vader toys, jackets, Lionel Messi football strips, T-shirts, Indian saris, Angry Birds bags, Bob Marley Bermuda shorts, Great Wall snow globes: everything under the sun.
It includes a branch of the Shíliùpù Fabric Market and a separate market devoted to pearls, the Yada Pearl Market (Yàdà Zhēnzhū Shìchǎng). Shop vendors are highly persistent and almost clawing, sending out scouts to wait at the metro exit turnstiles to ensnare shoppers. Haggling is a common language – mixed with much huffing and puffing – so start with a very low offer and take it from there.
Xújiāhuì & South Shànghǎi
Grand Gateway 66MALL
(港汇恒隆广场, Gǎnghuì Hénglóng Guǎngchǎng GOOGLE MAP ; %021 6407 0111; 1 Hongqiao Rd; 虹桥路1号 h10am-10pm; mLine 1, 9, 11 to Xujiahui)
Fed by the metro station below ground, Grand Gateway 66 is a vast, airy space and one of Shànghǎi’s most high-end malls. It has a wide range of designer and international fashion brands, including the likes of Gucci, Calvin Klein and Lacoste, as well as a constellation of cosmetics and sports-gear outlets.
The complex also has a decent range of restaurants on the 5th and 6th floors, an outside food strip, a cinema, and seating for resting weary shopping legs.
8Information
Dangers & Annoyances
Shànghǎi feels very safe, and crimes against foreigners are rare. If you have something stolen, you need to report the crime at the district Public Security Bureau (PSB; 公安局; Gōng'ānjú) office and obtain a police report.
Internet Access
The majority of hostels and hotels have broadband internet access, and many hotels, cafes, restaurants and bars are wi-fi enabled.
Media
Grab free copies of That's Shanghai (http://online.thatsmags.com/city/shanghai), City Weekend (www.cityweekend.com.cn/shanghai) and Time Out Shanghai (www.timeoutshanghai.com) for a plug into what's on in town.
Medical Services
Huàshān HospitalMEDICAL
(华山医院国际医疗中心, Huàshān Yīyuàn Guójì Yīliáo Zhōngxīn GOOGLE MAP ; %021 5288 9998; www.sh-hwmc.com.cn; 12 Middle Wulumuqi Rd; 乌鲁木齐中路12号 mChangshu Rd)
Hospital treatment and outpatient consultations are available at the 8th-floor foreigners’ clinic, the Huashan Worldwide Medical Center (华山医院国际医疗中心; Huáshān Yīyuàn Guójì Yīliáo Zhōngxīn GOOGLE MAP ; %021 6248 3986; www.sh-hwmc.com.cn; 12 Middle Wulumuqi Rd; 乌鲁木齐中路12号 h8am-10pm; mChangshu Rd), and there's 24-hour emergency treatment on the 15th floor in building 6.
Parkway HealthMEDICAL
(以极佳医疗保健服务, Yǐjíjiā Yīliáo Bǎojiàn Fúwù GOOGLE MAP ; %24hr 021 6445 5999; Suite 203, Shànghǎi Centre, 1376 W Nanjing Rd; 南京西路1376号203室 mLine 2, 7 to Jing'an Temple)
Offers comprehensive private medical care from internationally trained physicians and dentists. Members can access after-hours services and an emergency hotline. Has numerous locations around town.
Watson’sPHARMACY
(屈臣氏, Qūchénshì GOOGLE MAP ; %021 6474 4775; 787 Middle Huaihai Rd; 淮海中路787号 h24hr)
The Hong Kong pharmacy Watson’s can be found in the basements of malls all over town, mainly selling imported toiletries and a limited range of simple over-the-counter pharmaceuticals.
Money
Most tourist hotels, upmarket restaurants and banks accept major credit cards. ATMs are widespread and generally accept Visa, MasterCard, Cirrus and Maestro cards. Most operate 24 hours.
You can change foreign currency at money-changing counters at almost every hotel and at many shops, department stores and large banks such as the Bank of China and HSBC, as long as you have your passport; you can also change money at both Pǔdōng International Airport and Hóngqiáo International Airport. Some top-end hotels will change money only for their guests. Exchange rates in China are uniform wherever you change money, so there’s little need to shop around.
Bank of ChinaBANK
(中国银行, Zhōngguó Yínháng GOOGLE MAP ; East Zhongshan No 1 Rd; 中山东一路 h9am-noon & 1.30-4.30pm Mon-Fri, 9am-noon Sat; mLine 2, 10 to East Nanjing Rd)
Right next to the Peace Hotel. Tends to get crowded, but is better organised than Chinese banks elsewhere around the country (it's worth a peek for its grand interior). Take a ticket and wait for your number. For credit-card advances, head to the furthest hall (counter No 2).
CitibankBANK
(花旗银行, Huāqí Yínháng GOOGLE MAP ; East Zhongshan No 1 Rd; E 中山东一路 h24hr; mEast Nanjing Rd)
Useful ATM open 24 hours.
Post
The larger tourist hotels and business towers have convenient post offices from where you can mail letters and small packages. China Post (中国邮政; Zhōngguó Yóuzhèng) offices and post boxes are green. The Main China Post Office (中国邮政; Zhōngguó Yóuzhèng GOOGLE MAP ; %021 6393 6666; 276 North Suzhou Rd; 苏州北路276号 h7am-10pm) is just north of Sūzhōu Creek in Hóngkǒu.
Public Security Bureau
Public Security BureauPOLICE
(PSB; 公安局, Gōng’ānjú GOOGLE MAP ; %021 2895 1900; 1500 Minsheng Rd; 民生路1500号 h9am-5pm Mon-Sat)
Visa extensions in Shànghǎi are available here.
Telephone
Mobile-phone shops (手机店; shǒujīdiàn) can sell you a SIM card, which will cost from ¥60 to ¥100 and will include ¥50 of credit. SIM cards are also available from newspaper kiosks (报刊亭; bàokāntíng). When credit runs out, you can top up the number by buying a credit-charging card (充值卡; chōngzhí kǎ) for ¥50 or ¥100 worth of credits. The main networks are China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom, with branches throughout the city.
Buying a mobile phone in Shànghǎi is also an option as they are generally inexpensive. Cafes, restaurants and bars in larger towns and cities usually have wi-fi.
Tourist Information
For competent English-language help, call the Shànghǎi Call Centre (%021 962 288), a free 24-hour English-language hotline that can respond to cultural, entertainment or transport enquiries (and even provide directions for your cab driver).
Other branches of tourist information offices:
The Bund (旅游咨询服务中心,Lǚyóu Zīxún Fúwù Zhōngxīn GOOGLE MAP ; %021 6357 3718; 518 Jiujiang Rd; 九江路518号 h9.30am-8pm; mEast Nanjing Rd) Beneath the Bund promenade, opposite the intersection with East Nanjing Rd.
French Concession (旅游咨询服务中心; Lǚyóu Zīxún Fúwù Zhōngxīn GOOGLE MAP ; %021 5386 1882; 138 S Chengdu Rd; 成都南路138号 h9am-9pm;
mSouth Huangpi Rd)
Jìng’ān (旅游咨询服务中心, Lǚyóu Zīxún Fúwù Zhōngxīn GOOGLE MAP ; %021 6248 3259; Lane 1678, 18 West Nanjing Rd; 南京西路1678弄18号 h9.30am-5.30pm Mon-Fri; mLine 2, 7 to Jing'an Temple)
Old Town (旅游咨询服务中心, Lǚyóu Zīxún Fúwù Zhōngxīn GOOGLE MAP ; %021 6355 5032; 149 Jiujiaochang Rd; 旧校场路149号 h9am-7pm; mLine 10 to Yuyuan Garden) Southwest of Yùyuán Gardens.
Pǔdōng (旅游咨询服务中心; Lǚyóu Zīxún Fúwù Zhōngxīn MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Base of Oriental Pearl TV Tower; 东方明珠广播电视塔1楼 h9am-5pm; mLujiazui)
The Tourist Hotline (%021 962 020) offers a limited English-language service.
Travel Agencies
The following agencies can help with travel bookings.
ACTrip (http://english.ctrip.com) Excellent online agency, good for hotel and flight bookings.
AeLong (www.elong.net) Hotel and flight bookings.
STA Travel ( GOOGLE MAP ; %021 2281 7723; www.statravel.com.cn; Room 1609, Shanghai Trade Tower, 188 Siping Rd; h9.30am-6pm Mon-Fri; mHailun Rd)
8Getting There & Away
With two airports, rail and air connections to places all over China, and buses to destinations in adjoining provinces and beyond, Shànghǎi’s a handy springboard to the rest of the land.
Air
Pǔdōng International Airport
Pǔdōng International Airport (PVG; 浦东国际机场; Pǔdōng Guójì Jīchǎng %021 6834 7575, flight information 96990; www.shairport.com) is located 30km southeast of Shànghǎi, near the East China Sea. Most international flights (and some domestic flights) operate from here. If you’re making an onward domestic connection from Pǔdōng International Airport, it’s crucial that you find out whether the domestic flight leaves from Pǔdōng or Hóngqiáo, as it will take at least an hour to cross the city.
There are two main passenger terminals (with a new satellite terminal under construction), which are easy to navigate. Departures are on the upper level and arrivals on the lower level, where there is a tourist information counter.
ABanks and ATMs Located throughout the airport, on both sides of customs.
AHotel The Dazhong Merrylin Airport Hotel (大众美林阁空港宾馆; Dàzhòng Měilín Gékōng Gǎng Bīnguǎn %021 3879 9999; www.dazhongairporthotel.com; r from ¥320; aW) is located between Terminals 1 and 2, in front of the Maglev ticket office.
ALeft luggage Located in the arrival and departure halls and open from 6am to 11pm. Charges are from ¥10 to ¥45 depending on luggage size (up to four hours), or ¥50 per day.
AShuttle buses Connect the terminals, stopping at doors 1 and 8 (Terminal 1) and doors 23 and 27 (Terminal 2), running every 10 minutes.
AWi-fi Available but tends to be out of service quite frequently.
Hóngqiáo International Airport
Hóngqiáo International Airport (SHA; 虹桥国际机场; Hóngqiáo Guójì Jīchǎng %021 5260 4620, flight information 021 6268 8899; www.shairport.com; mHongqiao Airport Terminal 1, mHongqiao Airport Terminal 2), 18km west of the Bund, has two terminals: the older and less-used Terminal 1 (east terminal; halls A and B), and the new and sophisticated Terminal 2 (west terminal; attached to Shànghǎi Hóngqiáo Railway Station), where most flights arrive. If flying domestically within China from Shànghǎi, consider flying from here; it is closer to central Shànghǎi than Pǔdōng International Airport. If transferring between Hóngqiáo and Pǔdōng International Airports, note they are a long way apart and it will take at least an hour.
AATMs Located at most exits; accept international cards.
Information counters (虹桥国际机场咨询服务处; Hóngqiáo Guójì Jīchǎng Zīxún Fúwùchù h5.30am-11pm) Staff can assist by booking discounted accommodation, providing free maps, offering advice on transport into town and writing the Chinese script for a taxi.
ALuggage storage Available in the departure and arrivals hall of both terminals, operating between 7am and 8.30pm. Bags must be locked and a passport or ID is required.
AShuttle bus Runs frequently (from 6am to 11pm) between Terminals 1 and 2, taking 13 minutes.
AWi-fi Accessible by using the password provided at an information counter.
Bus
As trains are fast, regular and efficient, and traffic on roads unpredictable, travelling by bus is not a very useful way to leave or enter Shànghǎi, unless you are visiting local water towns. Buses to Běijīng take between 14 and 16 hours: it is far faster and more comfortable (but more expensive) to take the 5½-hour high-speed G-class trains to the capital, or even the eight-hour D-class trains.
The huge Shànghǎi South Long-Distance Bus Station (上海长途客运南站; Shànghǎi Chángtú Kèyùn Nánzhàn GOOGLE MAP ; %021 5436 2835; www.ctnz.net; 666 Shilong Rd; mShanghai South Railway Station) has buses largely to destinations in south China. Destinations include Sūzhōu (苏州; ¥38, very frequent), Nánjīng (南京; ¥96, four per day), Hángzhōu (杭州; ¥68, very frequent) and Níngbō (宁波; ¥127, very frequent).
Although it appears close to Shànghǎi Railway Station, the vast Shànghǎi Long-Distance Bus Station (上海长途汽车客运总站, Shànghǎi Chángtú Qìchē Kèyùn Zǒngzhàn MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %021 6605 0000; www.kyzz.com.cn; 1666 Zhongxing Rd; 中兴路1666号 mShanghai Railway Station) is a pain to get to (taxi is easiest), but has buses to everywhere, including regular buses to Sūzhōu (¥38, two hours) and Hángzhōu (¥68, 2½ hours), as well as two buses to Nánjīng (¥105, 4½ hours, 9.30am and 2.50pm), Zhōuzhuāng (¥29, six daily, two hours) and Běijīng (¥354, 4pm, 18 hours).
Regular buses also depart for Hángzhōu (¥100, two hours) and Sūzhōu (¥84, two hours) from Pǔdōng International Airport. Buses for Hángzhōu, Sūzhōu and a host of destinations also leave from the Hóngqiáo Long-Distance Bus Station (虹桥长途客运站; Hóngqiáo Chángtú Kèyùn Zhàn ) at Hóngqiáo Airport Terminal 2.
From the Shànghǎi Sightseeing Bus Centre (上海旅游集散中心, Shànghǎi Lǚyóu Jísàn Zhōngxīn GOOGLE MAP ) at Shànghǎi Stadium, you can join tours to Sūzhōu, Hángzhōu, Tónglǐ, Zhōuzhuāng, Zhūjiājiǎo and other destinations around Shànghǎi.
Train
The new and sophisticated Shànghǎi Hóngqiáo Railway Station (上海虹桥站; Shànghǎi Hóngqiáo Zhàn mHongqiao Railway Station) is Asia's largest train station. It is located at the western end of metro line 10 and on line 2, near Hóngqiáo International Airport. It's the terminus for the high-speed G-class trains and other trains, and includes services to Běijīng (from ¥555, very regular), Hángzhōu (from ¥73, very regular), Nánjīng South (from ¥95, frequent) and Sūzhōu (from ¥25, regular).
The vast, hectic and sprawling Shànghǎi Railway Station (上海火车站; Shànghǎi Huǒchē Zhàn MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %in Chinese 12306; 385 Meiyuan Rd; 梅园路385号 mShanghai Railway Station), located in the north of town, is easily reached by metro lines 1, 4 and 3 and has G-class, D-class and express trains to Běijīng (¥309, three daily), Hángzhōu (¥95, four daily), Hong Kong (¥226, 6.20pm), Huángshān (¥93, two daily), Nánjīng (¥144, frequent), Sūzhōu (¥40, frequent) and Xī'ān (¥180, frequent).
Modern Shànghǎi South Railway Station (上海南站; Shànghǎi Nánzhàn GOOGLE MAP ; %021 9510 5123; 200 Zhaofeng Rd) is easily accessed on metro lines 1 and 3. It has trains largely to southern and southwestern destinations including Guìlín (¥190, four daily) and Hángzhōu (¥29, frequent).
A few trains also leave from the renovated West Station (上海西站; Shànghǎi Xīzhàn), including trains to Nánjīng; however, it’s less convenient.
Ticket Offices
There are several options for getting hold of train tickets in Shànghǎi. You can queue at the ticket offices (售票厅; shòupiàotīng) at train stations, but brace for a long wait. There are two ticket halls at the Shànghǎi Railway Station, one in the main building (same-day tickets) and another on the east side of the square (advance tickets). One counter should have English-speakers.
Your hotel will be
able to obtain a ticket for you; however, a surcharge may be levied.
Tickets can be purchased for a small surcharge from travel agencies. You can also book tickets online using CTrip (http://english.ctrip.com), which will then be delivered to your address in China, but you cannot buy e-tickets, print them out or collect them. China Highlights (www.chinahighlights.com) offers a similar service, but can also deliver e-tickets by email.
Train information is available over the phone in Chinese only (800 820 7890).
Advance Train Ticket Office ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 824 Hengfeng Rd; 恒丰路 h8am-7pm) If you can't handle the queues at Shànghǎi Railway Station, this small office under the bridge a short walk west is very useful.
Jìng'ān Train Ticket Office (静安火车售票处, Jìng'ān Huǒchē Shòupiào Chù MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 77 Wanhangdu Rd; 万航渡路77号 h8am-6pm) Useful train ticket office, located to the west of Jìng'ān Temple.
BORDER CROSSING: GETTING TO JAPAN
Shànghǎi Port International Cruise Terminal (上海港国际客运中心; Shànghǎi Gǎng Guójì Kèyùn Zhōngxīn GOOGLE MAP ; Gaoyang Rd; 高阳路 ) Located north of the Bund and mostly serving cruise ships. A few international passenger routes serve Shànghǎi, with reservations recommended in July and August. Passengers must be at the harbour three hours before departure to get through immigration.
China-Japan International Ferry Company (中日国际轮渡有限公司; Zhōngrì Guójì Lúndù Yǒuxiàn Gōngsī GOOGLE MAP ; %021 6325 7642; www.shinganjin.com/index_e.php; 18th fl, Jin’an Bldg, 908 Dongdaming Rd, 东大明路908号金岸大厦 tickets from ¥1300, plus ¥150 fuel surcharge) Has staggered departures every week to either Osaka or Kobe (46 hours) in Japan on Saturdays at 12.30pm. Fares range from ¥1300 in an eight-bed dorm to ¥6500 in a deluxe twin cabin.
Lonely Planet China Page 64