A little bit of this and that from my experience in Shanghai, I present you some travel tips.
1. Essential app for Shanghai metro map: Explore Shanghai Metro Map
This Explore Shanghai Metro Map app is necessary if you’re to explore Shanghai by metro. What I like most about this app is that it’s simple enough and it shows me the key points which I want to know; cost, duration, metro line number and number of stops.
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.exploremetro.sh&hl=en
Price: Free
Iphone: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/explore-shanghai-metro-map/id340706615
Price: US$1.99
Online version: http://www.exploreshanghai.com/metro/
2. City Sightseeing Bus
If you prefer traveling on the ground, well City Sightseeing Bus is the best bet. Operated by http://www.chinaspringtour.com/, it stops at almost all major attractions in Shanghai. It has 3 bus lines operation in green, orange and red routes all going to different parts of Shanghai. Just locate this bright red color bus stops to hop in.
A single person cost 30 Yuan for 24 hour ride. You will be given a card, route map and earphones.
Plug the earphones at the designated socket and you’re on your way for a well-educated history of Shanghai and the in-coming attraction location in your selected language.
You can hop in and out of the bus anytime (within 24 hours ) as long as you have the card with you. Do note that at every stops you’ll only be fed with announcement in Mandarin, so place close attention to the route map given so that you get off at the right stop.
Ask for route map in English. I can’t read Chinese. π
3. Stamp collector? Don’t send letters from Shanghai Pudong Airport.
If you’re someone like me who love to send letters back home for the stamps, don’t bother doing so at Shanghai Pudong Airport Terminal 2 post office. All you get is an ink stamping. I’m not sure about the post office in Shanghai city.
From my Beijing travel years back, I passed the letters to the hotel helpdesk so they can help me to post. Ended up with ink stamping too. Arghh!
4. Imported goods are more expensive in Shanghai
I went shopping at H&M, Forever 21, Gap, Uniqlo, etc in Shanghai and I noticed the prices are more expensive here than back home in Malaysia. For e.g. I bought a bag at H&M for 99 Yuan (which is over RM50 at current exchange rate) whereas the price of the bag in Malaysia is RM39.90 only.
But I also notice one thing, some clothes on display are different between the two countries. For example I can’t find the Gap bag which I bought in Shanghai in any of the Gap stores in Klang Valley. So it’s a lose-win situation when it comes to shopping. LOL
5. Fake Fashion
There are many places where you can shop for fake fashion in Shanghai. One of the place is at AP Plaza located inside Shanghai Science & Technology Museum Metro (line 2). One of our friends wanted to buy a super cheap bag and really she got such a good price for it. The price left me with gaping mouth for a good minute or two. But then the place is like a ghost market. I think we are one of the few tourists there.
That’s it. π
4 Comments
i managed to take metro during my last two days in Shanghai! pretty convenient to roam around π
and yup, imported goods are more expensive in China! we avoided shopping centres at all cost haha! good place for shopping is QiPu Road! the price is what wholesaler gets, even if you buy one piece, can try to negotiate too! we went nuts there ehehehehehe
Yes the metro is quite convenient.
Ahh I’ve heard of QiPu Road but didn’t go there. I bet I will go nuts like you too. Hahaha
The ink stamped is very common now….cheaper and quicker. The post offices here too uses it for everything unless you walk to the counter and tell them you want stamps, or you put your own stamps on the post cards/letters. You would think the airport at least place stamps on the post cards since it’s to a foreign destination π
I even asked the postal person whether he will place stamp on it and he said yes. Grrrr… must be lost in translation kua or maybe he consider ink stamp as stamp π
No it’s not the same for me hehehe