Conflicting advice about Shanghai

[KhorTose]

Okay, I am going to Shanghai during the last week of April and the start of ay.  One person told me to stay around peoples square and the other told me to stay at the French concession area.  I have found acceptable hotels in both.  Some questions.  With the subway system does it matter where I stay>?  Which area has better or the most restaurants and malls?  I am planning to do historical sites, museums, etc., and my boyfriend just wants to go shopping (no surprise there).  Since I don't usually have a problem with subways and my BF does, the malls are probably the most important consideration.

If you have been in Shanghai, I need to know where to stay.  Oh, I am planning two day trips so need the South train Station, but no need to be within walking distance to it.

[Guest fountainhall]

I'd definitely stay nearer People's Square. You are much closer to most of what you want to see there than in the French Concession district. Apart from the Bund being nearby, People's Square has the Shanghai Museum - one of the finest in the world. It's reasonably close to the Yu Gardens complex. Although very touristy, that's a 'must see'. You are also near the Antiques Market, the site of the First Communist Party Congress and the very trendy 'in' district of Xintiandi with its many chic restaurants, cafes and shops. As for malls, they are everywhere! One of the best is in the block east of the Portman Ritz Carlton Hotel on Nanjing Xi Lu (Nanjing Road West). It's either Plaza 66 or Citic Square. I can't recall which, but they are just across from each other! Here's a list purported to be of the 10 best -

 

http://www.tour-beijing.com/blog/shanghai-travel/top-10-shopping-malls-in-shanghai/

 

If you are arriving or departing at/from Pudong Airport in daylight, do take the Maglev train. Your bf will be amazed at its 420 kph speed (you see it on the speed counters) and the 7 minutes or so it takes to Pudong. From the station it's easy to get a taxi over to the other side of the river. Just make sure you have your hotel name and address in Chinese characters as not many drivers speak any English (always have that with you, as well as the hotel phone number). The total cost will be less than a taxi directly from the airport.

 

If you have clear days/nights, you might want to go up to the bar at the top of the Grand Hyatt in Pudong where you get a fabulous view over the city. Also, if you are flush with some cash, dine at an amazing restaurant on the Bund called M on the Bund. This is Australian fusion cuisine at its very finest. The building is situated on the 7th floor of an old renovated building with a lovely terrace right on the Bund. Michelle Garnaut who owns and runs the restaurant has done a fabulous job. When she opened in 1999, everyone said she'd never succeed. It's now one of Asia's really great restaurants. Best to reserve to make sure of getting in.

 

http://www.m-restaurantgroup.com/mbund/about-us.html

 

If you like spicier food, try Pin Chuan in Plaza 66. It's a lovely Szechuan restaurant - but they will tailor the spiciness to your request.

 

http://www.pinchuan-china.com/pc/

 

But like shopping malls, there are restaurants all over the city to suit all tastes and all budgets. I can't say that for the shopping, though, as all the brand name stuff is pricier than somewhere like Hong Kong. There are markets for fake goods, but you'll have to ask around if you want to see what's on offer.

 

The city has several subway lines and all are marked in English as well as Chinese. They are packed at rush hour - but then so are the roads. Navigating the subway is really not that difficult as long as you make sure you are getting out at the right exit.

 

If you haven't booked a hotel, check out the thread I posted yesterday under Gay China - "Shanghai Luxury Hotel: Travelzoo Discount Offer". At A$125 per night (including breakfast and taxes), it's a really good deal for Shanghai. You are close to a subway station and not far from both People's Square and the French concession.

[pong]

Just read somewhere- and already forgot where, that this FR concession area is THE ''pink triangle'' of Shanghai or-for that matter, the whole of mainland CHina. From what I myself remember avoid that area aorund Renmin- overcrowded, only enormous shops and giant masses and high prices. Subway has enormously expanded last 2 years and is grwoing as fatest in this world- network maps in urbanrail.net. The areas that khun FH mentions- its merely a 2-3 stop ride on that overcrowded subway anyway- does 2-3 mins really count? You go there once- see it and thats done. In fact SH has very, very few remarkable sights- (a European is not easily impressed by hyet some more''classsic architecture''- its most impressing sight (as the word says- to see) is the nighttime coloured lighting of the Pudong area across from the river.

Compared to TH-or even HKG for that matter, shopping in mainland CHina is likely to be disappointing-unless you/he is after the usual cheap tourist nicknacks. The quality pieces are only for export. There are not really such giant malls as we have here in BKK-and those that are, are by logic conclusion-as there was no room for them- in faraway suburbia, 20/30 mins on the subway out. CARREFour-yes, its still there! and WALMART dominate that scene. Maybe this now also explains why those mainland Chinese come here to BKk for-well, right; SHOPping!

[Guest fountainhall]

I have to disagree with pong. Shanghai's malls may not be quite as large as BKK's Paragon, but many are as big as their counterparts in Hong Kong, and to suggest that all that is available is sub-standard merchandise is totally wrong. All the big brand names are in Shanghai including some that are not yet in Hong Kong (because they cannot afford the enormous rentals there)! Prices are certainly higher than in Hong Kong (where there is no VAT or sales tax) but surely it depends how much you want an item and whether you're prepared to fly to HKG to get it more cheaply? And would international tourists really go to Shanghai to visit a Carrefour or a Walmart? I frankly doubt it!

 

I also disagree about Shanghai having "very few remarkable sights." I don't know when pong was last there, which parts of the city he has visited and how many times he has visited, but on my regular trips I find it one of the most interesting and exciting cities in Asia. But then, I like history and part of the fascination of Shanghai is the role it has played in China's history over the last 200 or so years.

 

And as for the French Concession being the heart of a Pink Triangle, that's the first I've heard of it! I've looked it up on the web and all I can see is one mention in respect of an art gallery (but even that gets the name of Sun Yat Sen's widow Soong Ching Ling wrong)!

 

And yes, the subway is one of the fastest growing anywhere. But not much has changed in the centre of the huge city which is where the OP will be spending most of his time. The bulk of the development has been outside the centre - as in BKK.

 

PS: Pong - can you please instruct the moderators to change the title of your thread

JAPAN; Tokyo - Shibuya ni-chome. As you'll know, that was a slip and it should be Shinjuku ni-chome. Jomtien has said he cannot change any title without the OP's agreement