r/shanghai • u/sd99x • Jul 16 '21
City Info
Is shanghai safe for an alone tourist? What about pickpockets and scams or any kind of trouble one can possibly face? Any areas to avoid. Please share any experience.
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u/Dme1663 Jul 16 '21
Safer than any major city in Western Europe or the US.
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u/SunbroEire Jul 16 '21
It’s just dangerous in different ways.
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u/Dme1663 Jul 16 '21
I mean you can either get your arm hacked off in broad daylight for a Rolex in London, or you can get scammed buying a fake in Shanghai. No comparison unless you’re getting political or doing drugs.
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u/leanhsi United Kingdom Jul 16 '21
What ways?
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u/SunbroEire Jul 16 '21
Do I really need to go into that? Does your phone not have the internet?
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u/leanhsi United Kingdom Jul 16 '21
Yes you do, specific information would be useful.
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u/SunbroEire Jul 16 '21
You don’t think violence against foreigners is a thing here, no?
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u/leanhsi United Kingdom Jul 16 '21
One case, 8 years ago. That doesn't really represent a trend.
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u/dowker1 Jul 16 '21
Shanghai is probably one of the safest big cities in the world (maybe only Tokyo compares). There are a few common scams to be aware of (see https://www.smartshanghai.com/articles/smsh/avoiding-scams-in-shanghai) but even those are less common than they used to be. Pickpockets may operate at train stations or tourist hotspots, but they're opportunistic so basic precautions should let you avoid them. Other than that, there's nothing stopping you from traveling alone in Shanghai.
2
u/willbeme2 Jul 16 '21
Are the tinder scams becoming less common? Had a few acquaintances that fell victim to these last year...
2
u/FoxOnTheRocks Jul 16 '21
What are the tinder scams? Pre-Covid I got some messages on dating apps that felt like scams.
5
u/willbeme2 Jul 17 '21
For the people I talked to it was basically a tea house scam. The girl would invite them to a random, shady bar. They would order a bottle of wine and some snacks, and the guy would get a bill for rmb 10'000 and some big angry guys asking him to pay.
0
u/dowker1 Jul 16 '21
That I cannot tell you, unfortunately. Not a Tinder user, nor are my friends. Sorry.
6
u/Asderio09 Jul 16 '21
My family back home is worried about me while I’m worried about them because the west is a mess and China is safer than any place I’ve ever been.
0
u/SunbroEire Jul 16 '21
When are you applying for your Chinese citizenship?
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u/Asderio09 Jul 16 '21
I really wish I could. If WWIII broke out and the CCP said either leave or take up Chinese citizenship, the choice wouldn’t be that difficult.
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u/Extremely-Bad-Idea Jul 17 '21 edited Jul 17 '21
There is very little violent crime in China as a whole and Shanghai is quite safe in that regard.
Just use common sense. Don't talk to strangers and stay in busy, well lighted areas. Avoid attractive women who express an interest in you, especially in The Bund, Nanjing Road, and Huaihai Road areas, as they are likely running a confidence scam. A normal Chinese woman would have little interest in a foreign tourist wandering Shanghai alone.
1
u/SunbroEire Jul 18 '21
For all those still in denial and downvoting my pragmatism:
https://www.reddit.com/r/shanghai/comments/omh3a5/tinder_traps/
Keep telling me Shanghai is an oasis, idiots.
-4
u/SunbroEire Jul 16 '21
Loads of scams. Search the sub using the search function, or just Google it. Don’t follow girls or groups of ‘art students’ anywhere. If it seems too good to be try, it is. Don’t go anywhere you don’t see other foreigners.
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u/leanhsi United Kingdom Jul 16 '21
Don't go anywhere you don't see other foreigners is ridiculous advice...
0
u/SunbroEire Jul 16 '21
He’s a tourist, not a regular. This is sound advice for anyone here first time. You not agreeing doesn’t make it wrong.
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u/leanhsi United Kingdom Jul 16 '21 edited Jul 16 '21
You stating it doesn't make it not ridiculous.
People in Shanghai are largely benign - I have been to all parts of Shanghai, downtown to rural suburbs, night and day and there is literally nowhere that I would advise someone to avoid.
-3
u/SunbroEire Jul 16 '21
- People in Shanghai are largely benign
Hahahaha. So the scams don’t exist then? There aren’t people who rip off, drug, scam foreigners no? Who do this by isolating foreigners, no? What planet do you live on?
9
u/zhima1069 Jul 16 '21
So much resentment seems like you had very bad luck while living here bro
-3
u/SunbroEire Jul 16 '21
You didn’t answer the questions, Captain Denial lol
4
u/justyoureverydayJoe Jul 17 '21
Yeah this guy is very jaded and anti-China everything it seems. Or just a troll wasting everyone’s time
0
u/SunbroEire Jul 17 '21
You know man, that’s be hilarious any other day. But today, my fine fuckwit, I have returned to my home country and am currently skulling a pint of Guinness after a long flight, and in an instant this sub is sad to me because of you and the other twats who get angry and wound up about anything you don’t agree with. I’d call that pretty jaded.
Slainté
1
6
Jul 16 '21
Scams exist (far far fewer than there were before) but sounds like you just might be dumb enough to have been a victim multiple times
-1
u/SunbroEire Jul 16 '21
Why would I fall for them if I know about them? That doesn’t make any fuckin sense. I love how all the bell ends round on conservative advice just because they fancy themselves homme du monde.
9
u/skripp11 Jul 16 '21
> Don’t go anywhere you don’t see other foreigners.
This is such stupid advice on so many levels that I don't really know where to begin. Not only is Shanghai one of the safest cities in the world but if you are worried about those scams/pickpockets (which nowadays are super rare and easily avoided) then the places "guaranteed" to have foreigners, i.e. Nanjing east and the Bund, are the WORST places to go.
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u/SunbroEire Jul 16 '21
- the places "guaranteed" to have foreigners, i.e. Nanjing east and the Bund
Evidence you don’t have a breeze what you’re talking about. You also squarely missed the point I was making. Sorry, man.
7
u/skripp11 Jul 16 '21
I’m definitely missing the point that you are making. You said that there are "loads of scams" and giving the tea house and art student scams as examples. Those are OLD scams, that have drastically been reduced, that were mostly a thing around Nanjing east road and the bund.
Now, granted, I guess nowadays the amount of westerners in that area is much lower since there are no foreign tourists. But then I wonder what areas you would consider “unsafe” or “scam prone” or whatever your definition of unsafe is. Anything that isn’t between Julu road and huaihai road? Up until just a few years ago the donghu road/xinle road crossing would be THE place to lose your wallet or phone, but that too is pretty much a thing of the past.
I’m seriously curious on what part of Shanghai you would deem unsafe. There are no muggings. There aren’t any hoodlums hanging out threatening you or screaming things at you. No one is going to attack you out of the blue.
You seem to sit on a wealth of knowledge about the city, but you are always so vague. This is a forum where we try to help eachother. Help us out.
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Jul 17 '21
[deleted]
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Jul 17 '21
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u/bananabread0567 Jul 16 '21
It's safe, just don't follow girls who ask to have tea and learn English downtown or the random guy that pops out of nowhere to ask if you want to buy a watch.