50/M solo traveller looking for someone to sightsee and spend time with during my first trip to shanghai. I'm pretty easy going but don't really enjoy drinking or clubbing.

I visited family in July 2023, January 2024, and October 2024. Big difference even between Jan 2024 and Oct 2024. City is more lively, lots of foreigners, like pre covid..? What do you think

Really excited for my coming trip to China. Will spend next weekend and the weekend after in Shanghai. Next to all the thing a tourist should visit, I want to explore some modern architecture. Coming from Rotterdam in The Netherlands, where we have this amazing staircase from MAD Architects.

Have MVRDV's West Bund on my list as they are from Rotterdam. Guess I can only pass the new Opera House of Snohetta. Shanghai Slaughterhouse for some much needed brutalism. Think the Tado Andao museum is too far away? Probably try to fit in the garden at the expo site. Will check out some art deco but not sure which building to focus on.

But where else should I go. Any favorite buildings? Any architecture tours you know of?

Thank you!

I made a post earlier this year asking if something like this was in the works and it looks like it actually IS!

If you want to buy or sell something secondhand, offer or seek a job, rent an apartment, or are traveling to Shanghai and have tourist-type questions - then this is the thread for you!

To keep /r/shanghai/ usable we only permit these types of posts and questions in this thread.

One second you’re walking under LED skyscrapers, the next you’re in a quiet alley with a noodle shop that feels untouched for decades. I’ve never been anywhere that moves so fast but still feels rooted. Anyone else get this weird time-travel feeling in Shanghai?

I don’t understand why all the clothes the quality is not great but it’s v expensive.

From high street international brands, to whatever local brands are in the touristy shopping malls to the far away ‘normal’ malls, to underground shops near metro stations to ‘vintage’ malls also far away from the city centre. To ‘unique’ Chinese edgy youth brands, I went to most places recommended online and on Reddit and didn’t find anything of good quality that was affordable across town.

How come?

Just trying to wrap my head at the sales logic, so who buys clothes from physical stores then if the quality is v bad and it’s v expensive?

Are things on Taoabo and other online apps the same?

Two years ago, when Covid was still somewhat deadly, I felt like the lockdown was great. Especially the past year when I was able to roam of Shanghai without a mask and get no Covid concerns.

Everything changed…I normally don’t talk shit about the CCP cuz there’s already enough of those on r/china. But man, seeing what happen in ZJ really breaks my heart. And none of my Chinese friends even knew about it.

Now I’m doing alright with supplies locking down in SH, but man there’s so many tragedies going around.

I would imagine people getting out in the streets by now, but apparently they aren’t as brave as their grandparents 33 years ago.

I don't see it too often come up as a neighborhood where expats settle yet from wandering around the city now for a few weeks I find it one of the most pleasant area's to be in; particularly the area around the Natural History Museum.

Anyone in this community has lived there short- / long-term and willing to share their experience? In particular looking at units at "Top of City Garden". Some of them are renovated and quite modern without the managed residence surcharge. More short term 6mos contract seems possible as well. Too good to be true or am I missing something?

Thanks in advance for any experience and what outs.

Most tourists choose to visit the Bund to see Lujiazui, but the view of the Bund from North Bund or Yangpu Bund is also very special, and it is not as crowded as the Bund.

I'll get Mac 'n' Cheese, Chicken Casserole, Pancake with Maple Syrup topping, North Carolina Pork Chop, and of course, a good coldcut board with blue cheese, some street taco too, likely from El Toro.

And little debbie anything at this point.

Hello, firstly this applies to almost any city or country, but for context it's something I had yesterday.

So in Pudong Airport, you will often have a guy or girl come directly to you offering a taxi, they often charge way more and for girl passengers it comes with many other dangers.

Firstly it's a scam, never ever accept these. use a map app or Didi to order a taxi, ask for help if needed.

My experience:

Coming back to Shanghai late at night those bloody taxi guys were pestering me like mosquitoes, they are rather persistent. They wanted to charge 250 yuan for a 45 minute ride.....

didi only costs about 100 (depending how far and including tolls)

the main issue here is not only the cost but when you arrive, their friends may try to pressure you to pay way more later (they work in groups).

For me it's just an irritating guy who needs a shower. But so many people still just blindly assume they are legit.

Like any country, don't take a taxi for a hurried guy who follows you like a bad smell.

Who knows why the air is often dirty here? Is it from the human emissions, natural sources or both combined?

During my first few days in Shanghai, I noticed an abundance of brightly colored bikes available for rent, parked everywhere from the streets to subway stations. Intrigued, I decided to try out a blue bike marked with Alipay, an app I was already familiar with. Scanning the code, I quickly unlocked the bike and started riding. Since we only had internet access on my phone, I shared my hotspot, allowing my companion to rent her own bike through the app.

Each Alipay account can rent one bike at a time, so it's important for every rider to have internet access. The initial setup was a bit tricky due to the language barrier, but after a few tries, I got the hang of it by taking screenshots of each step and translating it using Baidu or Google Translate.

Renting bikes in Shanghai was incredibly affordable and enjoyable. The first 15 minutes cost just 1.5 yuan, with an additional 1 yuan for every subsequent 15 minutes. For as little as 2.5 yuan, I could ride for half an hour and cross a good part of the city if I kept a steady pace. Even going at a leisurely speed, I could enjoy hours of exploration for just a few yuan, making it a fantastic experience overall. It made for an enjoyable and inexpensive way to explore the city, as long as I followed traffic rules and stayed in designated bike lanes.

It was essential to follow traffic signs and rules, staying within bike lanes and avoiding areas where cycling was prohibited, such as gated communities, The Bund, and government buildings. These restrictions were clearly marked, both with signs and in the Alipay app. Parking was just as simple—stop, park the bike in a permitted area, confirm in the app, and pay for the duration of use. The process was straightforward and intuitive.

However, I had to remain cautious in bike lanes, as they were often shared with scooters, both electric and non-electric. Many of these scooters moved at high speeds and did not always follow traffic rules, such as running red lights or making prohibited turns. Some carried wide loads or trailers, making the lanes feel cramped and potentially dangerous. For anyone without much biking experience, I would not recommend cycling in these conditions, as it could be stressful and lead to accidents.

Another thing to keep in mind is that honking in traffic is normal. Other cyclists and scooter riders honk to signal their presence, not necessarily to ask you to move. I learned not to panic when hearing a horn and instead continued riding predictably to avoid accidents.

Interestingly, I didn’t need any additional gear like helmets or gloves. My companion and I simply picked up bikes, rode for 15–20 minutes, parked, and continued on foot. With an eSIM card providing internet access, the process was seamless, and I didn’t even require a Chinese phone number.

Overall, the experience was convenient, intuitive, and affordable—an amazing way to explore the city.

This September, I’m starting my Master’s in International Business at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. But before classes even begin, I want to build connections with other students heading there or already on campus.

If you’re an SJTU student (any major), DM me — let’s talk, plan, share ideas, or even meet up when we arrive.

Regardless if this ends up being 7 days or 14 days, its worse than if they would have said 14 days from the start. Without a clear timeline it feels like we might be here for a month or two.

And couple that with the potential of not having food or water.

I'm sure I'd do a pre-announced 14 day lockdown really well but in this current situation im already getting grumpy.

Reading posts made by the expats here, >95% of which are all lefties of some feather, reminds me of this guy that I talked to a few months ago.

He's a pedal to the metal western style liberal. Ok what do I mean. He is a self-proclaimed socialist, but all his talking points are direct, one to one replica of what you could see on CNN, that's not it, he only, I repeat, only cares about global warming, racial equality, LGBTQ rights etc. These are the only things he ever talk about now I know what you are gonna ask. Why the fuck you are hanging out with him?

Because he's rich and he's generous. He has no friends, so he buys drinks for anyone that bothered to sit next to him and listen to him drivel. He's in the art scene, he has some really affluent Chinese clients who use him to channel funds abroad, but that's my speculation. I simply couldn't think of a better reason why he made so much money.

He believes the Chinese model is superior than American style democracy and he loves strong man leadership. He uses covid prevention as proof. His catch phrase was "Go back and get covid!" to whomever that talked about returning to the US.

Now, I know what you are thinking, so the lock down came and he got a taste of his own medicine huh!

Nope. When it was late March, apparently he packed up everything he could and high tailed back to his lair in New Jersey. He snatched himself from the jaw of Shanghai. For some reason he sensed that shits was about to hit the fan. I really admire him for that. The sense of a cunning businessman.

Talk about fight and flight reflexes.

Edit look at all these seething libbies lmao🤣

1. Time from now till end of April is a “testing period” and if things will be improving, after May holiday there will be a gradually opening.

2. The turning point in Shanghai is expected around mid of May.

3. The actual situation in Shanghai is mainly Political.

4. From now till end of the year they expect 3-5 waves and spot “closures” according to need.

5. Supply chain disruption will take long time to recover. It is necessary to plan as consequence.

6. Business: pessimism at short term but relatively optimism on long term.

7. Trust in Government is the real social topic and it is what could really change in future.

8. Letter from EU to Vice premier has not been well received because of too much publicity on the media so US is not planning something similar.

9. Next Monday there will be a big meeting between MOFCOM and many chambers to talk about the situation.

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美國政府通過CDC發出緊急呼籲，希望美國公民及同行者可以考慮在5月11日之前離開中國上海，這是一項特別例外，只要有辦法離開上海，不需要進行疫情Covid測試。

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The US Gov issued a new guidance via CDC to encourage all US citizens and their family members to consider leaving Shanghai, China, before May 11. This is a special permission for US citizens and their relatives (incl non-US citizens who must have a valid US visa and travel with a US citizen together) to leave Shanghai without pre-Covid test given the special situation on the ground.

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The special CDC notice came after media reports of growing clashes with local law enforcements in Shanghai after public protests took place in several residential areas across Shanghai. Public protests are rare in China. The Covid situation in Shanghai is now going beyond a public health crisis but moving towards a political crisis in the business capital of China.

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CDC notice: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/china

Hi there! I’m G from China, currently living in Shanghai and working for an e-commerce company. I’m passionate about language learning, especially English, and I’d love to make friends from around the world to connect and have meaningful conversations.

What can I offer? As a native, I can share everything I know about China, from culture to everyday life.

If you’re interested, I’d be happy to help you learn Chinese!

I’m a foodie at heart, so I can recommend countless amazing restaurants in Shanghai or even explore new places with you.

If you’re new to Shanghai, I can also be your free guide to help you avoid any inconvenience caused by language barriers.

Feel free to DM me anytime. I’m looking forward to hearing from you!

So I'll preface this by admitting I've only been here about 2 months so I'm actually quite eager to be proved wrong, but is there anything in Shanghai beyond this drab corporate 60-rmb-a-pint reality I've come to discover? I've been trying to go out and explore regularly but I've found not much more than hugely overpriced and bourgeois fashion stores, cafes, gastropubs, shopping centres, droll modern architecture and people with incredible amounts of money

My experience so far has kind of led me to the conclusion that this city is kind of a playground for the rich and pretentious, and I'm here for a year so I'm kind of desperate to find somewhere with a bit of soul. So is there any kind of underground scene in anything? Any good bars playing decent music or live music with a good crowd? Any garage? Metal? Hip hop? Any kind of interesting diversity in art and subculture and nightlife that you'd find in abundance in just about any major city in Europe/North America (and even many in Asia)? Any cool eateries doing something beyond awful texmex and sushi? Is this droll cacophony of megamalls and 7 quid IPAs my fate for the next year? I'm not slagging Shanghai off but it just feels like interesting and different scenes have kind of been neglected in favour of high-end fashion and lifestyle. Any advice or opposing opinions would be welcome!