City guide
Shanghai for first-time visitors
The most international city in China. A great entry point — good transport, English signage on the metro, and a mix of everything.
Neighbourhoods worth knowing
Where to spend your time, and why.
The Bund & Huangpu
Colonial grandeur meets modern skyline
French Concession
Tree-lined streets, cafés, boutiques
Xintiandi
Restored shikumen lanehouses, bars and restaurants
Yu Garden (Yuyuan)
Classical gardens, traditional bazaar
Jing'an
Luxury retail, Jing'an Temple, modern neighbourhood
Tianzifang
Arts and crafts maze in narrow alleys
Practical things to know
The stuff that actually matters day-to-day.
Getting around
Shanghai Metro is excellent. Use Alipay or WeChat to pay. Download the Metro app for line maps in English. Taxi and DiDi both work well — DiDi supports English.
Eating
Street-level noodle shops (lamian, xiaolongbao) are ¥15–30 per meal. Mid-range restaurants ¥80–150. Google Maps is blocked — use Dianping (Chinese Yelp) or ask your hotel.
Paying
QR codes everywhere. Alipay is king. Major tourist sites and malls accept foreign cards. Small street vendors are QR-code-only.
Internet
VPN needed for Google, Instagram, WhatsApp. Local WiFi is fast. SIM cards available at Pudong airport arrivals hall — bring your passport.
Staying
International chain hotels near The Bund or People's Square are reliable and legally accept foreign passports. Confirm before booking budget hotels or apartments.
Language
Young people in tourist areas often have basic English. Outside those zones, use Baidu Translate (camera translation is excellent). Download it before you go.
Local tip
The thing most guides don't mention
Shanghai has an incredible food scene that has nothing to do with Michelin stars. The best xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) are in line-only basement restaurants on Huanghe Lu. Order with points — the staff understand. A meal for two costs ¥60.
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