Shanghai

Costing more than US$200 million, the vast Wusong International Cruise Terminal stands on the Puxi side of the Huangpu at a river bend. One of the world’s most advanced passenger terminals, it made Shanghai the first Chinese mainland city with berths for large international cruises. Its four-storey building covers cruise ticketing, waiting and customs, where immigration procedures take only 48 seconds. Other facilities cover 300,000m2, including shopping streets, hotels, offices, apartments and art centers, with the intention of creating something like a Xintiandi…

Free shuttles provided by the port drop passengers at Baoyang Road Station, where they can use the subway to continue their journey.

For public transport, take a taxi from the terminal to Baoyang Road Station and ride subway line 3 to SH Railway Station. There, change to line 1 for People's Square Station, then line 2 to East Nanjing Road Station before walking to the Bund.

The cruise terminal is roughly 50 minutes by road from Pudong Airport. Alternatively, use the Malev Train, travelling at 400+ km an hour, from Pudong and continue by cab.

Before Wusong opened, large ships could also use Waigaoqiao, 15 miles to the east.

Since January 30 2016, a 144-hour visa-exemption transit policy has applied in Shanghai for certain countries entering through certain domestic ports of entry.

Shanghai is currently China’s most used cruise port, closely followed by Hong Kong.

A vigorous, energetic international metropolis, Shanghai welcomes visitors from around the world to experience its particular atmosphere. This modern city combines a rich heritage of ancient Chinese culture with much to see and do.

The meaning of Shanghai is "Above the sea".

Shanghai’s modern symbol is the Oriental Pearl TV Tower. Beside the Huangpu River, it rises 468 meters (1536 feet), making it Asia’s tallest TV tower and the world’s third highest. This unusual skyline-dominating structure is a major tourist attraction.

Nanjing Road is regarded as China’s "No. 1 commercial street". Along its 5.5 kilometers (3.4 miles) are more than 600 shops, visited by an average of some 1.7 million people every day. Shoppers should not miss it.

Yuyuan Garden, Shanghai’s largest ancient garden, reflects Ming and Qing Dynasties architectural styles. Its six areas each have their own character, while the Grand Rockery at the Garden’s centre is its most renowned sight.

Shanghai Museum is a true treasure house of ancient Chinese art, holding 120,000 precious relics. Its collection is distinguished by bronzes, pottery, paintings and calligraphies. From above, it resembles a large Han Dynasty (206BC -220) bronze mirror; from a distance, a bronze Ding, the ancient cooking vessel evoking 5,000 years of Chinese civilisation.

The Bund is another unmissable sight, ideally visited shortly before sunset for the unusual spectacle of Shanghai turning on its lights. On the Huangpu River’s east bank, it offers bracing air, fine sunshine and views of river activity. New finance and commercial houses cluster along its south, while the west has grand European-style buildings from the nineteen-twenties, thirties and early forties. Marshal Chen Yi's statue overlooks the square, where lively musicians gather to play and…

Shanghai is very walkable, so there is little need for taxis.

Several hop on/hop off tours operate, and there is no better way to see Shanghai than taking one.

For getting around cities, taxis are generally the best choice: they are cheap and plentiful.

Taxi drivers broadly fall into three groups:

Avoid touts, who will charge a multiple of the proper fare; walk half a block and an honest cabbie should be available. The mechanics have built their own taximeters, with all the consequences that brings. Honest cabbies are now the clear majority (>90%) as the Chinese government clamps down on tourist mistreatment; the farther south you travel in China, the more honest people become. Insist that the meter is switched on, or get out.

Important: buy the latest available edition of any guide book for the town you plan to visit, since construction moves at an enormous pace and what exists today may not be there tomorrow. Ensure its maps show "english" and "chinese" characters so you and the cabdriver can communicate by pointing; cabdrivers speak only chinese.

Shanghai has hired the world’s best architects for its skyscrapers and made lighting an essential design element. From dusk until 10 p.m., when most lights are switched off to conserve energy, both sides of the riverfront become a wonderland. The Bund is lit neutrally, while Pudong glitters unlike any other major city. Buildings change colors, become light-art works or serve as gigantic billboards. Take a river cruise to see the spectacle.

Public transportation (MRT) is excellent. Every Shanghai MRT station has an English station name, and train announcements are also made in English.

For restroom needs, watch for upscale hotels, which can be useful places to use one.

After admiring Shanghai’s modern architecture and historic sites, visitors are further rewarded by nearby water towns such as Zhujiajiao and Qibao Ancient Town. Ancient houses cluster beside their rivers, and flagstone-paved roads and local flavours create another world that slows the pace and invites you to savour their traditions.

Called the 'Oriental Paris', Shanghai is a shopper’s paradise. Nanjing Road is a tourist must, Huaihai Road appeals to modern, fashionable tastes, and Sichuan North Road serves ordinary folk. Xujiahui Shopping Center, Yuyuan Shopping City and Jiali Sleepless City are also thriving, popular choices for finding a special memento.

When large department stores open each morning, loud communist party songs usually form the background music, changing after an hour or so to regular elevator tunes.

Every large tourist town has at least one shopping mall for westerners, often the only place to buy larger clothing sizes. They can be fun, but almost everything is fake and bargaining is hard. A quick approach is to show bills in your hand for the amount you will pay, then walk on; if the seller gestures you back, complete the deal. Always remain courteous.

Restaurants often cluster in particular city areas, identified by colourful decorations intended to attract customers. Walk past and seek out those patronised by chinese families. Most menus show pictures of dishes, while seafood is generally kept alive in large tanks. Eating out in China is a noisy, enjoyable feast with little etiquette. Drink only bottled water, including when brushing your teeth, and take common precautions when eating out.

The currency is the Yuan, or Renminbi RMB.

You may occasionally receive a counterfeit bill, usually in a small denomination. There is nothing to do about it, so keep it as a souvenir.

Internet provision is very well developed in China: even modest hotels almost all have WiFi in rooms, with Internet stations in public areas, often free or at a very modest charge. Facebook is blocked in China.

Wi-fi runs throughout the Shanghai MRT Metro, so you can continue talking or searching underground.

China’s emergency number is 110; Hong Kong and Macao use 999.

Stores appear to have no set opening hours and seem to stay open for as long as customers are present.

Chinese New Year, lasting about two weeks, is when all Chinese people travel and transportation can become very hectic.