I travel to China several times a year mainly for fun but also to check out hotels and new tourist attractions for my book. The following information is not in my 2002 book. 

The following items are dated with the month the information was obtained. Everything is subject to change but this should give you a good idea of what to expect. Please also look at our collection of photos from some of these places.

Vertical Layout Slides   -   Landscape Layout Slides

The last time this page was updated was 02/19/08

Back to the Updates Index

Shanghai

Xiangyang Market, the favourite street market of tourists for name-brand knock-offs has closed, alas.

But its vendors have not died.  You just have to look harder for them.  -- RLM. January, 2007.  

This partially-completed travel guide to Shanghai gives you a wide range of recommended hotel, hotel reviews, and links to web-sites that show discounts and packages. You can compare these prices with those offered by hotel booking web-sites like Travelocity.com , Expedia.com , and www.eLong.net , etc.

If you want cheaper accommodations, this guide also tells you where to find rooms for less than Y150 or US$20 a night or beds in hostels for less than US$10. Because of endemic traffic jams, it lists the distances from hotels to nearby metro/subway stations, nearby tourist attractions and restaurants so you don’t waste time sitting in road traffic. You can expect extreme delays from 7:30am to 9:30am and 4:30pm to 7:30pm. Ferries mentioned might make your travels easier. We hope to save you time deciding where to stay too.

Since I’m not trying to sell anything but information and get no commissions from any of these places, these reviews are unbiased. I do love this city and hope you will too. I have stayed personally in most of these hotels and as a result, have experienced their strengths and weaknesses – like quality of English, convenience of ATM, and in-room safes that are too small for lap-top computers.

You can pretty well count on top quality service and top prices in five-star hotels, but not the three stars or the cheaper hotels and hostels. I have tried to give all hotel names and a few names of destinations in Chinese pin yin with telephone numbers so you can tell a driver where you want to go. Taxi drivers frequently have cell phones and can call your destination for directions.

This short guide also gives some prices, directions and telephone numbers of a few recommended stores, restaurants and tourist attractions so you can decide how much money to budget for your trip. Hotel e-mail service is very expensive and below you can find an internet bar that charges only Y6 an hour. Listed are also such items as the price of downloading your camera’s memory card to a CD. Below also gives you the name, addresses, hours and web-sites (where available) of some restaurants and shopping places within a kilometre of these hotels. And the address where Americans who lose a passport can get another one.

This guide will even tell you where you can swim with sharks and the hours of some tourist attractions.

You can find current and future information about the city such as plans for Expo 2010 and its new subway lines in such web-sites as: http://www.expo2010china.com/expo/english/eu/ .

This information is free for you to use (but not copy as your own) in the hope that you will buy our electronic guide book on Beijing. If I ever get the time, I hope to expand it into a full electronic guide book, but then it wouldn’t be available for free. In most cases now, I have done the research personally on the spot in Shanghai in 2004 and 2005 and have tried to update hotel room prices and other information in 2006. I hope to get back to Shanghai in 2007 to update and expand this information some more. In the meantime, if you go to Shanghai, I would appreciate hearing about your experiences and suggested corrections.

Do be aware that everything is subject to change including the value of the Chinese yuan and the weather. To find the current approximate equivalent in US dollars, click on www.Google.com  and search: “US dollars in Chinese yuan” or “150 Chinese yuan in US dollars” or “Chinese yuan in Euros” or whatever. It works like magic.

For a five-day weather forecast in Shanghai, click on: http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/5day.shtml?world=2577  or the Shangri-La Pudong web-site.

In early 2006, one U.S. dollar was around eight Chinese yuan, so divide these Chinese prices by eight.

Warning: Shanghai has two airports about an hour by taxi apart if all goes well. See below.

Note: Dong means East, Nan means South, Xi means West, Bei means north, and Zhong means Central. Subway lines 1,2, 3 and 4 are now operating. Subway is Cheng Ti.

Hotels:
Shanghai has many more good hotels and restaurants than are listed. For some visitors to China, it is just a big busy place to avoid. I find it full of unique Chinese and European history, and rich in old and new architecture and culture. It has great food, beautiful scenes, and friendly people. The shopping is the best in China.

Shanghai is getting ready to host the World Expo in 2010 when the whole city should be at its sparkling best. It is building a lot of new hotels so look for introductory bargains when these first open. There will be a new Meridien, another Howard Johnson, Four Seasons, Shangri-La, Conrad, Regent, and Sheraton among those opening within the next couple of years. There will also be a couple Hyatts, and among the lower-priced hotels, a Days Inn, Super 8, and Holiday Inn Expresses.

Most hotels add a 10 to 15% surcharge on their rooms and food prices – though some hotels are now quoting net prices. Do check this when you get a price.
I recommend all hotels here but do keep in mind their star-rated categories. A four-star is not as good as a five star. An international five-star is usually better than a domestic five-star and is the best available. I have chosen these hotels mainly because I have had a chance to stay in most of them myself. More details and more hotels are in my China Guide, published in 2002 and updated here. Web-sites are mentioned so you can get more information and then book directly if you want.

All hotels of three to five stars accept international credit cards. All five star and most four star hotels have non-smoking rooms. Many of the expensive hotels have booths at the Pudong Airport but not at the Hongqiao Airport. (I’ll do that when I have time.) If you arrive without a reservation, or want a ride to a hotel without the hassle of waiting in a taxi queue, someone there should be able to help. Many hotels have cheaper weekend rates when their business clients go home to Beijing, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japan. Three, four and five-star hotels have hair salons, gyms, coffee shops with western as well as Asian food, IDD, hair driers, and business centres. All hotels have safe deposit boxes in their reception areas and the four and five stars have them in guest rooms.

Security is best in five-star hotels where some hotels keep records of the time anyone enters its guest rooms. Some require room key cards for using elevators. Some of these hotels will not put through telephone calls to your room at night without your permission. And all hotels should require that anyone entering your room after 11pm or so must be registered with the hotel. This is not necessarily enforced in lower-starred hotels. Some but not all hotels include breakfast in their room rate. Do ask when you make a reservation.

Good five-star hotels might give you extras. The Shangri-La’s have given me a cake on my birthday. Some hotels have cocktail parties once a month for long-stay guests. All have special decorations and food at festivals like the Spring Festival, Halloween, Moon Festival, American Thanksgiving, and Christmas. All have live music. All can arrange for you to play golf.

Five stars don’t usually mention nearby subway stations in their literature because their clientele “all” arrive by taxi or limousine. However, I mention these so those who want to can avoid traffic jams by hopping on a subway. Taking a taxi after the subway ride outside of congested areas should get you to your destination more quickly. Queues for taxis are especially difficult to get between 5pm and 7pm. It is not just people trying to get home or out to dinner. It’s also because taxi drivers are changing shifts and only want fares that take them in the direction of their terminals.

International flights and some domestic flights use Pudong International Airport. Hongqiao Airport services mainly domestic flights. Both have buses to other nearby cities like Nanjing, Hangzhou, Suzhou, etc. Cheap airport shuttle buses can take you to different parts of the city and some of these are listed under Pudong International Airport below. Look for signs in English at both airports about these buses.

You might want to choose a hotel close to whichever airport you will be using. Most hotels even on the Pudong side are closer to the Hongqiao airport. See Airports below.

I mention breakfast prices in case these are not included in the room price -- which they frequently are. Except where mentioned, all these hotels have someone with good English on duty at all times. It is cheaper to leave extra luggage at hotels to which you will be returning rather than at the airport Left Luggage depot. Hotels do not charge.

Shanghai is basically divided into the newer, less crowded Pudong on the east side of the Huangpu River, and the older Puxi on the west side. Try to book a hotel on the side where you want to go between 8am and 10am and 4:00pm to 7:30pm. Getting through the tunnels and over the river bridges is very difficult at that time. The subways can also be very crowded then, but they do move.

The Bund-Nanjing Road-People’s Square area. (In Chinese, People’s Square is Renmin Guanchang). This area is the best for shoppers, tourists and some business people. The Bund is the waterfront area with its famous 19th century European buildings, beautifully lit up every evening. Nanjing Dong Road has a pedestrian-only area lined with specialty stores and department stores, a pleasant place to visit. The huge People’s Square is at the west end of this pedestrian area and used to be a race track. It has patches of greenery and open pavement where the locals dance and do tai ji exercises every morning from 6am to 8am. This Square also has the famous Shanghai Museum, Grand Theatre, City Hall, and Urban Planning Exhibition Center.

In this area or close to it, the best hotels for service, good English and luxury hardware are the Four Seasons, JW Marriott, Portman Ritz-Carlton, and Westin – every one of which would rival the best hotels in London, New York and Paris. Among the old-style domestic hotels here are the five-star Peace and the one-star Aster/Pujiang, both recommended (with some reservations about quality).

Among the good four-star hotels in this area are the Sofitel, the Howard Johnson or Radisson, the Ramada Plaza and the Central in descending order of quality. There is a Jinjiang Inn and YMCA not too far away. The Seagull, Peace and Aster are on the waterfront.

There are lots of restaurants of various prices. The Meilongzhen/West Gate Mall near the JC Mandarin and Portman has a good food court in its basement for those wanting less expensive fare. Another convenient food court is on the 6th floor of Raffles City in between Fuzhou and Nanjing Dong Road on the east side of Xizang/Tibet Road across from People’s Square. Look first at what you want and find out the price. These food courts require that you pay ahead of time at a cashier for tickets. After you point at what you want and give the cook your ticket, he or she might motion for you to sit down. Your food might arrive at your table or you might have to get back up and get it. At Raffles City in 2004, dishes cost between Y10 and Y30 each. Near the JC Mandarin and the Portman is a Park N Shop supermarket in the West Gate Mall, at 1038 Nanjing Xi Road. Open 8:30am (side door) to 10pm. You can also find supermarkets in department stores.

Almost next door to the west of the Sofitel is a new plaza with an outdoor band stand – making Central Hotel and Howard Johnson’s more open to this pedestrian mall. The Howard Johnson looks very good and the Central ( www.centralhotelshanghai.com  ) is okay for those looking for four star domestic standards and prices in a great location. There is sufficient English spoken there but I have not stayed here so can’t comment on the service.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Summary
From east to west along Nanjing Dong Road or close by it are the Aster/Pujiang and Seagull Hotels almost at the waterfront, the Peace across Zhongshan Road, and to the south the Westin. Back on Nanjing Dong Road is the Henan Zhong Road subway stop. The Sofitel is on Nanjing Dong Road next to the plaza and behind it the Central Hotel and the Howard Johnson. Then, closer to the end of the pedestrian mall, the Ramada Plaza.

Across Xizang /Tibet Road on the right is the Radisson, and on the left at the west end of People’s Square with its subway stations (no. 1 and no. 2 lines), is the JW Marriott. Beyond that on the left on a side street is the Four Seasons, but back to Nanjing Xi Road is the Meilongzhen Restaurant and the Shimen Road subway stop on the No. 2 line, then the JC Mandarin and the Shanghai Exhibition Centre on the left and the Portman Ritz Carlton on the right in the Shanghai Centre. This distance from the river to the Shanghai Centre is about six kilometres.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A cheap internet bar near the Sofitel Hotel is described below.

The following are listed roughly according to price with the highest first.

The five-star JW MARRIOTT SHANGHAI is on floors 38 to 60 at Tomorrow Square, 399 Nanjing Xi Road, 200003. Tel. 5359-4969. Fax: 6375-5797. Web-site: http://marriott.com/property/propertypage/SHAJW  . This hotel has an ATM in its lobby and a handy Ferrari showroom on its ground floor. It is a few meters from People’s Square (subway exit no. 11) and the Nanjing Dong Road pedestrian mall on the other side of the park. It is surrounded by restaurants, and is around the corner from an interesting pet and flower market. It is also about a 15-minute walk to Shanghai Centre.
Rooms start at Y1900 in July, 2006 and Y2170 in September, 2006.

I found myself one summer sitting in its 38th floor lobby bar, cooling off from the 38 C heat outside with ginger and green tea ice cream and a glass of ice water in a long narrow amusing vessel that tilted like the tower of Pisa. Yes, it was water and the glass did lean. Between the many skyscrapers with their roofs pointed like many pencils and pyramids, I could see the Huangpu River, and beyond it, the Jin Mao Tower with the Grand Hyatt on top. A large expanse of greenery in People’s Square lay below surrounded by the daily traffic 4:30pm gridlock. Here in this fancy hotel high above it all, it was heavenly.

Rooms have anti-fog bathroom mirrors, Asian touches and are no smaller than 38 square meters. They have a rack of tea bags in summer and flowers in winter – a lovely idea. My single had a king-size bed with five fluffy white pillows to sleep on if I wished. A live plant decorated the desk.
The Marriott has a 24-hour health club with a 25 meter-long sky-lit indoor pool. At breakfast, two people hovered over me to help at the buffet tables. It had pancakes with real maple syrup among it many dishes – a nostalgic touch for Canadians like me and gourmets. Its 24-hour business centre has the Herald Tribune, USA Today, and the South China Morning Post. It can seat 500 people at a sit-down banquet. Wireless access is in all public areas, lobbies, fifth floor meeting rooms and business centre. High speed internet access is in all guest rooms.  In-room check-in (currently for 75% of guests, should be 100% in approx one month’s time). It has a “Virtual Concierge.” Guests can go onto its web-site www.marriott.com  to request certain services prior to their arrival, like babysitting, limousine etc with prices etc already listed. Then the hotel will issue a confirmation to the guest via e-mail.

The five-star WESTIN SHANGHAI (Wes-i-tin Dafandian) is at Henan Zhong Road, Zai Wai Tun Zhong Xin, Bund Center, 88 Henan Zhong Road, 200002. Tel. 6335-1888. Fax 6335-2888. Web-site: www.westin.com/shanghai  . This luxury hotel is three blocks from the Bund and its trendy restaurants. Two ATMs are on its ground floor. It is the closest international hotel to Yuyuan Garden. It is attached to an office complex. Opened in May, 2002 with 50 floors, it is the highest structure in the Bund area of Puxi at 198 meters. Its tower is topped by a distinctive and easy-to-spot gold crown.

In 2006, it had a weekend package for Y1905 that included buffet breakfast for two, and free upgrade to Crown Deluxe room.

The most popular dishes in its Italian restaurant Prego include calamari for Y75, fegato d’oca for Y108, lasagne for Y98, grigliata mista di pesce for two (grilled seafood) for Y398, tira misu for Y45, and bomba (turnover pizza) ham and mushrooms for Y85. I had the Y180 ossobuco which was perfect, so tender it fell apart. You usually have to book a week in advance for its champagne Sunday brunch and it provides a play area and a gift pack then for children under 12. It claims the largest selection of Grappa in the Asia-Pacific region.

Its pool has underwater music. Its lobby is contemporary modern with glass sculptures and ceiling and 14 real palm trees. It looks like it was made for spectacular fashion shows -- with a lighted staircase that changes color. It has a gallery of contemporary art on its 5th floor. Wireless internet access is available throughout the hotel and broadband in all rooms. Its new all-executive tower will have a 24-hour executive lounge when it opens in September, 2006 and plasma televisions. Its total rooms will then be 570.

Rooms have bathtubs beside windows and guests have to be warned that the glass is not one-way. You can be seen from outside. Every room in the club floor has a fax, ergonomic chair and DVD player. All light switches react to the touch slowly and gracefully.

This hotel has a 24-hour fitness centre. It has one of the most beautiful spas in town. It is operated by the Banyan Tree group of Thailand, five different areas with five different colour schemes, each representing one of the elements. Web-site: www.banyantree.com  . Its 20-meter L-shaped pool has underwater music and its gym has a couple dozen exercise machines.

The five-star PORTMAN RITZ-CARLTON (Po Ter Man Jiu Dian -- in Chinese) is at 1376 Nanjing Xi Road, 200040. Tel. 6279-8888.Web-site:  www.Ritz-carlton.com   . E-mail: reservation@ritzcarlton.com.cn . This hotel is in between the Shi Men Yi Road and Jing An Si subway stations, both about 10 minutes walk away. Its location in the Shanghai Centre is very convenient because it has travel agents, art galleries, several consulates, offices, and apartments. A company of the Shanghai Acrobats performs in its theatre. In the neighbourhood are boutiques, three huge up-market shopping malls, and a wide range of restaurants and bars. It is across the street from the JC Mandarin Hotel and the back entrance to the huge Soviet – style Shanghai Exhibition Centre.

Room prices in March, 2006 start at Y1880 and in September, 2006 Y2380.

This hotel has a 24-hour business centre and a technology butler who can help with computer problems. Wireless access is in all its public areas. Its elegant spa can give acupressure, aromatherapy, and reflexology massages. There are squash and racquetball courts. The staff slogan is “Ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen.”

You don’t have to leave the property to get most things you need, a plus in bad weather when you can get your exercise in its indoor and outdoor pools or its 24-hour 50-piece gym with its good fitness program. It also has an upscale boutiques, bank with ATM, and its own excellent restaurants (Chinese, Japanese, Italian, and Western). Its food prices reflect its quality. For example, its Dom Perignon Sunday Lunch in its Palladio restaurant offers Chef de Cuisine Giovanni Terracciano's six-course menu paired with Dom Perignon 1996.  Priced at Y668 per person, this includes two glasses of Champagne, and Y888 per person including a bottle of Dom Perignon Champagne for two guests. This is served from 11:30am to 2:30pm.

I like staying in this 578-room hotel also because the rooms near the top are a very big 47 square meters. Other rooms are 37 square meters. Its new rooms have Italian marble from the entrance to the bathroom. They have 32-inch LCD television screens with 40 channels and a DVD player. All rooms have broadband access.

Its huge covered driveway can be a bit overwhelming. It is like a monumental Roman building.

The five-star FOUR SEASONS HOTEL( Si Ji Jiudian) is at 500 Weihai Road. Tel. 6256-8888. Fax 6256-5678. Web-site: www.fourseasons.com . The closest ATM is in the Bank of China on nearby Nanjing Xi Road. This 2002 hotel is on a quiet side street, a seven-minute taxi ride or 15-minute walk to People's Square and Nanjing Dong Road pedestrian street. In another direction, it is about a 10-minute walk to the Shanghai Centre, a seven-minute walk to the Shi Men Yi Road subway station on the No. 2 line. It has an excellent location and is easy to find. You just have to look for its rooftop sign between the skyscrapers in the neighbourhood.

A bed and breakfast package in 2006 is Y1750.

This is a beautiful hotel with good service.   Its airy lobby is two stories high with real palm trees. Unlike most other hotels, this one has a fitness centre open 24 hours but serviced only from 6am to 11pm when an attendant might bring you bottled water without being asked. It also has a spa with Australian Jurlique skin care products. At breakfast, a waitress brings you a choice of the International Herald Tribune or USA Today and tea is served properly with loose leaves in a silver strainer. The breakfast buffet is lavish and includes items of Shanghai street food that some of us have been wanting to try, but were afraid to. Also among its goodies are whole wheat croissants for the health conscious. Wireless access is available in its public areas and in its Presidential Suite.

Standard rooms are 39 square meters including the bathroom. All have a high speed internet data port, at least two telephone lines, a safe that fits a lap top, and a French-press coffee maker. All have a generous bank of convenient electrical outlets beside the desk. All bathrooms have a separate shower stall in addition to a bathtub. Some hallways are the colour of peach yogurt and look good enough to eat. It belongs to the same chain as Four Seasons in Toronto, the Georges V in Paris and The Pierre in New York. Its sister hotel will open on Century Boulevard in Pudong in 2009 with 190 rooms and 60 residences.

The five-star JC MANDARIN (Jincang Wenhua) is at 1225 Nanjing Xi Road, 200040. Tel. 6279-18888. Fax 6279-1822. E-mail: mandarin.sjm@meritus-hotels.com  . Web-site: www.jcmandarin.com  . This 510-room hotel has a great location across the street from the Shanghai Centre and theatre and the Portman Ritz-Carlton Hotel. It is near a Bank of China with its ATM, and next door to the Shanghai Exhibition Centre – which is now also used for flossy cocktail parties and fancy dinners. The neighbourhood is full of mid to high end shopping malls with a wide range of restaurants. Several consulates are nearby and it’s relatively near People’s Square. The closest subway stop Shimen Yi Road on the No. 2 line, exit 5 or 6, ten minutes walk away.

This hotel is not in the top class with valets and wireless access, but it’s close. Service and food are good. The speciality is Cantonese and it has been advertising all-you-can eat dim sum for Y88 in its Mandarin Pavillion. Its breakfast buffet costs Y165 and I found pomelo and lichees, a large assortment of pastries, steak, fish, dim sum, congee, stir-fried vegetables, curried chicken, as well as eggs and noodles to order. It has a tennis court and a glass-roofed swimming pool.

Rooms in July, 2006 start at Y1270, and in September, 2006 Y1520.

A stunning lacquer mural of famous Ming dynasty explorer Admiral Zheng He decorates its large lobby. Its ballroom can seat 500 for a banquet. It does have a 24-hour techno butler who can help solve computer problems, and rooms all have broadband access. Most rooms are 35 square meters. Room renovations were most recently completed in 2004-2005 and a new European-type spa, more clinical than those in Asia should be open now.

It has a Cuban cigar bar. I didn’t like the confusing line-ups at reception to pay, the taste of the sui mai in its dim sum, and the black butcher aprons on the waitresses. But otherwise, I enjoyed my stay, especially a beautiful and spacious suite . It’s run by a Singapore company, Meritus Hotels and Resorts.

THE RADISSON HOTEL SHANGHAI NEW WORLD is at 88 Nanjing Xi Road, Tel. 6359-9999 or fax 6358-9705. Web-site: www.radisson.com  and e-mail: newworld@radisson-nw.com  . I didn’t stay there for lack of time but a quick tea break there revealed a new cheerful-looking, brightly-lit hotel with a great location and contemporary décor. It’s on People’s Square adjacent to the New World Department Store (with its ice skating rink) and very close to the Nanjing Dong Road pedestrian mall. It’s almost across the street from the terminal of the little Nanjing Road trolley and the many exits of People’s Square metro station.

Rooms in July, 2006 start at Y1200 and in September, Y1600.

The four-star SOFITEL HYLAND is at 505 Nanjing Dong Road, 200001. Tel. 6351-5888. Fax 6351-4088. E-mail: sofitel@hyland-shanghai.com . Web-site: www.sofitel.com  or www.accorhotels.com  . Its location in the middle of the Nanjing Dong Road pedestrian mall and in between two subway stops is amazing. I preferred the Henan Zhong Road stop #2 exit three blocks to the east on the No. 2 line because the other station at People’s Square about five blocks away is too big and confusing. Its taxi entrance is on Jiujiang Road and up a ramp. Tour groups access their buses in the basement. There’s a great view of Nanjing Road at night with its colourful lights from its street-facing restaurant on the second floor.
Starting room rate in 2006 is Y1010. It included a decent breakfast that had eggs to order, eggs Florentine, miso, sushi, fresh vegetables and fresh fruit.
Our tour group of 37 people had stayed here five years before and wanted to stay here again because of its great location and comfortable service. Aside from the accounting, we found this hotel perfect for our needs. The sloppy accountant should not be a problem now that she has been dismissed. As guests for five nights, we found the service, food and standards otherwise very good. The rooms are a little small but this is a four star after all and the panel light switches are confusing. It needs more electrical outlets for today’s profusion of rechargeables and it has no pool. The in-room safe fits a lap top. Our wake-up calls were on time and you can push a button if you want a back-up call in 10 minutes. The concierge staff was very helpful giving us directions everywhere in good English.

The four-star RAMADA PLAZA SHANGHAI, 719 Nanjing Dong Road, or 700 Jiujiang Road, Shanghai, 200001. Tel. 6350 0000,   6360 3206. Fax: 6350 8490. Web-site: www.ramada.com  . This 376-room hotel has an excellent location for shopping and sightseeing on Jiujiang and Nanjing Roads close to the Shanghai Museum, Grand Theatre and subways in People’s Square. Taxis should take you to the Jiujiang Road entrance as Nanjing Road is a pedestrian mall here. It is a very short walk to the little trolley than can take you to and from the other end of the mall – a convenience if you’re doing a lot of shopping. It is also close to the old Moore Church. Lots of restaurants are in the neighbourhood in the underground malls towards the huge People’s Square. It is also near the new five-star Meridien Hotel and across the park from the JW Marriott.

Rooms in 2006 start at US$110 or about Y880.

This 376 room, Chinese-style hotel is not quite as elegant as the heritage Peace Hotel down the street but it is interesting with its carved wooden statues and its executive floor courtyard garden. All rooms have CNN, HBO, and Cinemax in English. Rooms are good. All superior rooms have wireless internet access. It is owned by the same owners as the historical Shinya (Xing Hua) Cantonese restaurant which is in the same building. I was with a group of old China hands for one meal in this restaurant and we all liked it. The hotel also has a Japanese “corner” with teppanyaki, a Thai and a western restaurant. I enjoyed its old-style Chinese ambience, quite a change from the modern, contemporary décor of most of these hotels. A night club and karaoke is on the 7th floor. There’s sauna and massage services and a mah jong room.

I also didn’t have a chance to try the glitzy four-star HOWARD JOHNSON PLAZA HOTEL (Wushan Dajiudian) but it looked good. It’s at 595 Jiu Jiang Road, 200001. Tel. 3313-4888, fax 3313-4880. E-mail: sales.shanghai@hojoplaza.com  Web-site: www.hojochina.com  .

Pudong: (Lujiazui)
Pudong is across the Huangpu River from Nanjing Dong (pedestrian) Road, the old Bund and People’s Square. It is a relatively new area that was farmland 20 years ago but is now the growing finance and trade centre of Shanghai. Today, it is full of skyscrapers and Shanghai’s signature tower, the Oriental Pearl Television Tower. It has the international airport, the Maglev train, the science centre, an aquarium and insectarium. Many corporate head offices are moving to this area. It is joined to Puxi by bridges, tunnels, ferries and subway. For people moving to Shanghai, both sides of the river have good international schools.

The location of hotels near the mouth of the tunnel to Puxi might not be as good as it sounds. One day it took me 1 ½ hours by taxi to go from this area to the Westin Hotel just across the river even at 9:30am. A new tunnel might now alleviate part of the congestion, but don’t count on it.
My favourite hotel area in Pudong is Lujiazui on the Bund with its breath-taking evening view of the old European bank buildings and its fewer people. Here are the five-star Grand Hyatt and Shangri-La Hotels and within walking distance, the golf-driving range of the Lujiazui golf club (which might or might not be there much longer). The Super Brand Mall has many stores and restaurants but it’s hard to beat the food in these two great hotels. A riverside park is nearby that’s pleasant for evening walks without the crowds of the other side of the river. There’s a Paulander Brauhaus (German) restaurant there. And in 2009, there will be a new Four Seasons here on Century Boulevard, close to the Jin Mao Tower. The Expo site will be between the Nan Pu and Lu Pu Bridges nearby.

Some hotel people say the food is cheaper on the Puxi side where the restaurants are “more mature.” But there are fewer traffic jams and a lot of good restaurants on the Pudong side, some very cheap.

The basement of the Grand Hyatt/Jin Mao Tower still has a fast food restaurant Food Live, open around 10:30am to about 5pm though one bake shop was open at 8am – Y26 for a continental breakfast. You have to buy a ticket first and then order your food from the stalls. The restaurants across the street to the south are being torn down. Itoya has “Japanese” food and might be still there, but seems to be run by Chinese people. There the beer is Y15-Y20, salad Y15-Y35, sashimi Y35-Y750, sushi Y15-Y255, grilled dishes Y15-Y295, tempura Y20–Y95, noodles Y45-Y55 and rice dishes Y35-Y95. Its lunch special was Y50. My yakitori and California rolls didn’t taste authentic but they were edible and filling.

During my 2004-5 overnight visits, the area of one-storey restaurants between the Shangri-La and the Hyatt was being torn down. The good but modest Xian Nan Guo Shanghai restaurant was still there but might not be much longer. The restaurants in the Super Brand Mall will probably still be there. This also has several fast food outlets like Pizza Hut and Gino’s and more expensive eateries. One of the famous Sichuan/Cantonese chain South Beauty (Qiao Jiang Nan) is on its 10th floor on the river side closest to the Shangri-La and away from the front entrance. (Go past the entrance to the movie theatre and up another flight of stairs) or take the elevator from the door closest to the Shangri-La to the 10th floor. It is an attractive restaurant with a menu in English but no spoken English. Look for a green glass floor at the entrance. You could ask your hotel concierge to make a reservation so you can get a view of the Bund.

The tea-smoked duck (a Sichuan dish) was crispy and wonderfully delicious and served attractively on a bed of slender carrot strips with bread (to soak up the yummy fat). The broccoli was perfect, also crispy, juicy and tender. The dumplings were good. Wait staff wear white gloves. My bill for enough food for two people was Y81 and it accepts credit cards. It is open 10am to 11pm and each cubicle in its five-star washroom has its own wash basin and fresh flowers.

Also in this mall is a Japanese buffet for Y88 per person, and a branch of the good Hunan restaurant chain the Ai Wan Ting.

See below for the Jin Mao sightseeing tower, the Oriental Pearl Tower, and the insectarium.

There’s a sightseeing tourist tunnel (with flashing light show) to the other side of the river that will amuse the kids and get you close to Nanjing Road pedestrian shopping street and the famous old Peace Hotel with its green pyramid tower next to the Citibank. Its Pudong entrance is beside the Oriental Riverside Hotel and Shanghai International Convention Centre, north of the Grand Hyatt. This sightseeing tunnel is open 8am to 11pm and costs about Y20. Don’t worry about the traffic here. There is a pedestrian tunnel under this busy street.

About 500 meters south from the Shangri-La is a cheap ferry ride that can also take you across the Huangpu River, closer to the upscale and very expensive restaurants M on the Bund and Three on the Bund. See Restaurants below. Staff at hotels don’t necessarily know about it. It connects with Yan’an Road on the Puxi side.

During my visit, a lot of construction was going on. But no one can obscure the open skies over the river and in this area.

If you want a cheaper hotel in this area, do consider the four-star Novotel Atlantis. It is only about two kilometres to the east of the Lujiazui subway station.

Then there is the Holiday Inn Pudong and the Courtyard Hotel, both near the St. Regis and one block from each other near the Dongfang subway station. But these are not listed here for lack of research time. They do look good.

The five-star GRAND HYATT is mainly on the 54th to 87th floors of the Jin Mao Tower, 88 Century Boulevard, 200121. Tel. 5049-1234. Fax 5049-1111. Web-site: www.shanghai.grand.hyatt.com  . It has been the highest hotel in the world and still might be. Elevators are swift and ear popping. Offices occupy the lower floors where security is strict. Do not take photos in the lobby of the office tower. But you can take photos in the hotel and other public areas, especially its sightseeing tower on top.

This hotel is close to the mouth of the Yan’an Road tunnel from Puxi, and very close to a Lujiazui subway station exit. It is within walking distance of the Oriental Pearl Tower, the golf driving range, the insectarium, and the SuperBrand Mall.

The Grand Hyatt is a wonderful and very interesting hotel and it is hard to find fault with it unless you’re claustrophobic. The view and food are magnificent. If you haven’t noticed already, a tour by the Public Relations department will point out fine details of its design like the Bund view from most seats in its restaurants and the careful use of limited space. Welcome are the lamps in rooms that go on with the swipe of a hand. There’s none of this fumbling in the dark for the proper button. Bathrooms are beautiful white marble with separate toilet and shower stalls, and two glass sinks. Cupboards open to the hallway as well as bathroom, a real convenience.

In its 23-piece gym are signs saying "This machine is wiped with sanitizing detergent and is ready for your usage." It also has an exercise ball, coffee maker and juice bar. It is the only gym found so far that offers ice water to drink. Its swimming pool is 16 meters X 5 meters and is surrounded by live plants.

In 2006, low room rates start at Y2160 and high season Y2430. Room safes are too small for a laptop but the security is good. You need a room card to access the elevators to the guest rooms and security staff politely guard each elevator. Wireless access is in every guest room and public room between the 53rd and 83rd floors and is free before 5 pm. Its television has HBO, BBC and CNN. Its limousines are Lincolns.

The buffet breakfast is about Y198. Beer costs Y45 to Y60 at the Hyatt’s Bar 53 and the view is good. Its two ball rooms seat 888 and 660 at a sit-down banquet.

The five-star SHANGRI-LA PUDONG is at 33 Fu Cheng Road, Pudong 200120. Tel. 6882-8888. Fax. 6882-9998. Web-site: http://www.shangri-la.com/shanghai/pudongshangri-la/en/index.aspx  . I like this hotel better because the décor in its older tower is warmer and more classical, and because its lobby is spread out on its ground floor. An ATM is in its Tower One. You can now dash out a side door across a narrow alley into the Super Brand Mall with its many stores and restaurants – a wonderful advantage in inclement weather. You can also go through this air-conditioned mall and out the front door to the nearby Lujiazui subway. You can walk to the riverside park or the little ferry and enjoy the beauty of the historic Bund. Or you can hire one of its new Rolls-Royce Phantom or stretch Mercedes limousines.

Its new 2005 36-floor Tower Two is now open bringing its total hotel room count to 957 ( making it the largest hotel in Shanghai). It also has a new and larger ballroom than its huge existing one that seats about 1000, yes 1000 at banquet tables. The new ballroom can seat 1300 people at banquet tables. Having been at a couple of these humungous banquets there, I can say its food and service are fantastic in spite of its size and its wait staff bring it to tables with quick military precision.

There is also a Nadaman Japanese restaurant and of course a Chinese restaurant. Its new Yi Café has 10 show kitchens with Japanese, Moroccan, Indian, Southeast Asian, European and Western food – an exciting culinary adventure not to be missed.

It also now has a branch of Shanghai Tang’s upscale clothes boutique and free morning coffee in its lobby 6am to 9am. There are now two main entrances and two reception areas. You can request a Bund-view room in either wing but to enjoy it most, be sure to be there or in the lobby lounge when the lights are turned on about 7:30 pm. It is one of the most romantic sights in the city, especially if you are with a friend.

Room prices in 2006 start at Y2050 not including breakfast.

Televisions have 34” screen and DVD players. The smallest rooms in the old building are 40 square meters, and 54 square meters in the new wing. All have desks over three meters wide, rolling arm chairs and lots of drawer space. My single bed had four fluffy pillows, two fancy pillows and two bolsters. In-room safes are big and have plugs inside for recharging laptops and other electronics, a brilliant idea. All rooms have wireless capability. Rooms also have separate dressing rooms and television monitors you can watch while soaking in the bath tub. You can also relax in one of its two swimming pools, two health clubs or its outdoor tennis court. It has a beautiful new spa. Renovations in its older tower should start in 2007.

My room came with a special packet for women travelers that included lip gloss and a sweat band. It also came with binoculars. Service was good. Towels were replaced several times a day. Old newspapers disappeared alas too quickly before I had a chance to read them. The gym has a lot of excellent cardio machines. The club floor lounge was especially good with two computers free to club floor guests, binoculars and a picture map of the Bund. Its $20 buffet breakfast served exceptional dim sum with thin transparent wrappings, choice of pork or chicken sausages, five choices of eggs to order, crispy pastries and two kinds of salmon. The food was served on Wedgwood dishes on top of white linen. The staff was helpful and friendly. (The regular breakfast buffet in the coffee shop for Y198 was even more lavish – but who can eat that much wonderful food.) The Shangri-La chain does not use MSG.

Staff members can meet guests at the Pudong airport before you go through Customs and Immigration if you submit an application to the airport in advance. Contact the hotel.

The four-star NOVOTEL ATLANTIS (Hai Shen Nuo Fu Te) is at 728 Pudong Avenue, Pudong. Tel. 5036-6666. Web-site: www.novotel.com  . It has good, adequate English. This 303-room hotel of the European chain is attached to an office building where there is an ATM. Dong Fang Road subway station is seven minutes walk away and the Lujiazui Subway about 15 minutes. It is a shorter walk to a cheap little ferry that will take you to the west bank of the Huang Pu River for about Y1. That terminal is near the Ocean Hotel on the Puxi side and three kilometres from the Bund. Ferry’s are the cheapest way to get across the Huang Pu River. The Novotel is 40 km to the Pudong airport and 30 km to the Hong Qiao airport. Its location in a residential area with small stores and restaurants is better than many.

In 2006, rooms in this comfortable hotel started at Y850. Check its web-site for current specials.

I met some Air Canada crew here who loved this hotel because they could save money eating in really inexpensive neighbourhood restaurants and getting cheap massages nearby. If you find a menu in English at the dumpy Dong Bei Chan Guan on Qixia Road, the street directly ahead of its front door, it’s probably the work of the Canadians. Dishes there are about Y18 each. Tel. 5081-8928. This street also has foot massages for Y35 an hour, blind masseurs and a dry cleaner. The Canadians also mentioned nearby places to buy cheap bathroom fixtures and golf clubs.

Some of the items in the breakfast buffet did not suit my taste. The poached eggs for the Eggs Benedict were too soft and the chicken could have been more tender. I could have sent the eggs back for more cooking but couldn’t do much about the chicken. But otherwise the breakfast was good. It cost Y108 net, and had a lot of choices, among the usual breakfast offerings including goat’s cheese, muesli cereal, yogurt, five juices, toast and eggs to order, and smoked salmon.

The lunch buffet is Y99 net, and dinner Y168 net. The food in its Golden Shark Restaurant was good. The sweet and sour cod fish in pineapple sauce was listed at Y55, deep-fried spare ribs with peach Y45, suckling pig combination platter Y58, roast goose Y38, Y68 and Y136, Buddha jumped over the wall Y98, sautéed spare ribs Zhenjiang style Y38, sautéed spinach with egg Y28, and mango pudding Y18.

Its 48th floor Biz Lounge has wireless access and all rooms have broadband. The e-mail service is Y4 a minute. I found a cheaper internet bar in the neighbourhood. In its coffee shop, cheeseburgers, fries and salad cost Y50, and a hot dog and salad Y38, A small convenience store is in its basement.

For its art gallery Art 50, see below under Shopping.

Other areas in Pudong:
The St. Regis is not in the best location but it’s not bad. Its great service makes up for it. Then there’s also the Renaissance further south and a four-star airport hotel, the Ramada. The Ramada is a couple kilometres away from the Pudong airport and I like to stay there before an early morning flight because I don’t have to worry about traffic jams. There’s a much cheaper Jinjiang Inn near the airport for those people who speak a little Chinese and want to spend much less money.

The five-star ST. REGIS is an excellent hotel in the central business and hotel district of Pudong. It is at 889 Dongfang Road, Pudong, 200122. Tel. 5050-4567. Fax 6875-6789. Web-site is: www.stregis.com/shanghai  . It is 13 km. from Hongqiao airport and 20 km. from Pudong International Airport. It is about a five minute walk from subway line 4 at the Pu Dian Road subway station or a seven minute walk from subway line 2 Dongfang Road station. It is about four blocks from one of the largest department stores in Asia.

Rooms in 2006 start around Y1415 depending on season and are a huge 48 square meters minimum. It has a ladies’-floor concept with special feminine amenities and magazines.

Your 24-hour butler can take you wake-up coffee, arrange for unpacking and garment pressing on arrival, and bring daily fresh fruit and flowers. He or she carries a mobile telephone so you can summon your butler instantly even to help you with computer problems. Or you can push a button in your room.

The St. Regis has wireless internet access throughout the hotel including all
guestrooms and complimentary to all guests. It has broadband as an option in all rooms. You can select from 100 newspapers in English

The buffet breakfast is Y168 and buffet lunch Y189. The breakfast offers heated crispy buns, poutine, choice of 10 fruits, muesli, three juices, miso shiru, congee, pancakes, waffles, and sushi. You can order toast and eggs the way you want. It has an indoor 15-meter heated lap pool and about 32 fitness machines.

The four-star RENAISSANCE SHANGHAI PUDONG HOTEL, 100 Changliu Road, Shanghai 200134. Tel. 3871 4888, Fax 6854 0888. Web-site: www.renaissancehotels.com  .

This 369-room hotel opened in 2003 and is about two kilometres from the impressive Science and Technology Museum on the northwest side of the huge Century Park and its metro stop in south-eastern Pudong. It is south east of the Lujiahui Financial and Trade Zone, an ideal location for people with school age children interested in science and is relatively close to the Thomson Golf Club, and the Pudong campus of the Shanghai American School.

It has no shopping malls within walking distance. It is in an area of residential high rises where we found streets quiet and un-crowded. There are two convenience stores within walking distance, one across the street. It is about a 30-minute drive from the Pudong Airport and 40 minutes from the Hongqiao airport. Within a 10 to 15 minute taxi ride are the new Walmart, and two major shopping malls.

Room rates start at Y850 in July, 2006 and Y1500 in October, 2006.

It has an indoor pool, a 24-hour gym, sauna and steam rooms. There’s a “casual” Western restaurant, a fine Cantonese-Shanghai restaurant, and its ballroom can seat 300 at banquet tables. There’s also a Gourmet Shop with French goodies.

The décor is contemporary western – unpretentious and full of artwork and bright colours. Its rooms have frosted glass headboards and black and white pictures of old Shanghai.

The four-star RAMADA PUDONG AIRPORT HOTEL (Hua Mei Da, Pudong Ji Chang Dajiudian) is at 1100 Qi Hang Road, Pudong, 201202. Tel. 3849-4949. Fax. 6835-2889. E-mail: sales@ramadaairportpd.com. Web-site: www.ramadaairportpd.com . This hotel is three kilometres from the airport with convenient free shuttle bus service from Exit 9 or 10 on the Arrival Level. The last bus leaves the airport at 11:30pm. If you can’t find what you want at the Ramada, you can go back to the airport for free for its cheaper but not-so-good restaurants, and its ATMs, post office, etc.

I went to this 370-room hotel from its sister hotel, the Ramada Plaza Hotel near People’s Square in Puxi. The taxi drove across the Huangpu River through one of the tunnels, and once on the other side, we zipped quickly past high rise office and hotel towers and then two and three storey farm houses, a few fields, and many suburban apartment complexes. The trip cost Y127. If you go to the hotel by public transport, the subway to the Longyang Road subway stop is about Y3, the Maglev Y50 and the shuttle bus from the Pudong airport is free. But this is only more advantageous if you have little or no luggage.

In 2006, the published room rate is Y1080 and the discounted rate has been Y788.50. Check its web-site or telephone for its current specials. It has hourly room rates as well if you are in between flights and want a nice hot shower and massage, and free access to in-room broadband and hotel fitness centre.

This Ramada was opened in August of 2003. It has a sauna, mah jong room, beauty salon, and karaoke but no swimming pool. All public areas and rooms have wireless with broadband access also in rooms. In April, 2006, it will charge Y3 per minute for broadband or Y120 for the whole day after 40 minutes use. The rest of the period is free. It has an ATM.

Televisions in guest rooms show incoming and outgoing flights and their times and delays at the Pudong airport. It also had CNN, CTV, and Star Movies in English, 24 hour room service, a house doctor, beauty salon, and an executive floor with lounge open 6am to 9pm. It offers Shanghai Daily and China Daily newspapers in English.

My room on the executive floor had a spacious bed and a blonde leather sofa big enough to sleep a small adult. It also had a matching arm chair and a live six-foot tall plant, and a safe wide enough for a computer. The bathroom was a little small but my single room had three hand towels, three face cloths, three bath towels, a hair drier, and a wide desk shared with a television and a lamp. It had convenient broadband capabilities and electrical outlets on the desk. And its lounge had a meeting room, the South China Morning Post, USA Today and the Herald Tribune. Its gym was small with eight good-looking machines. The Ramada is well managed and has business suites. You don’t need to go into the city to have business meetings.

Its ballroom seats 270 at banquet tables and it has six function rooms. The Room Service Menu listed salads at Y26-Y52, soups at Y30-Y36, sandwiches and burgers for Y48 –Y62, pasta Y42-Y66, and main courses Y68-Y108. It also had grill Y78-Y138, Asian dishes Y36-Y58, desserts Y30-Y38, ice cream Y15 a scoop, beer Y20-Y35, and tea or coffee Y30. It has dishes for vegetarians. The breakfast buffet is Y98 and lunch Y98. The dinner buffet is Y128.
Hongqiao area, Puxi.

The Hongqiao area in Puxi is handy to the Hongqiao airport. If you want to fly into and out of that airport which handles most domestic flights, it’s only 10 minutes away. (It’s 45 minutes by taxi – to the Pudong airport – if no traffic jams.) Yes, there are a couple of good hotels closer to the airport but they are less convenient to shopping, restaurants and the three exhibition centres here. This is a major business area with three large department stores – all within walking distance. It is about 12 km from the Bund.

Hongqiao is a major restaurant area. In addition to the food in hotels here, there are several good restaurants on both sides of the park. Here is the lovely huge New Town Central Park with ponds, giant coi gold fish, badminton players, tai ji people (6-8am), fountains, trees, and bridges – accessible below the nearby superhighway – by an underpass. About three kilometres away, the Gubei shopping area has more restaurants and the huge Carrefour shopping mall (open 8:30am to 10:30pm. Tel. 6278-1944). A little less convenient but not by much are a couple of cheaper hotels, domestic four-stars – the Galaxy and the Rainbow (where rooms start about Y750 but have HBO and Cinemax in English and a few rooms have in-room safes).

At the Gap Restaurant, across the street from the Renaissance Yangtze Hotel, deep fried Mandarin fish with sweet and sour tomato sauce is Y100 for ½ kg. but it has cheap set lunches starting at about Y15 for a dish with vegetables. It is open 11am to 11:30pm and takes credit cards.

Closer to the Shanghai Mart are the Renaissance Yangtze Hotel and the Sheraton Grand Taiping Yang (Xi Lai Deng Hao Da Taiping Yang Da Fandian) next door to each other. The Shanghai Mart has the name brand Fox Town factory outlet store where you should be able to get genuine name brand bags and clothes like Givenchy, Versace, Ports, Nexx and Banana Republic. Prada bags were Y800 to Y3000. It is open 10am to 9pm. In the area also is a Parkson’s department store, Maxdo Shopping Mall, and Hongqiao Ren restaurant at 28 Zunyi Road which takes credit cards and serves Shanghai food. An attractive-looking restaurant on the other side of the park is The Door in the Tudor style building. The ground level restaurant has a good reputation.
The International Airport Hotel is a good four-star very close to the airport. A little further away is the Marriott. The service in the Cypress Hotel in this area is “not so good. It is state owned” said one hotel manager.

The five-star RENAISSANCE YANGTZE SHANGHAI HOTEL (Hongqiao Ren Jiao) is at 2099 Yan’an Xi Road, 200336. Tel. 6275-0000. Fax 5275-0750.  Web-site: http://renaissancehotels.com/shabr  .
 
This glitzy hotel is a 15- minute walk from the Yan’an Road subway station on the no. 3 line. It is across the street from a huge park, a plus for early morning joggers and people travelling with children. The park is beyond six or eight lanes of heavy traffic but you can get there via an underpass. This underpass also has stops for lots of public buses downtown and to the Pudong and Hongqiao airports. On the other side of this park are also some restaurants.

A Starbucks and the closest ATM is across the street. Many restaurants, coffee shops and three shopping malls, and the International Exhibition Centre and Shanghai Mart are within walking distance. It is 100 meters from some consulates and the offices of foreign companies.

In July, 2006 rooms start at Y880. In September, 2006 rooms start at Y1700.

It is renovating all rooms in 2006, and putting in new bedding and “down surround” pillows. Its lunch buffet costs Y138 and dinner buffet Y178 – free for children under 5, and half price for those 5 to 12 years. It has wireless and broadband access in its public areas, and wired broadband in all rooms. It has a health club and indoor pool.

Main Shanghai Railway Station area. Puxi: This is only three subway stops from People’s Square on the No. 1 line, so it is not far from downtown and is ideal for people planning to arrive or leave by train. It is also close to subway lines 3 and 4. This is not a classy neighbourhood but it is interesting and relatively near the Jade Buddha Temple. The Holiday Inn here is the best in this area.

The four-star, 510-room HOLIDAY INN DOWNTOWN (Guang Chang Chang Cheng Jia Ri Jiou Dian) is at 285 Mu Xi Road, 200070. Tel. 6353-8008. Web-site: http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/6c/1/en/hd/shgdt . It is 17 km. from the Hongqiao Airport and 47 km. from the Pudong International Airport. If you want to come here by subway from Pudong International airport, you have to take the Maglev train to Longyang Road subway station, change subways at People’s Square (a long walk if you have luggage), and then take the No. 1 subway line. This is not easy. Better go by airport bus from Pudong. This stops about a ten minute walk away. You should be able to get a taxi from there.

You can get to the railway station by subway no. 1, and leave by the no. 3 exit beside the department store. Look for the KFC. If you arrive by train, leave by the main railway station door and look straight ahead. You should be able to see the Holiday Inn sign on top of two buildings in front of you on both sides of the street. If you have lots of luggage, phone the hotel for a bell man to help. A bell man can also take you to the bus stop for the airport.
The location is also fantastic though the neighbourhood could do with some cleaning up. I enjoy walking around watching the trains arrive from the nearby railway bridges. There’s a local department store between the hotel and the station and lots of fast food railway station-quality food outlets. As in all such crowded places, take precautions against pickpockets.

Rooms in July, 2006 start at Y534 and in October, 2006 Y743.

This Holiday Inn has two wings, the Great Wall and the Plaza, both with coffee shops. The better one depends on which has been most recently renovated. Rooms have high-speed internet access and irons, and television with several stations in English. You can buy train and flight tickets in the lobby where there’s a motion-activated escalator and an ATM. This is not a classy hotel but it works and there’s always a manager around with good English.
Wireless internet access is under installation in public areas hopefully to start mid-2006. Broadband is already in all guest rooms. It has a newly renovated Sports Bar in the Great Wall wing with bowling, darts and football. The breakfast buffet is Y60, lunch 88 and dinner Y168.

The French Quarter – Jing’an. Puxi.
The Jing’an area has a huge fancy new Buddhist temple and the downtown airport terminal, the Paramount dance hall (below) and a huge park with a delightful outdoor restaurant with Indonesian food. It is close to the Yan’an Xi Road elevated highway from the Hong Qiao airport which makes it only about 20 minutes drive away – if all goes well. It is 55 km. from Pudong International Airport, a minimum 55-minute drive.

The five-star HILTON SHANGHAI (Xi Er Dun Da Fandian) is at 250 Hua Shan Road, 200040, Tel. 6248-0000. Fax 6248-1473. Web-site: www.hilton.com  . This hotel has the advantage of being in between subway lines 1 and 2, about a ten-minute walk to either the Jing’an or Changshu Road subway stations. Lots of restaurants are in this area on Julu Road, Fumin Road and Yanan Road. On Changle Road, there’s LuLu’s, and one block parallel, there’s the excellent Hunan Restaurant. Friends also recommend the Crossroads Bar across from the Hilton.

Room prices in June, 2006 start at Y1100 and in September, 2006 they start at Y2740 for a single or twin.

The Hilton seems to be one of the hangouts for Americans expatriates and visitors and usually lays on a great Thanksgiving dinner. This is like a big American-looking hotel but strangely, I’ve had problems communicating with one of its concierges in English on two occasions but otherwise I’ve found the service good. Its buffet breakfast has the usual Hilton color coded labels for low fat, or high energy foods – another great idea. Guest rooms are a minimum 33.6 square meters with two telephone lines, voice mail, broadband, CNN, BBC and CNBC.

The Hengshan Road area. Puxi.
The five-star REGAL INTERNATIONAL (Fu Hao Huan Qiu Dong Ya Jiu Dian) is on 516 Hengshan Road. Tel. 6415-5588. Fax 6445-8899. Web-site: www.Regal-EastAsia.com  . E-mail: info@RegalShanghai.com  . This is walking distance to the Hengshan subway station and a popular area for restaurants and bars along Hengshan Road and close to the inter-denominational Community Church (some Sunday services in English). Two international ATMs are nearby.

Rooms in early 2006 start at Y1250 on a week night and Y1000 on a weekend

The Regal has a long lobby. Its business centre carries the South China Morning Post and Herald Tribune. This hotel has eight tennis courts, and is especially convenient for tennis players. The lunch buffet is Y100 and seniors have 20% off. The dinner buffet is Y160 each or Y195 for two people. The breakfast was decent though my eggs were a little too soft and the beef a little tough. Among the usual breakfast fare, it offered chocolate donuts and smoked salmon topped with capers. Rooms have voice mail, 24-hour room service, 24-hour concierge, and 10 international television channels. Its executive club floor has ergonomic desk chairs.

Its four-star sister hotel the Regal Shanghai East Asia is two metro stops away and is attached to Shanghai Stadium (great for soccer fans). They are both part of a Hong Kong hotel chain.

The four-star MAYFAIR HOTEL is at 1555 Ding Xi Road, Chang Ning District, 200050. Tel. 6240-8888. Fax 6240-7777. E-mail: hotel@mayfairshanghai.com  . Web-site: www.mayfairshanghai.com  (but it doesn’t seem to work). It is almost on top of the Zhongshan Park metro stop (Exit 5) on line 2 and almost across the street from Shanghai’s largest park. It has good English, and is a member of the Hong Kong New World Group.

Rooms in this 2003, 860-room hotel in 2005 started at Y690 and an executive room was Y1180.

Rooms have in-room safes, CNN and BBC. Security is especially good on floors 31-38 which require a room card to activate the elevator. It has a 22-piece gym, indoor and outdoor swimming pool, voicemail, and a deli with cakes, pastries and sandwiches. Its breakfast buffet costs Y118, and dinner buffet Y188 if it has lobster, and Y288 if it has sharks fins.

Cheaper Hotels:
I have always felt the four-star, 128-room SEAGULL to be a hotel that missed an opportunity. It had terrible service and mediocre food but a great location on the Bund. I never could recommend it. But recently, American friends told me they liked it. Maybe they were masochists. Maybe things have changed since my visit in 2004.

So, try it if you want and if you do, let me know what you think. I’ll take another look at it next trip. It’s at 60 Huangpu Road, Tel. 6325-1500 and 6325-0202. Website in English: www.seagull-hotel.com  .

The price for summer, 2006 is Y680, and for October, 2006 Y723.

Rooms were clean and the table cloths in its restaurant were pink, clean and pretty before the crowds started arriving at 12:30 noon. I tried its steamed shrimp dumplings. Its mango pudding (Y12) comes with canned milk. Sauteed bean curd with wild mushrooms was Y38, sautéed bull frog in Sichuan style Y38, and Guangzhou roast duck Y108. Elephant Nose Mussels were Y280, and fried broccoli with garlic sauce Y38. The view from the restaurant is great except for the statue that looks like a laundry peg.

I also had a look at three JINJIANG INNS, much cheaper basic accommodations run by the Jinjiang chain headquartered in Shanghai. Their rooms are clean, have private bathrooms with showers, and are okay for those who want to make their money go further. Rooms also have televisions (Chinese language only) and air conditioners, and its lobbies have ticket booking services and safe deposit boxes. Each has a modest restaurant.

Locations in Shanghai are good. One is within walking distance of the YMCA on the other side of Yan’an Road at 188-228 Fujian Nan Road. Tel. 6326-0505. It is close to People’s Park. Another is a couple of blocks from the Shanghai Stadium close to the bus station where you can get sightseeing buses. And a third is close to the Pudong Airport at 8 Qihang Road. Tel. 6835-3568, fax 6885-3550. If you don’t mind small rooms, the only serious problem is lack of English. But what do you expect for a starting price of Y198 a night on Fujian Nan Road and Y228 at the airport. Tel. toll free 1-800-820-1838 or in Shanghai dial 3876-4588. E-mail: resv@jj-inn.com  . Web-site: http://www.jj-inn.com/Default.aspx  (in English).

I haven’t had a chance to see them yet, but SUPER 8 HOTELS have opened in Shanghai too. Tel. 800-810-7822. Web-site: www.super8.com.cn . A single room with one twin bed and private bath is Y148. A Holiday Inn Express should open in Pudong late in 2006.

DAYS INN is opening a four-star hotel the end of 2006. Its address is 1558 Zhongxing Road, 200070 and it is near the Railway Station.

The 1846 ASTOR HOUSE/PUJIANG HOTEL is one of the oldest hotels in the city and was built to be the most luxurious hotel in Asia. U.S. President Grant and Bertrand Russell stayed there. It has since been affiliated with the World Youth Hostel Federation but this might have changed. In 2006, a dormitory bed cost about US$10 and a standard room started at US$65. At that price, you can’t expect much – but its location a few meters east of the Bund close to the Huangpu River is fantastic. And the old architecture and dark mahogany décor and chandeliers really make you feel like you’re in old Shanghai. The English, however, has been terrible to non-existent. In its coffee shop in 2004, a sandwich costs Y18, soup Y15 and spaghetti Y20 – Y22. It rents bicycles and is at 15 Huangpu Road. Tel. 6424-6388 or 6307-7157. Fax. 6324-3179. Web-site: www.pujianghotel.com  (in English with lots of pictures and history – like Empress Dowager Cixi’s 60th birthday party.) It would make a great movie set.

Some hostels are listed for US$8 a bed at: http://www.yhachina.com/english/hostel_list.jsp  or http://www.hihostels.com/openBookNowScreen.do 

Shopping
Art: ShanghART, one of the more established galleries of contemporary Chinese art is now at Building 16, Moganshan Road No. 50 (close to Suzhou Xi Road, Aomen Road and Changhua Road). Open daily 10am to 7pm. Tel. 6359-3923. Web-site: www.shanghartgallery.com  .
Art 50 is on the 50th floor of the Novotel Atlantis Hotel. Click on: www.artnetworking.com  . The Westin Hotel also has a gallery.
Books: Several hotels like the Jin Jiang sell books in English. The Foreign Languages book store has a good selection also. It is at 390 Fuzhou Road. Tel. 6322-3200. Open 9am-5:30pm. Tess Johnson has a book out about the old architecture. A good book is Shanghai Boy, Shanghai Girl by Betty Barr and George Wang – about growing up poor in Shanghai.

Carpets: The Shanghai General Carpet Factory only has silk carpets of up to 1000 knots per square inch. A 5.5 X 8 foot, 625 knots per square inch carpet including shipping to Europe can be about US$5400 unless you’re very good at haggling. It’s at 25 Caobao Road, 200233. Tel. 6483-7184 and 6483-0929. Fax 6483-7314. E-mail: silkrug@online.sh.cn  . It is near the Cao Bao Road metro station, one stop southwest of the Shanghai Stadium.

Clothes: Shanghai Tang, the interesting, very upscale silk clothing store, has a branch in the Jinjiang Hotel at 59 Maoming Nan Road opposite the Garden Hotel. It also has a branch in the Shangri-La Pudong. This beautiful store has branches in London, Paris, Hong Kong, New York and Zurich.

In 2006, the city was threatening to close the popular Xiangyang Market, the local flea market with down jackets for Y115 and peddlers selling different qualities of pirated purses, golf clubs, boots, and Gore-Tex knock-offs. Most hotels have cards in Chinese and English to show taxi drivers. If it’s still there, it’s on Huaihai Zhong Road between Shaanxi Nan Road and Xiangyang Nan Road—a huge place.

I had a couple of tank tops made at Silk King across and to the left as you leave the Xiangyang Market on Huaihai Zhong Road. The tailor spoke no English but I had a sample of what I wanted – which was a fabric that didn’t need ironing to look good. It took a couple of weeks to make but needed one fitting. It is better ironed. In this department, China has to catch up with Japan for non-iron fabirics. It also has a very wide selections of cashmere, wool and brocade fabrics. Silk King displays photos showing one of their famous customers Hilary Clinton. It has a branch on Nanjing pedestrian road too.

I saw a street with several shops full of beautiful, luxurious white wedding gowns at considerably lower prices than in Europe or America. One is close to the Westin Hotel so you might ask the concierge there for directions. Several are around 764 Renmin Road. I’m told Suzhou has a whole street full of such shops even cheaper. If you’re planning on getting married, do consider these. Luxurious white floor length dresses start at Y200 and go up to about Y764.

Department stores: my favourite for lower prices on Nanjing Road is the New World at the west end of the pedestrian mall. For the lower prices there’s Carrefour in Gubei out towards Hongqiao Airport, and probably Walmart in Pudong. Carrefour Gubei Shopping Center is at 266 Shui Cheng Nan Road.

Electronics: A lot of electronics such as cameras, computers and home theatre equipment are at the Taiping Yang Mall, near the Jianguo (Binguan) Hotel (Jiujiahui subway Station). Though I found some merchants asleep, this is a very busy place. Before you buy, make sure the directions are in English (unless you read Chinese), your purchase has the same voltage as in your home country and you can get an international guarantee.

Pirated DVDs. You can still pick up pirated DVDs for seven yuan each of recent Hollywood and Chinese movies but there’s been a crack down lately, so don’t buy too many.

Pearls: I went to the Pearl Market at the Yuyuan Garden three times and each time taxis took me to a different place. This is in a huge area, a maze of narrow streets. You can get easily lost and the posted maps are not helpful. If you can find the old Town God temple, you’re within a block of it. Your hotel concierge should be able to write down the name in Chinese. The sign is in Chinese. It is open 8:30am to 6pm. It is at the corner of Fuyuan Road and Old Jiao Chang Road, next to the orange-coloured temple and across the road from the Classical Hotel. The pearls are on the third floor. An easier to find but small pearl store is on the Nanjing Road Dong pedestrian mall at No. 558. Second and third floors. Web-site www.daxipearl.com  .

Silk: The silk factory Gu Si Chou Wen Hua De Chong Xian on Macau Road, is full of ready-made new and old style silk clothing, as well as the popular light weight silk fibre comforters. You might be able to see a fashion show here. The telephone is 6266-0378 or 6266-1416. Branch at 125 Jiu Xiao Chang Road (beneath the International Shopping Centre in Yuyuan Garden) at Fang Bang Zhong Road.

Restaurants:
See also each hotel area above for restaurants. Food prices were mainly collected in 2004.
Warning: For those who do not want monosodium glutamate in their food, the word in Chinese is “mei jing” as in “Wo bu yao mei jing. “ “I don’t want MSG.” You can have a friend write this for you in Chinese. But be aware that almost all soy sauce has this flavour enhancer in it. If you can’t find someone to write it for you, you can buy cards with it and other allergy alerts with it on – from: www.selectwisely.com  .
Top hotels, especially the five stars can cater fancy functions in the Yuyuan Garden, the Shanghai Museum, and boats on the Huangpu River. Some like the Westin have done a 650 guest sit-down dinner in the Shanghai Exhibition Centre (which is now beautifully renovated.)

1. Xintiandi is an area of restaurants and boutiques. It was not looking as upscale as it used to but I still like to go there for dinner and hanging out. It’s got too many peddlers selling cheap trinkets now. Huangpi Rd. Nan subway stop on the no. 1 line. A map of the area is on: http://www.xintiandi.com/site/Default.aspx?tabid=191). Its web-site is jazzy. Click on http://www.xintiandi.com/site/  and http://www.shuion.com/eng/SOL/pptdev/xin.asp  to learn about its history. The telephone for its Visitor Information Center is 3307-0337.

We enjoyed Brazilian churreso at its Latina Restaurant (Tel. 6320-3566). The food at Simply Thai is very good with medium prices like Y35 to Y68 for starters, Y65 to Y88 for seafood, Y45 for curries, Y45 to Y50 for main dishes, Y40 for vegetables and Y40 to Y65 for rice or noodles. It takes credit cards and is open 11am to 12 midnight and isn’t the least bit fancy. Tel. 6326-2088. T8 , also in Xintiandi, has a good reputation for excellent fusion food and high prices to match. Entrees were Y200 to Y300 but you get to cuddle teddy bears while you wait. At the German Paulaner Brauhaus, entrees went from Y165 to Y220. There is Vegeatary, a vegetarian restaurant with trendy healthy cuisine, it says. Mango salads are Y18, bean curd topped with sea weed with red chilis and dried sunflower stem Y16, and fresh aloe vera with black sugar and yogurt Y12. Friends recommended Va Bene there too. If you need to meet friends in Xintiandi, there’s a convenient Starbucks where in October, they give away samples of moon cake.

2. The Bund
M on the Bund. A two-course dinner cost Y118 (in 2004), and a three-course Y138. It has a dress code and is at 7/F, No. 5 The Bund. Entrance on Guangdong Road. Tel. 6350-9988 and fax 6322-0099. Web-site: m-onthebund.com   . Dinner every evening is 6pm to 10:30pm. The bar is open 5pm until “late.” It is also open 11:30am-2:30pm. Desserts are 3pm to 5pm Tuesdays to Fridays. Western cuisine.

Three on the Bund (3 Zhong Shan Dong Yi Road, Tel. 6329-0420) is even flossier. For a Time magazine review: http://www.time.com/time/asia/2005/boa/boa_3bund.html      . I haven’t been able to afford it. At the highly recommended Jean Georges’ romantic French restaurant, a coffee is Y32 to Y38 and beer Y43 to Y48. There’s also a Chinese restaurant here and a genuine Giorgio Armani store is on the ground floor.

3. Other areas
Dongbei Ren Home Style Jiaozi Restaurant is a particular favourite of mine. It is almost next door to the City Hotel on Shaanxi Nan Road and specializes in northeast Chinese food. It has a noisy fun atmosphere and eat-with-your-hands pork knuckles. The cheerfulness is infectious as staff in bright red and green peasant dress give a welcome chant in unison. Spare ribs have been Y28. You’ll see people eating pigs knuckles or vertebrate with plastic gloves. These are yummy too and only cost Y20 each. Gou bangzi roast chicken is also Y20 and stir fried silk worm chrysalises are Y28 (actually very tasty) while braised donkey meat is Y38. Stir-fried pork with sweet and sour sauce is Y20 and lamb shanks Er Zhuzi style are Y9 a piece. Tel. 5228-8288 or 5228-9898. Web-site: www.dongbeiren.com.cn  (mainly in Chinese). This place is usually packed at meal times so go early or late. This restaurant is about one kilometre from the JC Mandarin. If you go to Dongbei Ren, you can walk from there along Shaanxi Nan Road past the City Hotel to the Xiangyang Market. All kinds of name-brand women’s clothes, stylish bags, and golf club boutiques are along this street. This is where local and expat women like to shop for Gucci shoes, fancy tee shirts (Y10 to Y19) and fashionable dresses. Stores here are open 10am to 11pm. Dresses and suits are more fashionable here than in Xiangyang market (which has more sportswear) and there’s less confusion – but watch out for damaged goods and seconds.
I love Uighur food so decided to try the Uighur Restaurant next door to the Dongbei Ren and in the food markets. Yikes. Don’t bother. The spices have been toned down for Shanghainese tastes. I found the outdoor barbecues in the markets spicier for kebobs though the meat wasn’t as good.

4. Historical noodle shop. Near the Shaanxi/Shanxi Nan Road metro station is a little noodle restaurant on second floor that is famous with locals. It is very cheap, historical and good. The décor is dumpy old Shanghai in red and black. It is behind and on the same side of the road as the Printemps Springtime department store. Look for 141 Shanxi Nan Road, second floor. – very hard to find. Look for a sign that says “MGM” though it is no relation. It is next to the “Little Country Restaurant” above the Z Adore House. Ask your Shanghai friends. The name is only in Chinese and I couldn’t find anyone to give me the pin yin. Besides, there are no signs in pin yin. It is open 11am to 2:30pm and 5pm to 9:30pm. Wonton soup has been Y5. No credit cards of course. They didn’t have them in the 1920s. Like the old days, you pay in cash when you order and chopsticks do not come wrapped or disposable. But old musical instruments decorate its walls.

5. Historical buildings with restaurants. Many of the old buildings are now restaurants. I can’t vouch for the food, but they are classy and beautiful and friends who live in Shanghai have recommended them. Among these is the Da Gong Guan, at 1110 Huaihai Road in an old French style mansion. Tel. 6415-7777, 6415-6666. Fax 6415-2280 (soft drinks and beer have been Y40. Steamed dumplings are Y26 per piece. Cod fish Y118.) Chairman Mao’s widow Jiang Qing used to put on theatricals in Sasha’s. Chiang Kai-shek also lived there, but at a different time. The food is now east-west fusion. It’s at House 11, 9 Dong Ping Road (at Heng Shan Road). Tel. 6474-6166. The bar is on the ground floor.
Italian food is available in a former Russian Orthodox Church called Ashanti Dome near the Xiangyang Market. (16 Gaolan Road/Sinan Road. Tel. 5306-6777. Open for dinner 6pm to about 10pm daily, and for lunch on Saturday and Sunday 11am-2:30pm. It takes all credit cards and has a nude woman in a stained glass window. I’m not sure what relation that has to the church.

Another interesting restaurant is the Ye Olde Station Restaurant in an 1921 French monastery which has in its garden a railway carriage used by Empress Dowager Ci Xi and another used by Mme Soong Qing Ling, widow of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, father of republican China. It’s at 201 Caoxi Bei Road at Zhaojiabang Road and across from St. Ignacious Cathedral (Xujiahui da jaiotang). The telephone number is 6427-2233 and its Chinese menu includes rice with crab meat for Y68, deep fried king pigeon for Y28, braised spare rib with chili and spiced salt for Y28 and steamed dumplings with hairy crab roe Y12.

There’s also The 7, at 7 Donghu Road, near Huaihai Zhong Road, an old mansion with a huge garden. It is near the Xiangyang Market. Tel. 6415-7777.
If it’s an old atmosphere you want, the ball room at the Peace Hotel is still beautiful. And the Garden Hotel has incorporated the old French Club ball room into its modern hotel. Tess Johnson has a couple books out about the old architecture which you can find in most English-language book stores.

6. People’s Square.
Kathleen’s 5 Rooftop Restaurant is on the 5th floor of the Shanghai Art Museum at 325 Nanjing Xi Road. Tel. 6327-2221. Open ll:30am-midnight or so Takes credit cards. Web-site: www.Kathleens5.com.cn is in English. This is in People’s Square east of the main entrance of the JW Marriott Hotel and almost across the road from the Radisson. I must admit I haven’t eaten there yet. But I ate in Kathleen’s when she had a restaurant in Guangzhou and the standards were good. Things have gone upscale and much more expensive since then and Kathleen’s has now survived for several years here. The location in the old museum is great and it has afternoon tea from 3pm to 5pm for Y65. For dinner, it has an innovative fusion menu: soup Y40 and Y45, appetizers Y40-Y70, main dishes Y130-Y240, and side orders Y25 and Y35. Grilled king prawns were Y220, and chocolate brownies Y50. You can host a cocktail party there for about Y150 per person. It also has a series of dance performances.
Our group had a wonderful banquet at the Meilongzhen Restaurant. It’s at 1081 Nanjing Xi Road. Tel. 6253-5353 and 6256-6688. Opened in 1938, this restaurant is between the Shanghai Centre and the JW Marriott and serves Sichuan, Yangzhou and Shanghai food. Ask for the brochure that gives a brief history and pictures of some of its dishes with labels in English.

7. Xiangyang Market
The Café Montmartre (French) at 55-57 Xiangyang Nan Road on the corner of Huaihai Road beside the Xiangyang Market had a good lunch special of Y35 for a sandwich and a drink. For Y45 you can get a choice of 10 entrees and a drink. Otherwise the grilled beef rib eye with pepper sauce is Y128, the veal Y88, and grilled lamb chops are Y130. You can sit on a balcony overlooking the Xiangyang market while your spouse shops. Food was quite good. Tel. 5404-7658. Shaanxi/Shanxi Nan Road metro station is on the other side of Xiangyang market from here.

8. Other Foreign Restaurants.
If you’re tired of Chinese food, the best western food is in the hotels like the Portman Ritz-Carlton, the JW Marriott, the Shangri-La and the Four Seasons. Georges at Three on the Bund and M on the Bund. These are very expensive.
You can find some relatively cheap places in Xintiandi and there’s TGIF and other restaurants on Hengshan Road. Not cheap is Tony Roma’s for ribs in the Shanghai Centre. Ashanti Dome and Cafe Montmartre are listed above. And of course there are the ubiquitous foreign chains: McDonald’s, KFC, Pizza Hut and Subway.

For Indian food there’s Tandoor in the Jin Jiang Hotel – Maoming Nan Road and Changle Road. Tel. 6472-5494 – a beautiful setting and not cheap. Avoid the Ashoka near the JW Marriott. I didn’t find it authentic. For a lovely outdoor park setting, try the Bali Laguna in Jingan Park especially at dusk for Indonesian food.

For Mexican, try Zapata’s at 5 Hengshan Road at Dongping Road. Tel 6474-6628.

Fun and Interesting Places to Visit:
On the Puxi side:
Acrobats. The Shanghai Acrobats are still spectacular and entertaining, among the best and most theatrical in the country. They are continually improving their routines so if you’ve seen them before, don’t let that stop you. They perform at Shanghai Circus World (2266, Gonghexin Road at 7:30pm) and the Shanghai Centre Theatre (1376 Nanjing Xi Road, 7:30pm.) For information, tel. 6652-1930. Web-site: www.circus-world.com  . Your concierge or travel agent can arrange tickets.

Aquariums and swimming with sharks. You can scuba in a huge tank with tropical fish and two-meter long sharks at the Australian-run Shanghai Chang Feng Ocean World. It is open daily 8:30am to 5pm. Admission Y80 for a child and Y110 for an adult. You can get scuba diving lessons and your kids can probably stay there overnight. You can also snorkel with four-meter long Beluga whales – they don’t like bubbles. There’s a daily show and glass bottom boat rides. Ask for Dave or Anthony. Gate 4 Chang Feng Park, 451 Da Du He Road, Pu Tuo District, 200062. Tel 6286-6399, 5281-8888 X 6868. Mobile: 13701764231. Fax: 6286-1355. E-mail: Anthony@oceanworld.com.cn  . Web-site: www.oceanworld.com.cn  . Take the sightseeing bus from Shanghai Stadium 6A, 6B or subway line No. 2 to Zhong Shan Park and then bus 67 or taxi to Gate 4 Chang Feng Park.

Another aquarium is in Pudong and it’s also good. It’s at 158 Yin Chen Bei Road. Tel. 5877-9988 between 9am and 9pm.Web-site is: www.aquarium.sh.cn  . Y110 for adults, Y65 for seniors with identification and Y70 for children under 140 cm/about 55 inches. It also has live sharks – but you can’t swim with them. See also: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-12/20/content_3945846.htm  about its sharks.

Ballroom dancing is at the Paramount in Jing’an across the road from the Jing’an Temple. There you can tango, fox trot, or waltz in a huge ball room every afternoon for about Y40. You can hire a dance escort for at least Y400 an hour too – so your reluctant spouse doesn’t have to go with you. A couple of the women can speak English and who needs English with a good male dancer in the lead. The music is from the 1930s and 1940s. Performances and demonstrations are at 8:30pm. There’s dinner and a show on the 4th floor. Telephone for current hours at 6249-8866. Operator Jane who speaks English works 10:30am to 5:30pm. Its web-site is only in Chinese but there are pictures: www.sh-paramount.com  .

Churches. The interdenominational Community Church is another relic from the 1920s and is a good place to meet other foreigners. It is at 53 Hengshan Road. Tel. 6437-6576 or 6471-8358. It has several packed services on Sunday in English and Chinese.

English Corners. I visited the English Corner/Salon at the Eluofar Café and Restaurant at 1680 Huaihai Zhong Road opposite the Shanghai Library. I found the address in one of the free tourist magazines. For the price of a drink (Y5 to Y20), it was fun sitting and chatting with local students, lawyers, and other professionals in English from 2pm to 5pm. The tourist magazines will tell you the exact day of the week.

Jewish Synagogue: Mr. Wang Fa Liang who speaks English, was still giving tours recently in the old Jewish area behind the Ocean Hotel which housed 25,000-30,000 Jewish refugees from Nazi Europe. He is off Saturdays and Wednesdays. The museum in the old synagogue is open daily from 9am to 4pm. The entrance fee is Y50. It is at 62 Changyang Dong Road. Next door is an art exhibition inspired by Jewish symbols and on the top floor is an attic room with furnishings collected from some of the homes. Mr. Wang was born in 1919 and lived in the area.

About 300 Jews, mainly business people from Israel, live in Shanghai, including Rabbi Shalom D Greenberg of the Shanghai Jewish Centre, Shang-Mira Garden, Villa 2, 1720 Hongqiao Road, 200336. Tel. 6278-0225. E-mail: rabbishalom@yahoo.com  or sjc@chinajewish.org . Web-site: www.chinajewish.org  or www.shanghai-jews.com . E-mail: shanghaijews@hotmail.com . Tel. 13002146702 for tours. Ask for Mr. Dvir Bal Gal. Yes, the centre has Kosher food made fresh daily which can be delivered to your hotel. Ask about the old Jewish tombstones project.

Museums. The renown Shanghai Museum is at 201 Renmin Avenue in People’s Square. Tel 6372-3500. It is open 9am to 5pm with the last tickets sold at 4pm. Entry fee has been Y20, with more for an electronic guide. This must not be missed.

See also Pudong below for the highly recommended History Museum in the basement of the Oriental Pearl Tower.
Xintiandi has a museum called Open House worth visiting that shows you how people used to live in old Shanghai with genuine relics. You can learn the details of its traditional shikumen architecture there. This museum is in the middle of Xintiandi at 25, Lane 181, Taicang Road, Tel. 3307-0337. E-mail: openhouse@shuion.com.cn.  Y20 for adults and Y10 for children and seniors (over 60).

Spas are blossoming out all over. A good one is the Banyan Tree at the Westin Hotel with prices cheaper than in North America.
The Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center in People’s Square does have a reproduced life-size street in old Shanghai, but it’s more for people interested in Shanghai as a city. It gives a lot of statistics. Its 600 square meter scale model of year 2020 is marvellous – the largest planning model in the world. It is open 9am to 5pm, Monday to Thursday and to 6pm on Friday to Sunday. Y25 for adults with an additional Y40 for an Acoustiguide. You can get a human guide for Y400. 100 Renmin Da Dao. Tel. 6372-2077, or 6318-4477 X 226.

On the Pudong side:
The Science and Technology Museum is on the northwest side of the huge Century Park. The web-site: http://www.sstm.org.cn/english/index.htm  will tell you all about it. It’s a very impressive institution with lots of interactive exhibits, giant-sized snakes, an IMAX 3-dimentional theatre and it is great for children and adults alike. Admission for adults Y60, students Y45, and seniors over 70 with identification Y20. Seniors over 80 and members of the People’s Liberation Army, free. Open 9am to 3:30pm. Tel. 6854-2000. Expect to have your bags x-rayed on entering.
Sightseeing Towers: There are two sightseeing towers within walking distance of each other for great views of this vast city. I prefer the Jin Mao sightseeing tower which also houses the Grand Hyatt. If you also want to see the History Museum, it is more convenient to go to the Oriental Pearl Tower.

The basement of the Oriental Pearl Tower has life-size three-dimensional panoramas of the sights of Old Shanghai with its sounds but fortunately not its smells. It is well worth a visit to see tea merchants, people quarrelling, hawkers, and singing children. You can see a wonderfully carved and gilded bridal sedan chair and wheel barrel rickshaws. You can see videos of people moving around the old houses, an interesting technique that other museums should take note of. While you are in this building, you can also take a ride to the sightseeing pod for the view.

The Jin Mao’s sightseeing tower is open 8:30am to 9pm daily and costs Y50 for adults and Y25 for children. Children under 80 cm. are free. Seniors are Y30. A sign warns those who are pregnant, have heart disease and high blood pressure against using this high speed elevator. In 2004, it still showed a picture of New York’s World Trade Centre as its rival in height.

Insectarium. This is another place for children though adults might not find the workmanship up to North American standards. It is north of the Exhibition Centre and the Lujiazui subway, and you’ll see rows of giant plaster or plastic creatures along the driveway. It has live caterpillars, goats, and cute rabbits and gerbils that can be fed.

Maglev, said to be the world’s fastest train. Many people ask about riding the Maglev train. It travels at 431 kilometres an hour for a minute or two. It only goes for 30 kilometres and take eight minutes from the Longyang metro station to the Pudong Airport. It is not for people carrying lots of luggage. There is no one to help you carry it at either end, up and down stairs or escalator. There might or might not be carts available at the Pudong International Airport terminal. It goes every 15 minutes between 8:30am and 5:30pm and is more of a tourist attraction and yes, if you’re quick, you can get your picture taken beside its pointed nose. I do find the Maglev and metro combination handy and cheaper than a taxi from downtown but the walkway from its terminal into the airport building is not air-conditioned and unbearable in the summer. A small museum train buffs should see is at the Longyang metro station. Prices for the ride keep changing. It’s about Y50 for a one-way ticket and Y80 for a same day return ticket. 20% off if you have a plane ticket for that day. It has a more expensive VIP section with a steward who makes announcements and hopefully helps you carry your bags a couple of meters.

Plans are in the works to extend the Maglev train to Hangzhou before 2010. This route is less than 200 km. long and would take half an hour to that beautiful West Lake city. On the way, the train would stop near Hongqiao Airport.

Outside of Shanghai
Ancient villages. My friends told me that Wuzhen is the best of the ancient communities to see around Shanghai. Some are too expensive and commercial. Some are boring with nothing happening. Their favourite was this town in nearby Zhejiang province, on the way to Hangzhou.
The cheapest way to get there is to take a subway to Shanghai Stadium and Exit 2. From there you can see the huge Stadium. Look for Gate #5 under which is a bus station. It is always best to check out bus stations the day before to buy a ticket and make sure of departure times and places. But be prepared for surprises. The bus to Wuzhen left from one of the doors outside Exit 2 of the ticket hall, and not beside the sign that said “Wuzhen” in English. Keep asking people and show your ticket.

The bus was air-conditioned and comfortable. It had two video monitors and a toilet. An attendant gave out bottles of water. I was fortunate to find a visiting student from Xi’an sitting beside me who was kind enough to act as my guide during our stop. It took 2 ½ hours to get there. No food was included and we went to a nearby restaurant outside the park because it was cheaper than inside. I don’t remember seeing any decent restaurants inside. We were allowed to stay there 4 ½ hours which was just enough time to eat and walk leisurely around this lovely old village, looking at the wood carving, the cotton ginning, and the batik making. One of the old mansions housed a bed museum with fancy carved and gilded canopies. For Y80 extra, you can hire a boat that seats 8 for a short trip along its canal.

My volunteer guide said the place didn’t interest him because Xi’an people see old villages like this in Xi’an. But I did find it attractive, fascinating and worth the trip. It was more interesting than the other such villages visited.

Airports:
Shuttle buses go between the Pudong International Airport and the downtown Shanghai Airport City Building (SACB), at 1600 Nanjing Xi Rd. (near Jin’an Temple subway station), from 6am to 9.30pm, every 20 minutes. They usually operates 24 hours a day and costs Y19 per person. It takes between 45 minutes and an hour.

From downtown Shanghai, the trip to Pudong airport by subway is Y3 to Longyang Road Subway Station in Pudong. From there if you take the high-speed Maglev train, it’s about Y50. From downtown Puxi to Pudong airport, it costs about Y125 by taxi. The Maglev is much faster and cheaper but you have to carry luggage up and down stairs. See also Maglev above.

The Pudong airport has international ATMs that take VISA, MasterCard, Cirrus, and Maestro cards. It has stores, air ticket sales, a tea house, Bank of China for exchanging money, drug store, restaurants and coffee shops (Y35 for coffee and Y35 and Y40 for fried rice.) If you’re meeting someone, you can go up to the second floor and look down on arriving passengers waiting for their luggage. Both airports have places to leave luggage but I always leave mine at hotels because one doesn’t have to pay for storage there.

For those on a budget, shuttle buses go from the Pudong Airport to Hongqiao airport, the Airport City Building near Jing’an Temple (less than a kilometre from the Hilton), Longyang and Xujiahui metro stations (near the Shangri-La and Grand Hyatt), and the Galaxy Hotel in Hongqiao (near the Renaissance Yangtze and Sheraton Grand Tai Ping Yang Hotel and Rainbow Hotels. One goes to Daping Road and Wujiaochang and the Hong kou Football Stadium near Luxun Park. One goes to Lujiazui Financial Centre, People’s Square and the Shanghai Railway Station (a couple hundred meters from Holiday Inn Downtown). A couple stop at Century Park and Dongfang Road (near the InterContinental, Holiday Inn Pudong, Purple Mountain, and St. Regis.) From these places you can catch a taxi but don’t expect help from a hotel doorman – because you might not be dropped off at a hotel.

The Long Distance Bus Ticket Office is between gates 8 and 9 on the arrival floor. It has service to Suzhou, Nanjing, and Hangzhou.
The Hongqiao airport has a Lost and Found booth open 8:30am to 8:30pm. The Left Luggage is open 8am to 9:30pm and you should be able to buy flight schedules there for major domestic airlines. It has a hotel booking service. The Chalon Restaurant is open 6:30am to 8:30pm. There are lots of ATMs. The ground floor has a police station. A McDonald’s is outside to the right. Avis has a booking office for chauffeur-driven cars. The bus from this airport to the Pudong airport leaves from 6am at regular intervals and takes one hour. You can get buses across the road from Arrivals to Suzhou for about Y50, Wuxi for Y80, Hangzhou for Y85 and Nanjing for Y100.

Flight tickets: Prices for domestic flights are crazy. Check with several travel agencies and airlines. Flights leaving at different times of the day might have different prices. Flights booked one month before might be cheaper, said one travel agent, but discounts depend on when the airlines release seats.
The difference for one of my flights was Y400 from Beijing to Xining. One travel agent in 2005 said it cost Y920 to fly between Shanghai to Beijing but Beijing to Shanghai could be Y600 – if bought in Beijing. Check with www.eLong.net  and other travel agents for its domestic flight prices.
Guides: see Travel Agencies.

Internet Bar near Sofitel Hotel. Y6 an hour. From the Sofitel Hotel, take a right onto Nanjing Road, past the Pizza Hut and Yashinoya to the Youngor Store. If you pass the KFC, you’ve gone too far. Go into this clothing store past the escalator to the elevators. It’s on the fourth floor and you have to get a card.
All Starbucks coffee shops have wireless access.

Passports. One of our group lost his U.S. passport on a tour bus in Wuhan. He got a police certificate from Wuhan and his Wuhan guide was able to get him onto a plane to Shanghai. After his arrival in Shanghai, he got a replacement in three days from American Citizen Services in the U.S. consulate on the 8th floor, 1038 Nanjing Xi Road in the mall with the Meilongzhen Department Store, Tel. 3217-4650 or after hours 6433-3936. Open 8am to 11:30am and 1:30pm to 3:30pm Monday to Friday. Closed on Tuesday afternoons, weekends and holidays. This is across the road from the JC Mandarin. Fortunately he was carrying his birth certificate.

Photography: if your memory cards are full, you can download them to a CD or DVD at many Kodak stores. In 2004 I found prices ranging from Y10 to Y25 per card. Expect to wait 20 minutes to an hour while this is done. Just look for a yellow Kodak sign or ask your hotel.

Subway map: a map of the present and future Shanghai subway and light rail system is on the web-site: http://www.urbanrail.net/ as /shan/shanghai.htm   .
Tourist Information: The Shanghai Tourist Information & Service Center has a web-site: http://www.shanghaitour.net/cms/cn/index.jsp  . Unfortunately this site operates only in Chinese as do most of the tourist offices in Shanghai. You should be able to pick up free maps and brochures in English there but there’s more variety at China Tourist Offices abroad. Offices are in New York City, London, Toronto, Tokyo, Paris, etc. For complaints, try the Shanghai Tourism Quality Supervisory Office, e-mail: shatqso@stn.sh.cn  . Tel. 6439-3615. You should also be able to get information inside the arrival hall at the two airports and in the lobbies of major tourist hotels in English.

Every hotel, restaurant or bar frequented by expatriates should have a pile of free maps of Shanghai, and tourist magazines with restaurants listed by type of food like French or Sichuan. Some of these also have names and addresses in Chinese to show taxi drivers. Ask your hotel concierge for Shanghai Today, That’s Shanghai, City Weekend, etc.

Travel Agents. For a good freelance guide, try CoCo Tang. Tel. 138-161-10410. A good travel agency is Spring International at 1558 DingXi Road, across the street from the Mayfair Hotel. Contact Sally Shao, Tel. 6240-1255. Great West Travel Agency is now in room 563 in the Shanghai Centre. Tel. 6279-8489. I think I saw a tourist information centre in the square west of the Sofitel Hotel on Nanjing Dong Road but don’t expect English.

--RLM DATES 2004 and 2005 with hotel price updates in 2006.
* * *

I spent one day in this city, time enough to find out that the Tie Mu Zhen Mongolian barbecue restaurant (page 293) has now closed. However, another Mongolian barbecue restaurant in the same general area has now opened. It is quite good, with smaller tables and simple decor - how can the food not be good when you pick your own ingredients and sauces? The price is a reasonable Y28 each person if you have a group of 10 or more. It's Y50 per person for only two people. The telephone number is 64369293 and it's at 528 Qinzhou Road, around the corner from the Shanghai Silk Carpet Factory on Caobao Road. Open 11am-2pm and 4pm to 8pm. 

Tour buses will probably take you to the Tian Hou Silk Company also in the Hongqiao area where you can see a good silk worm demonstration and the making of very light silk quilts. Its showroom is recommended for one-stop silk shopping with good variety - but prices are probably cheaper elsewhere for scarves, purses, ties, robes, pyjamas, blouses, and jackets. It gives an interesting fashion show. The address is 308, Hongjing Road, Tel. 64060528, fax 64060578. 

Our group loved the Xiangyang/Huating Market (page 309) where they bought "GORE-tex" jackets for about Y200 each. This market might be moving to Pudong. 

Because it was the November hairy crab season, three of us ate dinner at the Shing Lung Hong (Crab) restaurant, a delightful-looking eatery in old Shanghai style with a second floor balcony overlooking a ground floor courtyard. The delightful waitress explained that the male was sweeter than the female and cheaper, and we chose one medium-sized one which cost Y300 - just for the crab. It was almost worth the expensive price just to watch the waitress (wearing plastic gloves) take the meat out of the shell (a process you can also watch from a street-side window). The rest of the meal for the three of us, all crab dishes in one form or other, cost Y300. The experience was not cheap but the food was excellent, a once-in-a-life experience for crab lovers. This restaurant is at 216 Jiujiang Road (the street parallel to Nanjing pedestrian street). Tel. 63212010 or Fax 63390466. 

Our group spent two nights at the New Jinjiang Tower which is not in my 2002 edition because there are better hotels. I found it much improved with a handy ATM in the lobby. Breakfast on the top floor revolving restaurant with a little disappointing as it was nowhere near the lavishness of the Grand Hyatt and Shangri-La, but then it's much cheaper. It does have eggs made to order. The staff greeted me in Japanese which indicates its main clientele. The gym only has 9 or 10 pieces and the pool is 22 X 8 meters. Some rooms and the lobby area were renovated last summer. But its main entrance is clogged with cars and taxis. 

Our guide said the city now has 70 McDonald's, 70 KFCs and 30 Pizza Huts, and 3000 construction cranes. Traffic gridlock downtown was endemic even at 4:30pm. -
RLM, DATE, November, 2003. 

* * *
 

Back to the Updates Index             

Click here to Order
Ruth Malloy's China Guide 2002 Edition
From Amazon.com

Back To Ruth Lor Malloy Home Page

Copyright © 2008 by Ruth Lor Malloy. All rights reserved

Web Site Design and Maintenance
tdc Marketing and Management Consultation