= 7Xekjj^_iXeea Hek]^=k_Z[iVgZYZh^\cZYidWZ\ddYidgZVYVcYZVhnidjhZ#I]ZWdd`^h Y^k^YZY^cidi]Z[daadl^c\hZXi^dchVcYndjh]djaYWZVWaZidÒcYl]ViZkZgndj cZZY^cdcZd[i]Zb# I]Z^cigdYjXidgnYebekhi[Yj_ed^hYZh^\cZYid\^kZndjV[ZZa[dgH]Vc\]V^! hj\\Zhi^c\l]Zcid\dVcYl]Vicdiidb^hh!VcY^cXajYZhV[jaaa^hid[Yedj[dji# I]ZcXdbZhXWi_Yi![dgegZ"YZeVgijgZ^c[dgbVi^dcVcYdi]ZgegVXi^XVa^i^Zh# I]ZY_joX]VeiZghXdkZgZVX]VgZVd[H]Vc\]V^^cYZei]!\^k^c\XdbegZ]Zch^kZ VXXdjcihd[Vaai]ZViigVXi^dch!l]^aZi]Zb_ij_d]ihZXi^dc\^kZhndji]Z adlYdlcdcVXXdbbdYVi^dc!ZVi^c\!h]dee^c\VcYbdgZ#I]Z[nYkhi_edi X]VeiZgYZhXg^WZhhdbZYVn"VcYlZZ`ZcYig^ehWZndcYi]ZX^in# 9edj[njiÒaahndj^cdc]^hidgnVcYWdd`h!l]^aZ[jgi]ZgYebekh_di[hji ^cigdYjXZH]Vc\]V^ÉhWj^aY^c\WddbVcY8]^cVÉh gZ\^dcVaXj^h^cZh!VcYbWd]kW][\^kZhndjVcZmiZch^kZ bZcjgZVYZgVcYZcdj\]8]^cZhZid\ZiWn# CZmiXdbZhi]ZicWbbfh_dj!^cXajY^c\YZiV^ahd[]dlidhZcY ^cjeYViZhVcYXdggZXi^dch!VcYVXdbegZ]Zch^kZ_dZ[n# 9ebekhcWfiXdkZg^c\i]ZX^inXVcWZ[djcYVii]ZWVX`d[i]ZWdd`# J^_iÓhij[Z_j_edfkXb_i^[ZCWhY^(&&.$ I]ZejWa^h]ZghVcYVji]dgh]VkZYdcZi]Z^gWZhiidZchjgZi]ZVXXjgVXnVcY XjggZcXnd[Vaai]Z^c[dgbVi^dc^cI]ZGdj\]<j^YZidH]Vc\]V^!]dlZkZg! i]ZnXVcVXXZeicdgZhedch^W^a^in[dgVcnadhh!^c_jgn!dg^cXdckZc^ZcXZ hjhiV^cZYWnVcnigVkZaaZgVhVgZhjaid[^c[dgbVi^dcdgVYk^XZXdciV^cZY^c i]Z\j^YZ# JH'/$//86C(*$// I SBN 978-1-84353-869-1 5 1 9 9 9 9 7 8 1 8 4 3 5 3 8 6 9 1 The Rough Guide to Shanghai written and researched by Simon Lewis NEW YORK • LONDON • DELHI www.roughguides.com Contents Colour section 1 Entertainment and art ....... 129 Shopping .......................... 135 Introduction ............................... 4 What to see................................ 7 Excursions 147 When to go .............................. 10 Things not to miss ................... 11 ! Around Shanghai .............. 149 Basics 17 Contexts 173 Getting there............................ 19 A short history of Shanghai.... 175 Arrival ..................................... 22 Books .................................... 182 Getting aroun d........................ . 25 The media ................................ 27 Language 185 Festivals and public holidays ... 28 Sport and activities ................. . 30 Pinyin..................................... 187 Culture and etiquette ............... 32 Pronunciation......................... 188 Travelling with children ............ 33 Useful words and phrases ..... 189 Travel essentials ..................... . 33 Menu reader .......................... 194 Glossary................................. 202 The City 45 Travel store 205 The Bund and Nanjing Dong Lu ............................. . 47 People’s Square .................. 57 Small print & Index 213 The Old City and around .... . 63 The Old French Concession..68 Shanghai’s building Jing’an ............................... . 79 boom colour section Pudong ............................... 86 following p.48 North of Suzhou Creek........ 93 South and west: Xujiahui China’s regional and beyond......................... 97 cuisines colour sect following p.112 Listings 101 Accommodation................ 103 Eating................................ 111 Colour maps following p.224 Drinking and nightlife ........ 123 3 Pudong skyline from the Bund Nanjing Dong Lu | CONTENTS | Introduction to Shanghai In the Roaring Twenties, Shanghai was a place of opportunity, famous for its style and decadence. Now, after decades of postwar neglect, the city has shaken off its communist mothballs, and exactly the same is true today. The great metropolis is undergoing one of the fastest economic expansions that the world has ever seen. Evidence of building is everywhere: there are three thousand skyscrapers now, more than in New York, and two thousand more are on their way. Suddenly Shanghai has China’s largest stock exchange and the world’s first commercial Maglev (magnetic levitation) train system; soon it will boast the world’s tallest building, and even its largest ferris wheel. By 2020, it is fully expected to be the richest economic region in the world. It’s not surprising then that your initia l impression of the city will be of bustle and upheaval, ubiquitous construction, ferociously crowded streets, and trafc c haos. Face d with all those ads, neon signs, showcase buildin gs and vast shopping plazas, it’s hard to imagine that you are in a communist countr y. Indeed, though dissent is quashed, as ever, outside the political arena an ything goes these days, and consumer capitalism and instant gratifcation appear to be the prevailing ideologies; witness all the gleaming new restaurant 4 and nightlife districts, the enthusiastic embrace of fashion, clubbin g and fne cuisine, the gay bars and red-light zones . | INTRODUCTION | WHAT TO SEE | WHEN TO GO Yet despite the rampant moder- Fact file nity, evidence of Shanghai’s short and inglorious history, when • Shanghai Municipality encom- it was carved by foreign powers passes 6,300 square kilometres, into autonomous concessions, is which includes Shanghai city, eight surrounding districts and everywhere, and parts of the city thirty islands. appear distinctly European. Looking • The city is governed by the like a 1920s vision of the future, Communist Party of China but prewar Art Deco buildings – relics enjoys a surprising degree of of hated foreign imperialism, now autonomy, to a degree which ironically protected as city monuments has begun to worry the central – abound, standing in the shadows of government in Beijing. brazen skyscrapers that share the • The official language is same utopian aesthetic. Mandarin, but locals can also speak a dialect called And Shanghai maintains its interna- Shanghainese. tional character. The Shanghainese • The population of Greater Shanghai is 21 million, which Faced with all those ads, neon includes 4 million migrant signs, showcase buildings and workers. vast shopping plazas, it's hard • Shanghai is the third to imagine that you are in a busiest port in the world, a fter communist country. Singapore and Hong Kong. The Shanghai region, includin g the adjoining provinces o f have always felt apart from the rest of Jiangsu and Zhejian g, accounts the country an d looked abroad for for almost a third of China‘s inspiration as well as business; now, foreign exports , and a fifth o f you’ll fnd more English spoken its manufacturing output is produced here. Each year, the here than in any ot her main land city attracts a quarter o f all city, see foreign mannerisms such China’s forei gn investment , as handshaking and air-kissing, and more than any s ingle devel- observe the current o bsession with oping country. international luxury brands. But look 5 | INTRODUCTION | WHAT TO SEE | WHEN TO GO The Maglev train closely and you’ll also fnd a distinctly Chinese identity asserting itself, whether in the renewal of interest in traditional entertainments such apse roa and acrobatics or in the revival of old architectural forms brought up-to-date for the city’s young elite. Like Hong Kong, its model for economic development, Shanghai does not brim with obvious attractions. Rather, its pleasures lie in some less expected pursuits. Unlike most Whether you treat yourself to the latest Chinese cities, Shanghai is outrageous concoction at a celebrity actually a rewarding place to restaurant or slurp noodles in a wander aimlessly: it’s fasci- neighbourhood canteen, you may well nating to stroll the elegant find eating to be the highlight of your trip. Bund, explore the pockets of colonial architecture in the former French Concession org et lost in the choking alleyways of the Old City, where traditional life continues much as it always has. The art scene is world class, and you can visit both fashy new art centres an d ramshackle complexes of studios in abandoned factories. Butp erhaps the city’s greatest draw is its emphasis on indulgence, and it’s hard to resist its many temptation. s The restaurant scene is superb, with every Chinese and most world cuisines represented; whether you treat yourself to the latest outrageous concoction at a celebrity restaurant or slurp noodles in a neighbourhood canteen, you may well fnd eating to be the highlight of your trip. There are so many great places to go for nightlife, from dive bars to slick clubs featuring international DJs, that some visitors rarely see daylight. And theshopping possibilities, at shiny malls, trendy boutiques and dusty markets, are endless; make sure you leave plenty of space in your suitcase. 6 M on the Bund | INTRODUCTION | WHAT TO SEE | WHEN TO GO What to see irst stop on every visitor’s itinerary is the famous Bund, an impressive strip of colonial edifces lining the west bank of the Huangpu River. As well as allowing you an insight into the city’s past, a wander along Fthe riverside afords a glimpse into its future – the awesome, skyscraper- spiked skyline on the ot her si de. Taking a river tour from here will give you a sense of the city’s scale. Heading west from the Bund down the old consumer cornucopia of Nanjing Dong Lu will bring you to People’s Square, the modern heart of the city, and home to a cluster of world-class museums, all worth a few hours of your time, and the leafy and attractive Renmin Park. Continuing west onto Nanjing Xi Lu brings you to the modern commer- cial district of Jing’an, where a couple of worthwhile temples, and the fantastic Moganshan Art District, provide welcome respite from all the 7 relentless materialism. | INTRODUCTION | WHAT TO SEE | WHEN TO GO Incense burner, Jade Buddha Temple The Oriental Pearl Tower, Pudong Heading south from People’s Square brings you to delightful Xintiandi, an upscale dining district housed in renovated traditional buildings, and a good introduction to the civilized pleasures of the former French Concession, which stretches west of here. As well as the best (and most exclusive) shopping, hotels and dining, on these incongruously European looking streets you’ll fnd a host of former residences of Shanghai’s original movers and shakers. 8 But Shanghai’s history was not all about the forei gners, as you’ll fnd i f you explore the Old City, south of the Bund, where most of the Chinese Century Park, Pudong | INTRODUCTION | WHAT TO SEE | WHEN TO GO