Shanghai - we have 2 days - what's best to do there?
Oct 6th, 2006, 05:46 PM
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Shanghai - we have 2 days - what's best to do there?
hi, shanghai is the only place that we are doing on our own (the rest of our visit is with our tour group). what's your advice on the best places to visit? also, do most folks (and restaurants) speak english? we're afraid of how to order food, etc. thanks!
Oct 7th, 2006, 02:52 PM
#3
Is the tour group doing anything in Shanghai? For me the absolute do-not-miss sight is the Art Museum. Start with the jade on the top floor. Walking the Bund along the river is OK. Most tour groups go to the Yu Yuan Gardens and Jade Buddha Temple. Shanghai is changing so fast you really need to buy an up-to-date guide book and decide on what appeals to you.
Worst case in restaurants, point at someone else's food that looks good. Some places have pictures of the food. In small places you can indicate you want to go into the kitchen, where you can point at ingredients & they'll stir fry them for you - haven't tried that in Shanghai, though. Where are you staying? If it's a big hotel I'm sure the staff will speak some English & the restaurant will have a multilingual menu. Relax and have fun!
Worst case in restaurants, point at someone else's food that looks good. Some places have pictures of the food. In small places you can indicate you want to go into the kitchen, where you can point at ingredients & they'll stir fry them for you - haven't tried that in Shanghai, though. Where are you staying? If it's a big hotel I'm sure the staff will speak some English & the restaurant will have a multilingual menu. Relax and have fun!
Oct 7th, 2006, 03:18 PM
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Other than hotels, "most folks" do not speak English. Most places don't have English on the menus but photos are more common now. Non-smoking areas are basically nonexistent.
I've been hearing good things about the Shanghai Museum. The Bund is nice at night. If you use taxis, make sure you have your destination written in Chinese. Not all taxis are reliable. Stick with the larger taxi companies. Ask your hotel concierge for help. The names are written in Chinese on the light box on top.
I've been hearing good things about the Shanghai Museum. The Bund is nice at night. If you use taxis, make sure you have your destination written in Chinese. Not all taxis are reliable. Stick with the larger taxi companies. Ask your hotel concierge for help. The names are written in Chinese on the light box on top.
Oct 7th, 2006, 05:27 PM
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As previously stated, the museum is THE must-do in Shanghai. It's by far the best museum in Asia. Be sure to rent the headphones. You can wander the galleries in any order and dial up the commentary for wherever you happen to be. You will not be able to do the whole museum unless you plan to spend an entire day there. Take a few moments at the beginning to decide which areas interest you the most and target those. The exhibits are arranged by medium....ceramics, jade, bronze, etc.
Don't waste time in Pudong....a sterile concrete jungle. Yu Yuan Gardens are quite pretty.
Dong Tai Lu is a fun area to wander and shop for "antiques." Bargain ferociously and assume that everything you are told about a piece is fabricated to get you to buy it. You can still come away with some very nice cecorative items.
Xin Tien Di is a safe fun area at night.....lots of restaurants and pubs. Some good restaurants in the French Concession as well.
Don't waste time in Pudong....a sterile concrete jungle. Yu Yuan Gardens are quite pretty.
Dong Tai Lu is a fun area to wander and shop for "antiques." Bargain ferociously and assume that everything you are told about a piece is fabricated to get you to buy it. You can still come away with some very nice cecorative items.
Xin Tien Di is a safe fun area at night.....lots of restaurants and pubs. Some good restaurants in the French Concession as well.
