My husband & I planned to go to Shanghai in Dec. We planned to spend about 8 days there exploring the city and antique markets instead of joining those packed itinerary tours. IS it too long? WOuld it be too cold. Any suggestions?

Bring a coat for Shanghai, expect afternoon temps in the 40s. Hong Kong, now that is a place for December, their best month! <BR> <BR>Check www.weather.com for the exact average temps for every major city in the world.

Janice, I was in China last May and I personally think 8 days is too long for Shanghai. What is it you want to do there? Now, you can easily spend 8 days in Beijing. There is just so much to see--Great Wall, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Tian. Square, Peking Opera, etc. There are also great markets in Beijing. Out of all the places I have been to in China, Shanghai was my least favorite. It was far too "Western" for my tastes.

Janice - I agree with John's comment that 8 days in Shanghai alone is long... but do consider doing a few day trips (eg Hangzhou, Suzhou, Zhouzhuang etc)--- well worth the effort and you can do them without joining tours also, though you'll have to arrange your own transport (train or cab).

By all means Beijing!

Janice: Having just spent 19 days in China in September, I'd agree that 8 days in Shanghai is too long. Not to be missed in Shanghai is the beautiful, new Shanghai Museum. We had only a morning there, but we could have enjoyed a full day! I don't remember how long a special Tibetan exhibit of precious items, mostly from the Potala Palace, will be available, but it's definitely worth seeing. The museum store is a nice shopping place. Enjoy!

Thanks everyone. <BR> <BR>Will include Suchou & Hangchou in itinerary.

I have visited Shanghai and Suzhou in December. Unless you have special interests there, 2-3 days maximum for sightseeing and exploring. As for weather, we were told it was typical for that time of year--cold at night but warmer during day with some sunshine. Just needed long sleeves, pants, and a light/medium coat. <BR> <BR>The countryside and gardens will be as you'd expect in the winter--drab and brown. But Chinese gardens are not designed to have lots of blooms and colors anyway. <BR> <BR>We were in Beijing in late November one year and found it much colder. We wore down jackets, hats, and gloves for much of our sightseeing, especially the wall and tombs. For most people probably 3-5 days in Beijing area is sufficient.