I'll be in Shanghai for 3 weeks the end of Feb and early March. Would very much appreciate ideas for day trips, sights in Shanghai and do the Yangtze river trips run at that time.? Any information would be very helpful. Thanks

Shanghai is not a tourist city, but from Shanghai you can go to many other nice place like SuZhou ( 1 hour/train ), HangZhou (2.5 hours/train ), etc. In Shanghai, the Cheng Huang Temple is a must, and nobody can miss the Bund, most famous sight of Shanghai. Nan Jing Road, so called no. 1 road in China, may be a choice to have a look. Huai Hai road is the choice for Shanghainese to shopping, you may find lots of fakes in a small road, Hua Tin, aside Huai Hai Road. Also, many pubs good to have a drink after 11:00pm... <BR> <BR>Shanghai may not a good start for the yangtze river trip, Yi Chang/Chong Qing may be the right place to go, but you may take a flight to Jiu Jiang/chongQing. 2 or 3 hours flight. <BR> <BR>From Shanghai, you may also go Huang Mountain, the best mountain to go in China I think. <BR> <BR>For any question, please send me email as I rarely to come here. To be a Shanghainese, I welcome everybody to visit China though lots of things to be improved, you will have fun here.

The new museum on People's Sq is a must, also the old museum of Shanghai history is interesting, but it may be closing for renovations. <BR>Along Hengshan road there is a new development with some good restaurants. The old French concession offers great street walking and people watching - and Sun Yatsen's and Zhou Enlai's old homes are in this area and worth a visit. Also try Madame Soong Qingling's old home. <BR>Visit the old town too and the Yu Gardens, but try not to do it on a weekend as the crowds are just too much. The tea house in the middle of the crooked bridge (upstairs) next to the gardens is a good stop, and nearby you can get the famous Shanghai dumplings called xiao long bao in Mandarin. <BR>You can take a boat tour from the bund (far end on the right as you look at the water) and/or go across to Pudong for good views of the Bund. The top of the Peace Hotel is open as well for drinks and views sometimes. <BR>Check out the website www.shanghai-ed.com for more - have fun!

You may also wish to see the French Concession area, where French colonialists used to live - I wish I could remember the main street name there. It has a very different style of architecture and many good pastry shops. The 3 hour cruise on the Huang-pu River to where it joins with the Yangtze is very interesting to get a view of the hustle and bustle of the port of Shanghai. I second the recommendation to go to Suzhou - it is kind of like a Chinese Venice, with many canals, pagodas, and beautiful gardens; you can also visit silk factories there.

Wow, you have been given some great advice so far. The only thing that I would add is to say that Suzhou is well worth at least a day trip from Shanghai.

Hello <BR> <BR>You are very lucky! Shanghai is a great place. I know it from a year I spent at the end of the 80s. It was fantastic, but I know that the city has changed a lot, and will have changed even from Nov. '94 which was when I last visited. <BR>I second all the tips on the previous postings, especially the Yu Yuan garden advice. You should also pop into the Peace Hotel {called Heping Fandian in the Chinese romanisation}. This is where Noel Coward stayed to write 'Private Lives' I think, though it might have been another play. You can listen to the famous Peace Hotel jazz band whilst sipping a cocktail. There are lots of new bars and clubs, so I think you must check out the English-language listing magazine if there is one {I hear there is} or check out sites on the web. <BR>Do go to Suzhou for a day. You could even try going to Putuo Shan, an island off Shanghai. You might find it difficult if you don't know Chinese, but neither did I really when I first got there. Details in Lonely Planet. <BR>Avoid the water and make sure all food is not 'dodgy' looking. I have been ill there, and it is not nice! <BR>Enjoy it and try to make contact with the Chinese. Have a 'jiaozi' for me.