Escape: Shanghai

Escape: Shanghai One walk along Shanghai’s Bund, taking in the sights of stratospheric glass skyscrapers looming over the Huangpu river that runs through the city, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Shanghai has been a city firmly in the 21st century since before, well, the 21st century. When construction is finished, the twisting metal heights of the Shanghai Tower will make it the second tallest building in the world, and it’s surrounded by similar superstructures that are almost as tall. Yet this entire area of Shanghai – the Pudong financial district, somewhat similar to The City in London – has pretty much sprung up from the ground in less than two decades. With its relatively new status as a world financial hub and the centre of China’s ever growing economy, Shanghai is a city firmly looking to the future yet still saturated with a fascinating history – of Chinese tradition, of colonial occupation, of the rise and fall of the Communist state – and it’s also home to a burgeoning contemporary art scene, luxury shopping and an East-meets-West culture like no other. Join us for a tour of its spectacular cultural attractions, dining, shopping and sights. Art & Culture China’s ancient culture of imperial dynasties has left beautiful relics of sculpture and pottery as well as noted works of calligraphy, painting and Buddhist artefacts. See the very best of them at the Shanghai Museum situated by People’s Square. The building – famous for its rounded architectural design – houses four floors of over 120,000 pieces of ancient Chinese art, sculpture, bronze and ceramics as well as a must-see exhibition housing traditional and ceremonial costumes from China’s over 50 groups of ethnic minorities. For a more modern splash of art, Shanghai is also a key player in the contemporary art stage. Head to 50 Moganshan Road, or M50 for short, the city’s community of thriving contemporary artists and take a tour of their working studios. The visit is worth it just for the graffiti and street art. An absolute must-see for anyone interested in China’s politics and history is the Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Centre. It’s a little difficult to find but the small basement in a residential block is worth it, filled with rare propaganda posters from Chairman Mao’s Communist China and posters from Shanghai’s history as the Chinese centre of the film industry in the earlier part of the 20th century. Just ask the security guard at the complex for directions and you’ll be handed a card with a map on it. Dining Expect your Shanghainese dining experience to be different from your usual Chinese takeaway at home. Authentic Chinese cuisine is perfect for the adventurous eater with everything from crab to carp to chicken feet served in an array of both sweet and spicy sauces. Don’t worry if you’d rather stick to something more familiar though – Shanghai is the typical home of the sweet and sour dishes you might find in your local Chinese restaurant. Head to the Sunya Cantonese Restaurant on Nanjing Road – a shopping hub similar to London’s Oxford Street – to experience an array of reasonably priced cuisine in a long-established restaurant that spans several floors and overlooks the city. For vegetarian or vegans, Shanghai has a well-developed alternative dining scene. Shanghai dining chain Pure and Whole offers a large menu of delicious vegetarian and vegan options that could convert even the most militant meat-eater. Shopping Note that the cost of luxury items in Shanghai is unlikely to be cheaper than in the UK and may even be more expensive, so it’s not worth buying designer items out there. That being said, the cost of eating and dining out in general will be noticeably cheaper than in the UK. The French Concession area of the city is famous for its luxury shopping and dining, and is worth visiting even if only for its traditional French architecture. Shanghai’s array of markets are a must-see, so if you’re only in town for a few days, make sure to visit Yuyuan Gardens – a garden and market surrounded by colourful traditional Chinese buildings – for a taste of street food and a chance to buy souvenirs surrounded by the old- style Chinese architecture that it can be so easy to forget still exists in an ever modernising city. Where to Stay If travelling on a budget, there’s a range of hostels and cheap hotels that will leave you with spare money to enjoy the rest Shanghai has to offer. We recommend the Captain Hostel, located in a 1920s art deco building right on Shanghai’s Bund in the city centre. The hostel offers basic but clean rooms with free internet. A private double room costs around £30 a night. For those wanting something more luxurious, the Okura Garden Hotel offers five-star city-view accommodation starting from around £90 a night based on two people sharing. ______________________ Travel tips - Shanghai residents speak a dialect of Chinese known as ‘Shanghainese’, but Mandarin Chinese is widely understood as well as English to varying degrees, depending on who you talk to. - Taxis in Shanghai are fairly cheap with a journey of around 30 minutes costing only around £10, though prices do vary by time of day. The Shanghai Metro is even cheaper and easy to use with stops announced in English as well as Chinese. Fares range from 3 – 15 Yuan (approximately 30p - £1.50), depending on distance travelled. - Temperatures vary considerably year round with hot summers and cold winters. Expect temperatures below 10C in the winter, reaching 35C in the summer. Head over in autumn or spring to avoid both the heatwaves and the colder temperatures. _____________________________.

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