My friend Jackie visited Shanghai in June. He is very excited about it. It is his first trip to China! He asked what is my suggestion for him to prepare the trip. I do have some tips. Tip #1: Avoid Travel Around May 1 and Oct. 1. May 1 to May 4 and October 1 to October 7 are national holidays in China. It is also called Golden Week, because the continous 4-7 day holiday and good weather bring millions of people to scenaric places, hotels, also trains, airlines, and buses. In short, it is crowded everywher. People visiting China typically don’t have the constraint of travel only in the 4-7 days, so avoid it. Also, if possible, avoid the two days before and after the holiday. Tip #2: Visiting Shanghai? Strongly Suggest to Visit Beijing For many business travellers to Shanghai, I would suggest to take a weekend to visit Beijing. Shanghai is the largest commercial city in China, but it is not a typical city that represent China. If you want to claim you’ve really been to China, plan a short trip to Beijing, and visit the Forbidden city, visit the Great Wall, and visit some Royal Gardens in Beijing. Even you don’t go to these famous places, to experience the wide streets and the narrow Hutong is a good idea. Just FYI, Beijing is 1400 KM north of Shanghai, and takes 1 and half hours to fly there. Full price ticket is 1130 RMB, and you typically can get ticket at 20% off price. (7 RMB = 1 USD) Tip #3: Take Taxi! Don’t bother to look at the transportation options unless you are really travelling with small budget. My point is, taxi is not as expensive as people think. From Pudong Airport to downtown is about 100 - 150 RMB (12 - 20 USD). There are much cheaper options like airport bus (18 RMB), but compared to the 100-150 USD taxi fare from SFO to Silicon Valley, it is not too high. To travel inside the city, taxi is also a handy choice, unless you want to experience Metro. (Disclaimer: I gave tips according to real situations. In this case, it is my friend Martin. You may find it not suitable for you). Tip #4: Places to See? Top places in Shanghai you should go are The Bund. Leave it as the last place you go. Bund is much more beautiful and interesting at night (after 7:00 PM when the lights are lit). Yu Garden. I don’t really enjoy Yu Garden, but my friends who visit China for the first time always enjoy themselves so much in the Yu Garden. Cruise on the Huang Pu River. It worth the time and money to have a cruise on the Huang Pu River, especially at night. Typical cruise is about 1 hour. Xuhui District. Spend an afternoon in the small roads in the Xuhui Area - near Hengshan Road, or Hua Shan Road, and relax yourself. Tip #5: Learn Some Chinese Although it is not absolutely necessary to know Chinese to visit Shanghai, if you know some very simple Chinese words, it will make you look better and more friendly to local people, so make your trip more enjoyable. My friends who visited China did survive very well without any knowledge of Chinese. I strongly recommend that ChineseHour.com is a very nice site to learn “Quick Chinese” online from one-on-one native Chinese teachers for your travelling purposes . It is cheap, fast and fun! I tried to teach them at least four simple and useful terms in a few minutes: Xie Xie - Thank you! Zai Jian - Bye Bye! Ni Hao - Hello! Duoshao qian? - How much is it? Tip #6: Bring the Right Power Adapter The electricity in Shanghai is 220 V. You may have 110 V adapter. Most laptop, shaver, mobile phone and camera have adapter that works from 100 V to 230 V. It won’t be a problem, but the plug specification does present a problem. For example, the plug that works in U.S. typically don’t work in China. Bring a converter that works for China before your trip. I faced the challenge many times when I visit U.S. Tip #7: How to use the mobile phone you’ve brought from abroad? (1) If foreigners wish to directly use the phone numbers assigned by their domestic telecommunication operators, they should initialize international roaming service with their local provider before their entry to China. Foreigners shall initialize international roaming services of their mobile phone numbers with their domestic mobile telecommunication operators. Additionally, your domestic mobile telecommunication operator shall sign the agreement on international roaming services with China Mobile. Your international roaming service charges will be collected according to the applicable charging rates as specified by your domestic mobile telecommunication operator. (2) If foreigners enter China with their domestic mobile phones, they can buy SIM phone cards and pre-paid phone cards in Shanghai or Beijing to enjoy all the businesses and services provided by China Mobile. If your domestic operator and China Mobile haven’t signed the roaming agreement, the international roaming service will be unavailable through your domestic phone number. If you wish to use your own phone from home, make sure to bring a compatible GSM/GPRS 900/1800 dual-frequency mobile phone (the operator’s customized mobile phone on the unlocked network). You may purchase the pre-paid “Easy-Own” SIM phone cards and recharge cards provided by China Mobile to enjoy convenient mobile telecommunication services provided by China Mobile. Tip #8: Relax and Enjoy the Difference There are many difference between cities in China and the western cities. You may find the traffic rule different (at least the way people follow the rules), the language is different, and many aspects of everyday life are different. Don’t worry. Just relax. It is not necessary to always figure out which way is right and which way is wrong. Just relax, and enjoy the difference. It is just because of the difference that you travel, isn’t it? Tip #9: There will be Direct Flights from Taipei to Shanghai since July 4 Congratulations! There will be direct flights from Taipei to Shanghai since July 4, 2008. You donot need to transit at Hong Kong, and it takes up to 2 hours less to get to Shanghai than ever before. Tip #10: BIG Enough SD Cards for Your Camera Besides, you will be excited about what you experience in China , so BIG enough SD cards are also important for your camera or video camera too.
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