Since England took Hong Kong and made it a world economic power, China had to respond in some way. Their reponse, Shanghai. Worth a weekend trip, but it's just another big, manicured city providing all the comforts and sins of home.
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I've been to Shanghai twice now in my 10 months in China. Both times, well I enjoyed myself but it didn't get me in the same way that quirky Beijing makes me laugh or how Hong Kong keeps me in awe. Great sites, lots of history in trade relations between western powers and China, nice waterline but manicured to near perfection in the same way ever other big city in the world has been- without the edge of Hong Kong. Although, I think if I lived there I would probably change my somewhat harsh opinion... but maybe not. I may be a business major (read I should be really interested in Shanghai) but it just doesn't have the same kind of character as Beijing. And, I'm a person who absolutely adores character.
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| Favourite spots: |
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Scary fking Tibetan Mask!
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The Bund is pretty, perfectly positioned with one side new age architexture and the other old style european buildings atesting to the cities western history and culture. A report by me isn't complete without a mention of Starbucks. There is one nearly on every corner. The Shanghai museum is one of the only museums that kept my attention long enough to take pictures and read the signs! Mostly, I skip museums but I gave this one a shot and it was rewarding. Check out the Chinese minority masks- especially the Tibetan ones. Scary stuff. Taco Bell Grande, yes the same Taco bell that we americans adore but with a fancy kick and completely unlike our Taco Bell. Worth it for the experience of Chinese people in Mexican hats saying Hola every time you move. No, they don't actually speak Spanish- it starts and ends with 'hola.'
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| What's really great: |
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30 hr + 24 hr train ride group, club hopping crushed in the back of a taxi
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Nanjing Lu is the famous one-stop shopping street that runs down the entire length of the city- or at least from one mid point near the Peoples Square and the Shanghai Museum to the Bund (the old side). It's fun to walk up and down the street, check out the overpriced clothes and then hop into the smaller shops and barter your heart out. There is a mcdonalds every 10 feet in case you get hungry for a hamburger, french fries, chicken nugges, or ice cream every 10 feet. Don't worry- they have your cravings covered.
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| Sights: |
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The Cabbie! Notice color of thumb nail matches teeth. I'm in the green.
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I'm not going to keep repeating myself.
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| Accommodations: |
First stay: Some hotel in the center of the city that was pretty nice and had free internet. For the life of me I don't remember the name. I'm not so good at this advice thing... there is a hostel right by Nanjing Lu that looks really nice and had good prices. It looked pretty hip. Again, no name rings a bell.
Second stay: Friends uncle hooked us up with an apartment. REALLY nice, two bedrooms, kitchen, washer & drier, fridge, balcony and living room. Plus, a starbucks across the street. Sorry- have no idea but if you really want to know send me an email and I'll figure it out.
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| Nightlife: |
We went bar hopping and had a decent time although most of our fun was shoving 5 people into one cab and hoping the cabbie didn't notice. We went to this really pretentious club on the roof of a building overlooking the really pretentious bund. It was mostly people standing around and pretending to be, maybe are, or wanting to be important. We didn't last long there.
We went to a really cool pub around noon one day for Guiness on tap called Jennies. It was great. They had bar cats. Bar cats! I had a cuba libra. Yummy. What? Noon is definitely late enough to drink. Did I mention the bar cats?
Then, in our club hopping stage we drove by a few clubs we immediately deemed unworthy of our attention but stopped at one called Big Bombay. I bought a t-shirt. Guiness also on tap. Pools tables, big screen tv and a really friendly waiter from Canada with a good sense of humor. Good music too.
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| Hangouts: |
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The Infamous Bar Cat curled around a Guiness ashtray.
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Jennies I think is considered a pub.
There are A LOT of places, clubs and pubs and bars all over Shanghai. You just have to have the patience to check them out and find the gems.
I drink too much caffiene for that kind of patience.
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| Restaurants: |
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The Other Side of the Bund- Old Shanghai.
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I already mentioned Taco Bell Grande. Please re-read that if you want to hear about it again. Jennies had good bar burgers. We ate at pizza hut too. Didn't have any Chinese food at all come to think of it either of the times I went to Shanghai. I'm sure its as good as chinese food anywhere else, which means not very good at all.
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| Other recommendations: |
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Market not mentioned in this review but a famous one. Had its own starbucks even.
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Be adventerous, pick up a City Weekend magazine and figure out whats going on whenever you are there. There are at least two english magazines that tell you exactly whats up in that city that definitely never sleeps. City Weekend: Shanghai and That's Shanghai. My dad always taught me to always find the entertianment magazines where ever you go- thats how you find fun.
PS: My second visit we took a 12 hour train ride from Beijing to Shanghai and then 30 hours later took a 12 hour train ride home. We didn't sleep at all. We just stayed up and up and up.
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Published on Thursday October 27th, 2005
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Fri, Oct 28 2005 - 11:40 AM
 by shsmrsb
| Imagine Shanghai in the 1980s complete with Santa at Christmas and you felt it was China with a difference. However, I agree it is now a much more modern city, I am so pleased I had chance to see it both before and after much work. |
Fri, Oct 28 2005 - 04:18 AM
 by davidx
| I don't look for every city to be the 'world's best' and I very much like the candour of this report. |
Thu, Oct 27 2005 - 05:31 PM
by toribio
Thu, Oct 27 2005 - 04:01 PM
by isaacmolina
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