Area: 6340 sq km (2473sq mi)
Population: 16.7 million
Country: People's Republic of China
People: Han Chinese
Main language: Mandarin (putonghua)/Shanghaihua
Time Zone: GMT/UTC +8
Telephone Code: 021

Orientation

Shanghai lies in central-eastern China, exposed to the East China Sea. Broadly, central Shanghai is divided into two areas: Pudong (east of the Huangpu River) and Puxi (west of the Huangpu River). Shanghai still has no single focus and the feel of the city still owes much to the original concessions. For visitors, most attractions are in Puxi, including the Bund - the tourist centrepiece, though not the physical centre of town. West of the Bund is the former International Settlement and one of Shanghai's main shopping streets, Nanjing Lu. South of the Bund is the Chinese city, a maze of narrow lanes. West of the old town and hidden in the backstreets north and south of Huaihai Lu (Shanghai's premier shopping street) is the former French Concession, with tree-lined streets, 1930s architecture, and cafes and bars. At its west end is a major collection of Western restaurants and bars.

Continuing southeast, you come to the massive shopping intersection of Xujiahui. Farther south is Shanghai Stadium. Western Shanghai is dominated by Hongqiano, a hotel/conference centre/office zone. Farther west is Gubei, an expat area. Northeastern Shanghai has an industrial feel and is home to several universities. Farther northwest is Zhapei and Shanghai train station. On the east side of the Huanpu is Pudong, a special economic zone of banks, skyscrapers and new residential complexes. Street names are given in Pinyin, which makes navigating easy, and many of the streets are named after cities and provinces.

When to Go

The best times to visit Shanghai are spring (April to mid-May) and autumn (late September to mid-November). In winter, temperatures can drop well below freezing, with a blanket of drizzle, although at least there are few tourists and hotels are heavily discounted. Summer is the peak travel season, though this is the worst time to visit as it's hot and humid with temperatures as high as 40°C (104°F). In short, you'll need silk long johns and down jackets for winter, an ice block for each armpit for summer and an umbrella wouldn't go astray in any season. Avoid major trade fairs and Chinese New Year, when the city grinds to a halt and local transport gets swamped with domestic travellers.

   

   

   

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