Shanghai: Pearl of the Orient

Tang Qi on the Bund

Let me begin this post by paying Shanghai a very backhanded compliment.  Shanghai is the poor man's version of every great Asian city.  It doesn't have the important historical sites Beijing has, it isn't nearly as dynamic or exciting as Hong Kong, and it doesn't have the livability of Tokyo.  It does everything well and nothing great.

However Asia is a land of extremes, and while Shanghai might not score top marks in any of the above categories, it doesn't have their severe drawbacks either.  I love Shanghai because Shanghai loves itself.  It's proud of the fact its unique and not perfect.  Nor does waller in self pity like many Chinese cities.  I am talking to you Beijing, and your "civilize Chaoyang" posters.  Not quite Chinese, not quiet foreign, and not quite global, its at a sweat spot for budget travelers like myself.  If you can call Shanghai anything, it's gargantuan.

I am hiding my hat behind me

Shanghai's lack of tourist sites make it great for relaxing weekend getaways.  It was nice to visit an important Chinese city and not have a laundry list of historical sites to checkoff.  Lucky for you, its lack of sites will prevent me from going Rick Steves on my readers in this post.
We spent the majority of our time strolling down Shanghai's streets and enjoying the atmosphere.  The city encompasses many distinct neighborhoods, each with its own vibe, and provides a welcome contrast to the homogeneity of most Chinese cities.

Your average Shanghaier has a laid-back attitude.  Compared to Asia's more hectic cities, like Hong Kong, life moves at a slower pace.  This despite all the hype surrounding the city.  The only thing speeding you by are the motor bikes, and there are a lot of them.  Watch out!  Ducking down a side street can make the place seem a lot less oversized.  Outside the main shopping areas I thought Shanghai felt much less crowded than the streets of Beijing.  Not bad for a city of around 24 million and the largest city in China.

Balls of steel

If you are willing to forgo foreign food, Shanghai won't decimate your wallet the way some other cities are fond of doing.  Even with its relatively low cost compared to Asian money pits, such as Tokyo, the service quality in Shanghai puts other Chinese cities to shame.  It was nice to go to a restaurant or buy something at a store and not have the staff treat me like a criminal.  Also, people were much more receptive to speaking Chinese with me.  I even made it out of a Starbucks without the staff bombarding me with English.  An flat impossibility in Beijing.      

My girlfriend and I stayed in the old part of Shanghai.  The area east of the river boasts many European style buildings, built during the beginning of the last century.  The unique style of each building makes the narrow streets surprisingly easy to navigate.  Don't worry about getting lost.  With all the skyscrapers for landmarks you won't have to worry about getting disoriented.

The buildings of Shanghai's now iconic skyline lie across the river in the Pudong district.  I recommend visiting this side of the river, but be warned.  Expect a large amount of walking and not a lot to see.  There isn't anything except offices and the new Disney store.  The Pudong skyline is best admired from The Bund on the other side of the river.  

I had an entire train car to myself north of Nanjing to Beijing
on the way home....creepy but relaxing

The two distinct sides of the river give Shanghai a pleasant form of split personality disorder.  The west, old city resembles the streets of a European capital and the east, new city remind me of a Chinese caricature of New York or Chicago.  Shanghai proved itself as a great weekend destination, and you can pretty much do everything it has to offer in three days.  Not bad on a budget.        

European style clocktower

The "bottle opener" (l) and the world's second
tallest building (r)