Arriving at Pudong Airport in Shanghai was a welcome scene after a 15hour Delta flight from Atlanta. Delta managed to make the flight as comfortable as possible, but this is difficult with my 6ft 4in frame. We were welcomed by our family with our 3 suitcases full of American foods not available or affordable in China.
Because we were staying with relatives the first couple days, we had time to adjust to Shanghai. We started with a shoulder/foot massage and a coffee at Starbucks. The next stop was the "fake market". The fake market is basically a place were designer items are sold at much lower prices. It is the place were Rolex, Montblanc, Apple, Gucci, Prada etc copies reside at unbelievable prices. The qualities of these items vary widely. The seasoned shopper usually knows were the best copies can be found. This could make the differnce between a Rolex that runs for 2 days or runs for many years.
Our next stop was the Pearl Market which is nearly a full department store floor with only pearls and pearl jewelry of every kind. You will likely find a set of pearls just for you; however, determining quality is difficult unless you are an expert.
The downtown in Shanghai is split by the river. On one side is the Bund which is an older section with classic buildings like the Peace Hotel. The other side of the river is the financial district with Pearl Tower and the tallest building, the Financial Tower. Shanghai to me was a combination of New York and Las Vegas. It seems the most progressive of the big cities in China and also the most glitzy. You will find many familiar names suchs as Starbucks, KFC, McDonalds and most high end designer stores. There is a lot of money in this city and lots of young entrepreners looking for places to spend their money.
The old Shanghai is disappearing. Government built high rise buildings are replacing the old neighborhoods. Because of the explosion of population in the cities housing has to go up rather than laterally due to limited space.
We stayed in a private, western style home while in Shanghai so I cannot comment on hotels; however, there is no shortage of accomodations. There is a river that splits the Pudong financial area and the Bund which represents the older Shanghai. You must visit the Bund which is a waterfront viewing area. It provides you with great views of the financial district with the Pearl Tower and the Financial Tower.
While at the Bund stop by the Peace Hotel which is one of Shanghai's most famous hotels. If you are a shopper the street leading to the Bund is a mix of designer shops and local shops. When I was there they were getting ready to open a huge new Apple Store.
There are some interesting shopping areas in Shanghai including the popular Yuyuan Gardens, the fake market and the fabric market. If you are looking for great souveniers and a good cup of tea the Yuyuan Gardens is the place to go. If you can avoid the weekend, o it, as it is a popular spot for locals and tourists on the weekends. The fake market allows you to find your designer labels on just about everything from crocs to rolexes at a fraction of the price. It is all Buyer beware, no refunds here. The fabric market is a great place to go if you want some custom made clothing. In many cases, they will make and deliver your custom order in 1-2 days. If you need a new cashmere winter coat, this is the place to go.
The financial center of Shanghai is in the Pudong area. You will find most multinational companies with offices here. In the middle of this area is one of the tallest building in the world, the Financial Tower. It looks like a bottle openner. To fully appreciate Shanghai I recommend you go up to the observatory on the 102 floor. The view is spectacular and the floor is transarent allowing you to look straight down. A trip at night allows you to see the Las Vegas side of Shanghai with it's electric billboards and lighting. Awesome!!
Shanghai has two airports one international and the other domestic. If you take the bullet train you will arrive Shanghai at the domestic airport.
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