Best Places To Travel in Shanghai

April 20th, 2009

If you are planning to take a trip to the Far East for your holidays, then you should definitely visit Shanghai. It is an experience you will remember for a long time to come. Shanghai is the capital of China. The city has magnificent architecture, superb clubs and bars and even a large array of traditional teahouses. In addition to this, there are many landmark classical Chinese gardens that are bound to sooth your soul and body at the same time. The rest of China may be growing at a fast pace, but Shanghai remains its traditional epitome of culture.

There are many places that you will want to see during your stay in Shanghai. One of them is the Oriental Pearl Tower. It is located on the banks of the Hangpu River. Over three million people visit this tower every year. It is 468 meters tall and has three observation levels from which you can view the surrounding region. You also have the option of savoring a tasty Chinese meal on the restaurant at the 267-meter level of the tower.

The French Concession place is a delightful mix of both western and eastern styles. This area serves to remind you of the influence that the French had on Shanghai and China in general. There are bars, restaurants, boutiques and cafes. The area also offers a nice escape from the city’s hustle and bustle and ever-looming neon lights.

The most famous spot in Shanghai is the Bund. It stretches along the HuangPu River and offers a beautiful view across to the Oriental Park Tower. This is a region that has many colonial buildings that once housed businesses and people from Europe. Numerous architectural styles can be viewed among the fifty two buildings in this region. In fact, Shanghai is one of the best places in the world to view Art Deco Architecture.

You should also make it a point to visit the Shanghai Municipal Museum during your tours. Located just at the bottom of the Oriental Pearl Tower, it offers you deep insight into the history and culture of the people of Shanghai and China in general. It is divided into three main display regions, each focusing on a slightly different aspect of shanghai history.

Another place that you may consider visiting is the Jade Buddha Temple. The temple was founded in 1882 with the importation of two Buddha statues from Burma. The first one weighs close to 3000 kg while the second one is slightly reclined to mark the death of Buddha. Over seventy monks live in this temple. This will also be an opportunity to watch monks praying. The temple also possesses a huge array of paintings, carvings and precious relics. It also has a very calm and peaceful atmosphere.

The list of activities you can do in Shanghai is endless. Aside from sight-seeing, you can also decide to go bungee jumping from the numerous sky scrapers in the city or paragliding.

Travel to Shanghai as soon as possible to see for yourself all these landmarks.

Top Shanghai Attractions

April 19th, 2009

Shanghai has a myriad attractions site. It’s a metropolitan state with rich heritage of ancient Chinese culture.

Zhujia Jiao water Town
The most known attraction site in Shanghai located in suburbs of the city. Given another name “pearl stream”. It covers 47 square kilometer and has been in existence for a period of over 17 years. This town is the best preserved among all the best towns within Shanghai. There are streams and small rivers with unique old bridges that are still their up to date with boats and willow trees floating in water.

The most common feature with Zhujia Jiao is the bridges; you can’t leave the site without seeing nice distinctive old bridges built during the dynasties of Ming and Oing. The longest, largest and tallest bridge is the Fangsheng built in 1571 with five apertures in shanghai arrear. There is a great stone tablet standing on this bridge and it was renamed the dragon gate stone, on top of it are four lifelike stone lions. The Zhujia Jiao water has made shanghai famous especially from its lovely phenomenon and many who have visited the site have longed for a return day.

Baoguo / Town God’s and Yuanjin Chanyuan Temple
This is found in Zhujia Jiao and very famous. It is a branch of the Shanghai jade temple. It has the status of the white jade of Ayalokiteshyara covered by the Singapore and gingko trees that are one thousand years old and the Sakyamuni the owner of the Burmese white jade.

The town God’s temple is characterized by the bottle guard that is propitious on the roof and the down to low windows. Town God’s temple has existed for over two hundred years and boasts of its three treasures, the bracket stage, the large size painted scroll and the wooden curved beams.
The Yuanjin Chanyuan also called Niannian Miao was built near a river between 1341 and 1368 also proud of paintings Buddha status and famous penmen.

Kezhiyuan and Zhuxiyuan Gardens
This is two famous gardens in Zhujia Jiao, Kezhiyuan has many old buildings and minor covering 6.4 hectors. Zhuxiyuan is old big and elegant, as compared to the later. Kezhiyuan is a private garden built by Mawenging in 1912 its name just means part plant and part sturdy in the garden. It harbors more than two hundred old buildings, the zigzag bridges, towers, corridors, studio rooms for studies, halls and library.

These gardens are equipped with restaurants, tea houses, shops and children playing grounds among many others.

Bund
Is another very important tourist site located just next to Huangpu River. When in it one can enjoy the bracing air and fine sunshine and also participate in other activities that suite him best. Many musicians gather to sing here because of the atmosphere that is favorable all the time. People stroll safely and enjoy themselves along the river even at night because lights are always on
This is an attraction site that one must find a reason to visit.

Major Airports in Shanghai

April 18th, 2009

The city of Shanghai is found in china and acts as the capital town of China. Shanghai is served by good road and rail system making it a hub of transport activities in the whole region of China. Road and rail transport are just magnificent. Traffic in Shanghai is less and people get to work on time. What is witnessed in many states around the world is a foregone system in China.

Besides road and rail transport, Shanghai has well established airports that offer services to the people of china and those who visit it for business or maybe as a passage route to their various destinations. Shanghai is served by two major airports.

The Shanghai Pudong International Airport

This airport serves the parts of East Asia region and it serves majority of the people of Shanghai in the Republic of China. It has the largest land on which it rests on of about 40 kilometers in square with a distance of 30 kilometers from the centre of the city. This airport serves all the airlines which come eastern part of china. It therefore serves the Shanghai airlines and the China eastern airlines and most importantly the air China.

The airport is also served by a good railway system which provides the fastest transport to people across the region. The degree of accommodation available is well rated to give the best to travelers.

Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport

This completes the number of airports in Shanghai China. It lies on the western region of Shanghai. Hongqiao is not very developed and as such it’s relatively a low urban region. The airport is also large and it recorded a passenger rate of customer handled as 22,877,404 in the year 2008 alone. These shows how steadily this airport is growing.

With the record handling capacity record in the year 2008, Hongqiao has been rated as the number fourth of all the airports in the republic of China. It has become one busy airport that you will find in this western region of Shanghai. The recent statistics indicate that Hongqiao has become number six in terms of handling traffic and their movements too.

Hongqiao international airport has a well established business unit for travelers who would like to do business while on their way. It’s not also limited in the provision of catering services either. It has good hotels with healthy staff who know what a customer real need. Hongqiao airport is just good enough to handle any kind of services.

Best Hotels in Shanghai

April 17th, 2009

Shanghai is not only China’s financial capital but is also known as a cosmopolitan destination where design and culture meet in seamless spaces. From the historical landmarks like the Bund and the Xintiandi to the marvellous modern skyline housing the world renowned Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai will not disappoint you no matter what thrills you may seek. Add to all this the most exquisite and new age hotels it has to offer and your stay will be a memorable one.

Amongst the finest hotels in this city is the Portman Ritz-Carlton. It is centrally located at the Nanjing road in Shanghai’s downtown area which provides you a great ease of access to all locations. The rooms are beautifully designed with modern amenities anointed with traditional furnishings like the silk accents. There’s a shopping complex right next to it that can provide Starbucks coffee and imported food products that can help you to relieve that jetlag or you could simply order the in room massage to do the same. This 5 star hotel will truly embellish your stay in Shanghai.

Another five star hotel dotting the Shanghai skyline is The Westin. Its rooms overlook the historic landmark of Bund and the serene Huang Pu river. This hotel is known for its assortment of relaxation programmes ranging from morning jogs to fabulous in house spa sessions. Apart from this the hotel is also quite popular for its brunch specialising in a sashimi and sushi buffet and offering unlimited Champaign with it. This hotel is a fine pick for all those who have come to simply have a great time in the city.

If you are staying on the east side of the river i.e. the Puxi then the Four Seasons Hotel is the choice for you. The rooms provide a brilliant view of the Shanghai skyline which simply draws your breath away at the night. A special feature at this hotel is the ability to connect your music player to the rooms sound system so that you can create your own ambience and make yourself more homely than ever. Its location is also quite advantageous in the busy city of Shanghai and provides quick access to both the Nanjing road as well as the Bund. The hotel is surrounded by flourishing eateries, cafes and boutiques that will make sure you’ll enjoy your stay here.

Imagine waking up in the morning to the most splendid views from one of the tallest buildings in the city sipping hot coffee in bed. That is exactly what one can expect at the Grand Hyatt. Housed in currently the second tallest building in Shanghai, the Jin Mao Tower, this hotel is reckoned throughout China for the marvellous views it offers its tenants. Nightlife addicts will find a favourite here for this hotel is home to the highest bar in the city, Cloud 9. At night the bar provides a brilliant view of the Bund skyline and party revellers can thrive throughout the night in the euphoria. This hotel is meant for all those who like to live their lives on a high.

Shanghai is not called the “Paris of the East” for no good reason. It is a beautiful modern city home to the most lively people and lavish lifestyles amongst a delicate balance between the modern and the ancient. There are many kinds of hotels in the city all superb in their service and decor each catering to a different taste in living. Take your pick and have a blast in this wonderful city where life never dulls.

Shanghai Travel Guide

November 17th, 2008

In terms of population shanghai is the largest city in china with a population of over twenty million people, and is one of the biggest urban areas in the world, it is a metropolitan city that is situated in the central eastern coast of china on the mouth of the Yangtze river the city has a provincial level status and the city is run as a municipality.

Shanghai was originally a textiles and fishing town, and over the years grew in size and population due to its advantageous position as a port location on the Yangtze River, the city was open for foreign trade and is a prosperous center of commerce between the west and the east. Various economic reforms and investments during the 90s has seen shanghai prospering as a finance and business center, and today shanghai is the worlds largest cargo port. Shanghai city is a major tourist destination which is world famous for its magnificent landmarks such as the Bund, the oriental tower and the Xintiandi. Shanghai is at the heart of China’s commerce and finance and is one of the world’s fastest growing economies. Shanghai is a world city that has hosted many international sporting, entertainment, trade and political events such as the 2007 Summer Special Olympics, the Expo 2010 World’s Fair, and the Shanghai international Film Festival. The city has a very sports culture and hosts many sports teams such as the Chinese Basketball Association, Chinese Baseball League, Chinese Football Association Super League, and the Shanghai Eagles.

Shanghai is located on the south east coast of china on the Yangtze river delta, shanghai is surrounded by Zhejiang Province, and Jiangsu Province, the city is divided into two parts by the Huangpu River which is a tributary of the Yangtze river on the eastern side of the river you can find the Pudong financial district, and on the western side of the river lies the Puxi area, shanghai city covers up to 6.218 square kilometers and of this is flat land.

Shanghai is a major tourist destination, not only because of its many tourist attractions but because it is a very clean city, over recent years the city has seen many environmental awareness campaigns that brought about a clean up of the environment, it has also seen the authorities investing huge some of money into cleaning the environment, and now companies in the transport sector are encouraged to buy LPG buses and taxis, the Suzhou Creek has been cleaned up and now compared with other cities in china such as Beijing shanghai has low air pollution.

Shanghai’s has a humid subtropical climate, the city is very warm and humid, shanghai is prone to typhoons and has occasional thunderstorms and showers the city experiences four seasons, the most appropriate time to visit shanghai is in spring and autumn because they generally sunny and dry.

Shanghai has an extensive transport network and has a large fleet of buses, taxis, trolley buses and an every increasing metro system. You can gain access to all these form of transport by having a shanghai Transport Card. Shanghai boost the worlds biggest and most extensive bus system the system is run by many transport companies. Shanghai has two main railway stations, the Shanghai’s Railway Station and the shanghai South Railway Station. Hongqaio International and Pudong International are the cities two commercial airports the Pudong is a very big airport and handles millions of passenger each year.

Shanghai has unique architecture and a rich wide collection of buildings and structural that symbolizes different architectural styles. At the bank of the Huangpu River is the Bund which is an area that contains a diverse collection of architecture from the 20th century, there is the art deco Sassoon House and the neo-classical HSBC Building. There is a lot of development going on in Shanghai but the city still retains its old traditional building such as the Yuyuan Garden. Other architectural buildings that are of significance in shanghai, are the Shanghai Museum the people Square and Shanghai Grand Theatre. In the Pudong district of shanghai you will find a wide range of skyscrapers such as the Jin Mao Tower and the Shanghai World Financial Center which is the second tallest building in the world, there is the Oriental Pearl Tower and the Shanghai Center.

Shanghai has many of the most spectacular museums in the region and the world, for example the shanghai museum of art and history which houses some of the best collections of Chinese art, artifacts and some archeological findings. Located near the peoples square is the shanghai Art Museum that exhibits some permanent and temporary exhibits there are some other smaller, specialist museums such as the Shanghai Natural History Museum.

A visit to the numerous parks in shanghai will give you a well deserved break from the hustle and bustle of the city, the parks are great place to take your family because they have a children’s section where the kids can play and hang out. There are many things that you can do in shanghai city like talking a stroll along Fuxing Rd where you get to see old classical buildings and get to enjoy the peace and tranquility of this quiet environment. You can take a trip to the top of the Oriental Pearl TV Tower which is 468m tall were you will get see a panoramic view of the city. Yopu can visit Xintiandi which is a small area of the city where you can get to see rebuilt traditional houses, there are also a few malls, cinemas, bars, art galleries and cafes all specially designed for the international visitor. The Shanghai International Convection Center situated to the south of the Oriental Pearl Tower, consists of many modern halls housed on 45.000 square meters of land there are up to twenty different meeting rooms, 259 guest rooms, which include standard rooms, executive and presidential suites, a coffee room, Gym, a bowling room, show room, Chinese and western style restaurant, a night club, a billiard room, shopping arcade, swimming pool, and sauna bath.