Travel to China

Shangai tea night

If you have a few (actually more than a few...) bucks to spend while you are in China I recommend that you visit any well known house of tea, yes, it is going to be the more expensive cup of tea ever! but, if you find the right place it would be worth it.

You are going to enjoy in these houses of tea an exquisite mix of architecture, service, scene, flavor, aroma.

Some of them are pretty touristy, but if you dig in, you can find the real ones, live the real deal.

Don´t be affraid to try new things, if you are in China you already wanted to have new experiences, open up and try everything you are not going to find anywhere else.

Be carefull of what they want to charge you, some of them charge hidden things, ask first, then have a sit. It is better to ask than don´t be able to pay the bill ;).

Good luck and don´t break anything lol.

Nan Jing Road

One of the two major commercial streets in Shanghai (in addition to Huai Hai Road), Nan Jing Road spans 5.5 kilometres east to west. You will find on both sides of the road  more than 600 shops and shopping centres carrying high quality, brand goods. The eastern part of the road is pedestrian-only with various attractions as well as its shops. Once the premier shopping street, it has been recently eclipsed by Huai Hai Road. Nevertheless, it attracts many people. Transportation is convenient as visitors can catch the metro at various points along the road.

People's Square

People's Square (Ren Min Guang Chang) is a huge public square surrounded by government buildings. Truly an urban park, it features manicured greenery and, in the middle, the architecturally impressive Shanghai Museum. Other features include a 320-square-meter water fountain, subway station and an underground shopping mall. Because the square attracts many people, it makes an ideal venue for people watching. Outstanding for the young and the young at heart. Kites are available at the square for approximately CNY15.

Oriental Pearl TV Tower

Just a five minute subway ride from Shanghai across the river, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower is the jewel of the new economic zone of Pudong. Although tickets up to the 100m observatory costs about 90 RMB, it is definately worth the visit up. After purchasing tickets, you enter the perimeters and see the tower in it's glory. You can get a neck sore just from looking up at it too long because it's so high. After entering the base, you enter the elevator that takes you 100m in a couple of seconds so your ears will pop. All along the way, a lift operator is introducing and describing the tower in Manderin Chinese and also broken English. Walking out of the elevator and seeing all of Shanghai is a beautiful sight. Sometimes, because of the fog and polution, you might not see any, so pick a day when it's clear and sunny. On the tower, you get a panoramic view of Shanghai, and it just takes your breath away. Right beside the tower is the Jin Mao Building that seems to be eye-level and breath-taking as well. There are also those binoculars that you can look out of by sticking some coins in. If you get tired of looking at the city, there are souvenir cases and they are full of cool stuff. They have dolls of the 55 Chinese ethnic minority, keychains, glass echings with a city view, and even 2008 Beijing Olympic pins. After a quick decent to the ground floor, you can visit a history museum full of wax figures depicting life in historical Shanghai. There is also big color photos of world destinations such as the pyramids in Egypt, Paris, and of course the Great Wall. These allow tourists to take pictures in front of without actually having visited the destination. Overall, this is a must see for anyone traveling to Shanghai.

French Concession

The French Concession used to be an area designated for the French, now it is a busy shopping area, with tree lined avenues and Tudor mansions, reasons for why it is called the "Paris of the East". Xintiandi is a very popular spot, full of restaurants, clubs and cafes, and some traditional Shanghai lodgings, blending European and Chinese design. Obviously, the best things to do, are shopping as if there is no tomorrow, and go to the great restaurants and bars in this zone.

Yu Gardens

This is one of the things that you are not allowed to miss in Shanghai.
Located in the Old Town area of the city, the Yu Gardens are a wonderful example of classic Chinese gardens. You can visit it in the spring and in the fall, and each season brings a new aspect of the gardens so it's like going to a different place everytime.
Close by is a shopping area where you can get good prices on tea and teapots, as well as typical Chinese souvenirs.

Shangai museum

This elegant museum, opened in 1996, features eleven state-of-the-art galleries housing China’s international-standard exhibits of bronzes, paintings, sculpture, ceramics, jade and Ming and Qing dynasty furniture. You don't want to miss this if you travel to Shangai, you can have a virtual tour in www.shangaimuseum.net enjoy the pictures unless you speak chinesse lol