Once known as a city of decadence in the 1920s and 1930s, Shanghai has evolved to become one of China’s busiest financial and tourism ports. Often the inspiration of sinful novels and creative cocktails, Shanghai is more a figment of one’s imagination than a real city. But travelers booking flights to Shanghai will soon discover why Time magazine named it the “world’s most happening city.”
Stand in Shanghai’s city center and let the massive steel skyscrapers, alluring restaurants and bars, and electric lights captivate you. Only on your flight to Shanghai will you experience a bit of quiet and calm. Once you arrive in Shanghai, the city will entice you to engage in a little excitement and adventure, all along the backdrop of Asian influence.
Shanghai is full of surprises. A flight to Shanghai will be the first of many exciting adventures tourists will happen upon in the world’s largest city. Constantly evolving and ever-changing, Shanghai embraces excitement and exudes sophistication. Book a cheap flight to Shanghai and within minutes of landing, China’s richest city will leave you wanting more.
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Summer in Shanghai can be quite uncomfortable. July and August temperatures can reach the mid-90s (F) with 80 percent humidity. Winter is damp and chilly with December and January temperatures hovering around the freezing mark, but it rarely snows. Temperatures in May and October are in the 60s and 70s. Spring has more rain than fall, but an occasional typhoon can hit in the fall.
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Peak Season:
Most tourists and business travelers book flights to Shanghai from May through October. However, during these months its advised that travelers seeking Shanghai flights and hotel accommodations book in advance, as the city is usually busy with conventions.
The busiest time is the Chinese New Year (Spring Festival), when the Chinese and visitors to China are on the move. The holiday season starts two weeks before the New Year and continues for two weeks afterwards. The New Year is in January or February (the date is based on a lunar calendar).
Labor Day (May 1) and National Day (October 1) are also big holiday weeks for the Chinese.
Off Season:
Late March and late October into early November have fewer crowds and the weather is neither steamy hot nor cold and damp. Few people visit during winter, with the notable exception of the Chinese New Year, but this is also the best time to find cheap flights to Shanghai.
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Taxis are available outside the airport but finding the right one can be confusing without assistance. Taxi drivers usually do not speak English so it is best to indicate your destination on a map, or have it written down in Chinese. Public buses serve the airport linking to People's Square and the main railway stations. The bigger hotels offer shuttle bus services to and from the airport.
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Taxis and the subway are popular modes of transportation in Shanghai, and both are inexpensive. The public buses are very cheap but are uncomfortable, overcrowded, and difficult to use. Taxis are plentiful and the preferred mode of transport for visitors. The metered Volkswagen cabs are easy to identify by their primary colors, and the smaller, older cars are usually cheaper. Taxis can be hailed or called by telephone.
Cycling is a great way to get around for the adventurous. Bicycles are easy to rent and there are well-defined bike lanes. If biking alongside aggressive drivers seems intimidating, join the other cyclists and travel with them, especially when biking across a street or intersection.
There are sections that you may want to experience on foot. The streets can become very crowded, but they are always interesting. Just watch out for motorists, scooters, and bicyclists. The safest way to cross a street is to join a group of pedestrians and cross with them. Jaywalking is frowned upon and you may even be chastised.
Local car rental is now possible in Shanghai, but you cannot drive outside the city limits. You can also hire a car with a driver for the day.
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- The Bund, also called the Zhongshan Road, is a famous waterfront area. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Shanghai and boasts a square with the following: the Cenotaph which stands on the man-made island; the Electronic Waterfall Bell, and the Great Mural Carving. On the west side of the Bund are 52 buildings of different architectural styles (Gothic, Baroque, Romanesque, Classicism and Renaissance).
- The Oriental Pearl TV Tower at about 1,500 feet high is one of the world’s highest TV and radio towers. This truly amazing structure contains the Shanghai Municipal History Museum, a hotel, shops, restaurants, including a rotating restaurant, and a futuristic space city and sightseeing hall, from which, on a clear day, a visitor can see the Yangtze River.
- The Jade Buddha Temple was built in 1882 (and rebuilt in 1928 after a fire) to house two Burmese jade Buddha statues. The Confucius Temple also offers a quiet space away from the city crowds.
- Yu Yuan garden, the Garden of Leisurely Repose is a classical garden more than 400 years old. It was built by a wealthy official in 1577 to please his parents in their old age. It boasts gardens within gardens with all the features you would expect of a Chinese garden: rockeries, bridges, goldfish ponds and pavilions.
- Zhujiajiao Water Town is a well-preserved town on the Dianpu River, about an hour’s bus ride from Shanghai. Old streets and architecture date from the Ming and Qing periods and there are quiet courtyards and ancient bridges. It is known as the Venice of Shanghai. It costs 50 yuan to enter the town, hiring a bicycle at the town gates costs 20 yuan and renting a boat (six people share) costs about 100 yuan.
- The Jin Mao Tower in the Pudong district (the financial area) with 88 storeys is the tallest building in China and the fifth-tallest in the world (by roof height). It contains offices and the Shanghai Grand Hyatt hotel (the world's highest hotel rooms). The tower has an observatory on the 88th floor, the largest and highest observation deck in China
- Fuxing Park is more than 100 years old and was called Gujiazhai Park before the French bought it to accommodate armies in 1900. It is the only French-style park in the city. Watch out for the statue of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, they share one body, and for the Tai Chi enthusiasts in the early morning.
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