People's Square - Nanjing Road - LuJiaZui - Shanghai

You can't really prove to anybody you have been to Shanghai if you have not been to People's Square, Nanjing road or LuJiaZui. These are places not to be missed and it is where most people congregate (locals and foreigners) be it for shopping, lunch, dinner or just taking a walk and getting lost in the Shanghai streets. Seeing these places is what experiencing Shanghai is all about and you have to be there to actually experience it yourself. The financial district in LuJiaZui is very modern with high rise buildings comparable to New York and the likes. I didn't venture far here as the area is big so I just came out to get a picture then went on my way.

LuJiaZui

East Nanjing

East Nanjing

Oriental Pearl Tower

The View Around People's Square

The View Around People's Square

Cheng Huang Miao - Shanghai

You can get to Cheng Huang Miao by Line 8 and stopping at Yuyuan Gardens. Cheng Huang Miao is huge and you will find that this is the best place to shop for souvenirs, jades, some electronics and clothes. Like other places in China, do not forget to bargain though. There are also many restaurants here in the strees of Cheng Huang Miao for when you are hungry also serving the infamous Shanghai dumplings (Xiao Long Pao). Don't forget to bring your camera along as you would want to take picture of the pavilions and teahouses in the vicinity. This place is usually crowded so do be careful when you are maneuvering yourself in the area.

Jinjiang Xujing Hotel - Shanghai

Just to give you an idea of where I am staying in Shanghai, below is a map that I looked up in Google map. As you can see, point A is where I am staying JinJiang Xujing Hotel on JingHua Lu. It takes about ~30 minutes to get to People's Square (Point B) by car and about 45 minutes by Metro from XuJingDongZhan - Xujing East Metro Stop Line 2. I usually travel by Metro anyway but in order to reach the metro I have to take a cab because it's about 4-5km from my hotel (I walked once, it took me 45 minutes!)

Xujing is a small town in the outskirts of Shanghai where there aren't many tall buildings. However, there is a bustling street market on JingHuaLu every night where the locals would set up their own stalls and start selling goods such as scarfs, sweaters, shoes, ear mufflers, jackets, thermal underwear and variety of food such as nuts, stick food (vegetable, sausages, octopus, squid, meatball, fishball), sweet potato and chinese Pao.

Personally, Xujing Town and JingHuaLu is not too shabby to me. I bought a thick jacket and thermal wear in this street for a good bargain which was sufficient to keep me warm even in the negative temperature. However, because of the distance of Xujing to town, I don't make many trips downtown.

Snow in Shanghai 1 week after arrival

I was shocked on being sent to China on an assignment for 3 months as it was last minute and I wasn't given much of an option. I was however delighted that I would be flying to Shanghai as I've never been there before and is apparently very modernised from what I have read in most travel blogs, books and TV programs.

The experience became more memorable as I was greeted with snow a week after I have arrived! From where I come from, Malaysia, there are only sunny spells and rain as we are smack right on the equator so you can imagine what a 'jakun' I was for seeing snowflakes again after having experienced it in UK previously - almost 5-6 years ago.

These are some photos I have taken at Xujing Town at where I work!