Welcome to Shanghai

Lying on the estuary of Chang Jiang (Yangtze) River, Shanghai is regarded as the economic capital in mainland China. It's one of the most developed cities in China. Besides its leading role of economic development, Shanghai also serves as an important cultural, financial, trading and industrial center of China.  Due to economic reforms taken place since 1992, Shanghai has now become one of the leading cities in East Asia. 

Once compared to Paris in the 1930s, Shanghai nowadays is more like New York City. Arriving in Shanghai, immediately, you will be overwhelmed by all the crowds, automobiles, malls and skyscrapers. As the largest city in mainland china in terms of population (18 million) and density (2,945/kmq), Shanghai is a booming melting pot of East and West.

Climate

The most comfortable seasons in Shanghai are from March to early June and from September to November. The "Plum Flower Rain" season (frequent light rain) is from mid-June to early July. Always take an umbrella with you even if it’s not raining for the moment. July and August are extremely hot and humid, with temperature always above 30°C and sometimes as high as 40°C. September remains hot, yet quite cool at night. In winter, it usually snows lightly for 1 or 2 days and the temperature mostly stays above 0°C.

Clothing

From June to September: cool cotton garments and a light windbreaker or raincoat in case of rain.  Good walking shoes are essential at any time of year.

Time

UTC+8 / GMT+8

Language
Mandarin is the standard spoken language in China.  However, locals also speak the Shanghai dialect, or Shanghainese, which sounds very different from Mandarin.
English is not yet widely understood by locals - your best bet is to speak to someone young if you need help, as their English tends to be better than older people.

Currency / Methods of Payment

The Chinese currency is Renminbi (People's Currency) and is abbreviated as RMB. The basic unit is Yuan.

10 Fen = 1 Jiao 10 Jiao = 1 Yuan 100 Fen = 1 Yuan

Visa, Master Card, American Express, Diner's Club, Federal Card, Million Card, and JCB credit cards are accepted at most hotels and state run shops in the major cities. Travelers should be prepared to pay in Yuan when shopping in smaller shops, at restaurants, or at smaller hotels.

Exchanging Money

• Airports, banks and hotels offer exchange services and apply only one exchange rate which is fixed by the People’s Bank of China. Due to the presence of counterfeit notes in China, it is advisable that you only use official exchange services.

• Foreigners can reconvert a maximum of 50% of the money they change to RMB back into a foreign currency – the original currency exchange receipts must be provided.

• The RMB is non-convertible.  It is difficult to exchange it outside China at fair rates. RMB can however, be exchanged at foreign exchange facilities, and Hong Kong, Singapore, and Bangkok airports.

• US dollars are the most widely accepted foreign currency in China. Traveler’s cheques issued by major overseas banks may be exchanged at Bank of China and CITIBANK branches and authorized currency exchange counters. If using cash, make sure that the notes are in perfect condition and do not have tears, repairs or writing on them. Money with the slightest of damages will generally not be accepted by banks or hotels.

Electricity

China uses 220 volts.  The standard wall socket used in China is Type 1(2/3 prong) which is also used in Australia, New Zealand, and Argentina (see picture left). Most hotels provide hair dryers in their guestrooms, but if you plan to bring your own electrical appliances then depending on which country you are coming from, you may also need to bring a voltage converter and/or plug adaptor.

Drinking Water

Although many hotels claim that their tap water is potable, it is highly recommended that you drink bottled water only.  Many hotels provide bottled water in the guestrooms and bottled water is also widely available at local shops and convenience stores.

Safety

Although considered a relatively crime free society, we advise you to take a few simple precautions in order to avoid any potential problems. 

• Leave valuables at the hotel.  Most Chinese hotels provide an in-room safe or locked security boxes at the front desk.

• As in any country, pickpockets and petty thieves are present so always be on guard in crowded areas and when traveling through airports, train or bus stations, keep an eye on your baggage at all times.

• If there is a problem report it immediately to a security guard or the police.  You may also require a report from them in order to make future claims for insurance purposes.
  

Office Hours

Businesses and government offices normally open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Offices usually close for lunch break from 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm. Unlike many western countries, most Chinese supermarkets and department stores remain open on public holidays, and some of them even extend their working hours into late night.

Mobile Phones and Internet

The city has an advanced telecom infrastructure. Public telephones can be found on most downtown streets. Mobile operators support GSM and CDMA cell phones. Most office buildings have Internet connections and Internet cafes are almost everywhere.

Mobile Phones

China's two mobile operators:

Many telecom outlets in the city look more like stalls. They sell mobile SIM cards, top-up vouchers and even recharges for most phone models.

How to apply
Here, it's better for you to buy a flexible card, which enables you to top up your account at any time. All the telecom outlets sell such prepaid sim cards. Yitong card and Jiajia card offer the international call service. Both of the cards are the prepaid kind.
You can top up your mobile phone either with top-up vouchers which are available in all telecom outlets.

* If you bring your own cell phone from your home country and plan to use global roaming services, you need to check with your operator before coming to Shanghai for the rates, because you may be charged with both international long distance calls as well as international roaming charges.

Internet
Don't be frightened by its crude façade. Most Internet cafés in Shanghai don't have pleasant conditions, but they charge very low rates. Remember to print out the Chinese characters "网吧" for Internet café.

Internet cafés usually charge 2-5 yuan (25cents to 62cents) per hour. The charges vary, based on the computers' configuration.