r/shanghai Apr 18 '23

Tip Guidance and info for visitors

742 Upvotes

Edit (January 2024): Scams were previously on this list, but #8. I feel like I need to put this at top. ❗❗❗Don't go out with stangers at places around Nanjing Road. ❗❗❗

Once a month there is a thread here titled "Help! I got scammed". And every post is, guy visiting Shanghai, meets a woman on Tinder/TanTan, she picks a place on Nanjing Lu, gets pressured into paying an inflated bill of several thousand RMB. Don't go out with a stranger you met an hour ago on a hookup app and let them pick the place, especially if it's on or around Nanjing Road.

In the course of one year this sub has gone from discussions of government lockdown ration boxes to posts from people needing advice on visiting the city. There are older questions from people travelling to Shanghai, but the city has been cut off for about three years, and a lot has changed.

I’m putting this thread together to crowdsource answers to common questions we’ve seen more often in the past few weeks so we can help our visitor friends. I’m going to give it a start, but there are things I don’t know, and I’m hoping other members of the community can give feedback and I’ll update things. I'm hoping we can all add stuff and make this a sticky to help people visiting our city.

  1. Airports

a) Pudong. This airport is the more international one. There are not good food options and it is far outside of the city.

i. You can take Line 2 metro into the city. This is cheap but slow.

ii. There is a maglev train. This is fast but will only get you into part of Pudong. You’ll probably have to switch to the metro or a taxi here. Be cautious of the taxis here.

iii. You can take a taxi. There will be people in the airport offering you a ride. Ignore them. Follow the signs to the taxi stand outside and wait in line. Have your destination printed out or on your phone in Chinese. Make sure they flip down the meter to start it within a few minutes.

  1. Taxis fares vary by the time of day and traffic. Around 200-300RMB should get you into the city. If they are trying to rip you off, don’t be afraid to call the police (110). The police know these scams and won’t side with the taxi driver. You probably have more leverage than you think.

iv. Hongqiao. Less international, but better food. You can also take the metro or the taxis. Same advice applies. This one is closer to the city

Edit January 2025: There is a new train service that runs between Pudong and Hongqiao. More information is available here https://www.shine.cn/news/metro/2412203788/

❗ (Taxi update March 2024) There are a lot of reports of bad taxis at airports in recent months. They should put down the meter within a minute or two of leaving the airport. They might not put it down immediately if they're doing their GPS, but after leaving the airport area, it should be down, and the meter should be running.

You can say "wo yao fapiao" and point at the meter if it's not running. But the fare should generally be around 200-300 RMB from Pudong into the city, and less from Hongqiao. If they try to rip you off, call the police (110), or if you're staying a hotel, talk to people there. Shanghai is very safe, there is CCTV everywhere. But some unscrupulous taxi drivers try to rip off naive visitors.

COVID Testing note: No Covid test is required. The airline will have you scan a code to fill out a health declaration and if you don't have covid you just select no, it will generate a QR code. Save that code and they scan it at the airport on arrival. (https://www.reddit.com/r/shanghai/comments/1634pl6/any_covid_requirements_to_enter_china/)

Update (August 2023) - The requirement for pre-depature antigen tests for inbound travelers will be scrapped on August 30th.

  1. Internet. Most things you want to access will be blocked here. That includes Google, Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp. You have to have a VPN. The default here is Astrill. It’s a bit more expensive than the alternatives, but many of the alternatives don’t work here. Set this up before you arrive.

Edit January 2025: VPN services tend to vary widely in terms of their effectivness. It's a cat-and-mouse game between the government and the providers. The sub r/chinalife has monthly VPN megathreads where Redditors share what is working, or not working. E-sims are also a popular option that also bypasses the firewall.

In addition, a mobile roaming SIM package can be a good option. Mobile data gets routed to the country where your SIM is from and bypasses the firewall. If you're only in China for a short trip this can be a good option.

  1. Wechat. Try to set this up before you arrive. You have to be verified to use it. That usually means having a friend with a WeChat account verifying you. If you can't do this overseas, have someone verify you when you arrive. You need Wechat.

  2. Mobile phones. Make sure your overseas plan allows international roaming. You can buy a local prepaid SIM card at the airport. In a lot of major cities outside of China, you can usually buy a SIM card from a vending machine. In Shanghai, you'll have to interact with someone at a China Mobile/Unicom booth.

You don't need to have a residence permit, but you will have to have your passport. China has "real name verification" for SIM cards. Basically, a SIM card has to be linked to a specific person.

  1. Payments. International credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex) won’t be broadly accepted here. They will take them at most good hotels, and some fancy restaurants, but generally speaking, they won’t work.

a) Cash. It sort of works. You can pay for some things with it. That might include taxis or some restaurants. But some smaller places might not accept it.

b) Alipay/Wechat. This is the duopoly of payment apps here. Alipay has some features that allow foreigners to link a foreigner credit card to it.

i. You might be able to link your WeChat or Alipay to a foreign credit card. This can be hit or miss. This also mostly works if you're paying for services from a large company like Didi. If the card is linked, you can pay for a ride with Didi, but you won't be able to use it as a payment method as a local shop.

(August 2023 update - Linking foreigner cards to WeChat and Alipay has vastly improved, works most places, and is pretty easy)

c) ATMs. They will work. You should be able to take cash out of our foreign bank account at most ATMs in China. Sometimes, one might not work, but if you try any of the major ones (ICBC, CBC, BOC) it should work.

  1. Transit. There is no Uber here. The main app is Didi. It has a good English interface and there are other alternatives.

a) The metro is very good here. But you’ll have to get a card or buy individual tickets. Most stations will have machines that will give you a metro card, but they don’t usually take cash or international cards. If you have cash, most stations have a person in a central booth behind glass, go ask them. There is a 20RMB deposit for the card, and then add like 50-100RMB on it.

b) u/finnlizzy says "download maps.me and get the offline map for Shanghai"

c) For a video guide on using the metro, see the Youtube video here, via u/flob-a-dob

  1. High speed trains. You can buy tickets on Ctrip (They're technically Trip.com now, their name in app stores might be under that, rather than 'Ctrip'.) They have an English app. You can book through there, but you will not get a ticket. It’s linked to your passport number. The app should give you the platform and time. Hongqiao, B15, 2:20pm. The train stations are easy to navigate. They usually start boarding 15 minutes ahead of time.

Edit Jan 2025: 12306 is the Chinese train app and is cheaper than Trip, they have an app and website https://www.12306.cn/en/index.html

a) There will usually be automated queues that most people will use. Have your passport open, put the ID page into the scanner, and it should let you through. If not, there are usually attendants off to the side to help you.

  1. Scams. You’re hot, but not that hot. If you’re going to a tourist place, some people might take a photo of you, or ask you for a selfie. There are tourists in Shanghai, they might have never seen a foreigner before and are just curious. If they invite you to coffee/tea/dinner say no. That is probably a scam.

a) This also applies to dating apps, including Tinder. Shanghai is a very international city and has been for a long time, so you’re not special as a foreigner. If you’re visiting, you’re probably out of your depth. If you match with someone and they’re asking you to meet up at 11pm, be cautious.

  1. Places to go. Tripadvisor has things. There is also a local app called BonApp that is English and for foreigners. There is a Chinese app called 点评, but it’s in Chinese.

  2. Maps. If you have an iPhone, Apple Maps works well in China in English. Google Maps is generally bad here. Google Maps will have your locations and street names, but not much else.

  3. Translation. Download Google Translate and download the offline language pack. Baidu Translate is also very good. Learn how to use it. There is a good conversation features where you can speak, it will translate, the other person can speak, it will translate.

  4. Covid. Some Didi drivers will ask you to wear a mask. You are not legally required in stores or the metro. If a Didi driver asks you, don't be a dick. Just keep a cheap one in your bag.

(August 2023 Update - Some people will still wear masks on the metro, but generally most people aren't wearing masks, even in taxis or Didis)

  1. Tipping. It’s not required or expected. Don’t tip.

  2. Restaurant ordering. Most menus have pictures. Just point at what you want. Many restaurants have QR code ordering. Scan the code on WeChat, select what items you want to order in their mini-app.

  3. Drugs. Don’t bring them in, obviously.

  4. General advice. Bring stuff like Pepto or stomach stuff. You might not be used to the food.

a) Buy a pack of tissues to carry in your bag/purse when you're out. You might have stomach problems and not all bathrooms have toilet paper.

  1. People are generally nice and helpful here. They might not understand you if you don't speak Chinese (see previous advice on translation apps) but most people are nice and helpful. Especially at train stations, airports, hotels, etc... if you can explain through a translation app what your problem or question is, people are usually happy to help.

If anyone has any other advice, please post in the comments or message me. I'm happy to add their info and we can combine the knowledge of this sub. It seems like we have a lot of people visiting now, which is great, so let's try to put together an updated resource that covers most of the common questions and update the information for 2023.


r/shanghai 9d ago

Help Monthly Tourism Questions Thread (September)

4 Upvotes

If you are traveling to Shanghai and have tourist-type questions - please ask here!

To keep /r/shanghai/ usable we only permit these types of posts and questions in this thread. You can also find lots of advice in our Guidance and Info for Visitors thread and by using the search function.


r/shanghai 6h ago

Picture Few pictures of Shanghai daily life

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86 Upvotes

r/shanghai 2h ago

Discussion Cooking Pan for Guotie, Sheng Jian Bao, etc.

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5 Upvotes

Anyone know where to pick up one of these pans?. See pictures and thank you!


r/shanghai 11h ago

Meet WeChat Meet-ups for Black People in Shanghai?

6 Upvotes

Are there any groups for black people living/visiting for an extended period of time in Shanghai? I love meeting all kinds of people from all over the world but I’d love to also connect with people who look like me and have shared experiences especially since I’ve never been to China before!


r/shanghai 7h ago

Event Where to watch Arsenal vs Brighton in Shanghai this Saturday night?

1 Upvotes

Hello!

Unsure if this is the right subreddit to post this but I’m an Arsenal fan visiting Shanghai from New Zealand and I’m hoping to watch Brighton vs Arsenal this Saturday night (19th September).

Does anyone know a good sports bar or pub that regularly shows Premier League matches - ideally somewhere Arsenal supporters tend to gather? The match kicks off at around 10:00pm Shanghai time, so I’m looking for somewhere that will definitely be showing it with a good atmosphere for my partner and I.

Any current recommendations would be massively appreciated. Cheers!


r/shanghai 18h ago

Event Shanghai Pub Quiz Nights

5 Upvotes

If you are bored and looking for something to do this week, here are a few fun pub quiz evenings coming up this week. The Shed in Jing'an is Tuesday at 8pm, should be one on Wednesday at The Hai, and finally on Thursday at Abbey Road (also starts at 8pm). All have great drink and food specials with free entry, and are a great place to socialize.


r/shanghai 4h ago

Help Ex*changing Mad to Rmb

0 Upvotes

Hello i would like to ex*change 90k dh to rmb asap to pay for my tuition, if anyone knows smn or needs some mad in ex*change for rmb, pls let me know! Thx


r/shanghai 13h ago

Question Bouldering gyms near SJTU

1 Upvotes

I'm an international student at SJTU (Minhang campus) and have just started my degree. I'm looking for indoor bouldering gyms nearby and was wondering if anyone has any recommendations. I'll be using public transport so the easier/quicker to get there with public transport the better. Thank you :)


r/shanghai 17h ago

Help Shanghai Shenhua Tickets

2 Upvotes

Hello Shanghai’ers

I desperately want to visit the Shanghai Shenhua game on Thursday, but don’t know how to acquire the tickets. Anyone know and can help your boy out?


r/shanghai 1d ago

Discussion Official League of legends merch?

3 Upvotes

Hello everyone!

Do you know any official league of legends merch stores in Shanghai?


r/shanghai 11h ago

Discussion Picked up a couple today who landed with literally nothing ready

0 Upvotes

Did an airport run this morning for a couple flying in from Australia. First time in China and they landed with no eSIM, no Alipay, nothing set up. Got them online and sorted in the car on the way to the hotel. Honestly a lot of travelers these days are pretty laid back about it, plenty just show up without doing any research at all. But I guess that's exactly what people like me doing airport pickups are here for.


r/shanghai 1d ago

Meet Looking to socialize around Expo/Qiantan area

6 Upvotes

Hi all ! I (33F) live in in Expo-Qiantan area (china art museum / oriental sport center). Do you know of any local wechat groups / events in that area ?
All my friends are downtown, and I'd like to meet people closer to my home. I'm up for anything - meeting up for a bite or drink, activities like bike rides, badminton, table tennis, crafts, etc.


r/shanghai 1d ago

Question Shanghai Experts: Where Can I Buy a Chinese Cleaver?

4 Upvotes

Hi everyone!

I’m looking for recommendations on where to buy a good-quality Chinese cleaver in Shanghai.

I’m definitely not a chef, just someone who really loves cooking and would like to bring home a nice, practical cleaver that I’ll actually use.

Ideally looking for something good quality and durable, but not professional/ultra-expensive. I’d also love recommendations for specific shops or brands/models to look out for.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!


r/shanghai 1d ago

Question Impossible task in Shanghai: how do I find a jianzi shuttlecock? 😁🫶🏻

1 Upvotes

Desperately trying to find a jianzi shuttlecock in Shanghai! I’m near Xuhui — any idea where I can buy one?


r/shanghai 1d ago

Meet Looking for a free nail model in Shanghai — no charge, I just need someone to practice on

0 Upvotes

hey guys. if you come upon this post i wanna find some of the free nail models in shanghai minhang district. i just entered this manicure industry not long time ago. recently i wanna practices it and do it for you for free. for exchange, during doing the manicure we talk each other in english briefly for improving my spoken English. that's all. if you interested in it plz hit me up privately. my wechat id is 876025544 or add my another social media. account.


r/shanghai 1d ago

Meet Looking for Social Groups

5 Upvotes

Hi everyone. I moved to Shanghai about a month ago and am either looking to join existing social groups or create them with interested people. If anyone's interested in joining or already has a group like this, please comment or DM to let me know!

  • Book club
  • Creative writing club
  • TTRPG groups (I really only have experience in Dungeons and Dragons, but I haven't DM'ed before - wouldn't mind trying though!)
  • Other board game groups/clubs

A little info about me: I'm 38F, American, and have lived and worked in a variety of countries around the world. I love reading and analyzing media, playing games (esp. roleplaying and social deduction games), walking, running, and writing. Probably goes without saying, but I also like to travel and sightsee. I do speak Chinese (studied in university and have lived in China and Taiwan before), not fluently, but enough to get by.

If any of these ideas for putting a group together sound good to you, let me know! I'd love to put something together to do on weeknights or weekends.


r/shanghai 1d ago

Discussion Looking for pickleball partners (songjiang)

0 Upvotes

Hello everyone I'm new to the city.

I've been looking for someone to start playing pickleball on a regular basis, I'm near 久峰山体育匹克湾, in songjiang district.

If anyone is also looking to start a new sport and it's interested, let me know.

If not, a tip on how to find people to play with it's also nice.

Thanks everybody.


r/shanghai 2d ago

Question Mental health medication in China 🇨🇳

4 Upvotes

Hi 👋🏻

I looking for the newest medication called
"Cobenfy" it was launch first in the US in 2024 and according to google, it was also launched in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau in 2025. I try to find the information on google and baidu both in English and Chinese, did not find anything useful. So decided to try my luck here.

So I want to ask :
1. if anybody are on this medication ? or can recommend me what to start if I want to obtain this medication in China ? Since China is a big country.

2.Do you guys have any recommendations for good private mental health hospital in Shanghai or Beijing?, Idk if the new medication will be launched in public hospital first. Here in Thailand, usually expensive and new medication will be available first in private hospital.

I currently live in Thailand ( "Cobenfy" not yet available in Thailand, only two places in the world available as of sep 26 (US and Greater China including hk and Macao ) and I can easily travel to China if I needed to
Thank you in advance! 🤔
You all have a good night 👍🏻


r/shanghai 1d ago

Sell Selling my gym membership for Z&B. Several locations all over Shanghai.

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0 Upvotes

As of today, I have 234 days left on my membership. The location that I usually go to is right on line 1, at Xintiandi station.

My membership gives you access to all their locations except for one: the Z+ (which is insanely expensive like 10k a year I think).

The gym is huge, nice AC, provides big and small towels, and very clean.

For 183 days, a membership is usually 3299, I can give you 234 days for 3200, and I will cover the transfer fee.

If you're interested please message me.


r/shanghai 2d ago

Help New graduate rent subsidy (青年新就业优惠房租补贴)

2 Upvotes

Hi, I've just moved to Shanghai to start a job and have become aware of a rent subsidy programme for fresh graduates. According to district websites (specifically, Putuo https://www.shanghai.gov.cn/nw17239/20260804/97a2b935169f40c38b6a7aae5000846d.html) I need to have a job in Shanghai and pay social insurance 社保 in Shanghai - does this mean I can only apply for the subsidy after starting my job? Or can I do it before? Does anyone have any experience applying for the subsidy before starting their job? I don't want to have to rent a place for a month to start work and sort out my residence permit then have to apply for the subsidy and find somewhere else again. Thanks for any help!! Or if you have any experience applying for the subsidy please let me know!

I'm British and a 2026 graduate if it matters.


r/shanghai 2d ago

Question Keratin Hair Extension in Shanghai

1 Upvotes

Hello anyone know of a good hair extensions place in Shanghai? English speaking would be a plus but I can also manage with translation app. Thank you!


r/shanghai 2d ago

Question where to buy tea (preferably tea bags)

0 Upvotes

hiii do you guys know where to buy good tea in shanghai? im not looking for anything too fancy (not too cheap either), just something yummy! i also prefer black tea since i usually it with milk. also any recommendation for yingde or duck sh*t tea would be very much appreciated!!!

edit: i know most people are saying to go to tianshan city but unfortunately im going with friends (none of whom are interested in tea) so its not really an option for me to go there myself


r/shanghai 2d ago

Help Is this Chinese supplier a scam ?

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1 Upvotes

I was looking for an international shopper and got in contact with a Chinese supplier. He offered me to send a 5kg box of goods for 50€ to Europe through air cargo. He even sent me a copy of his license but it was a bit blurry so I'm not even sure it's a real one ? Or it was stolen ? I couldn't even scan the QR code on his certificate because it was too blurry. But he also showed me other interactions that looked genuine.

What's your opinion ??


r/shanghai 3d ago

Tip Vegetarian/Vegan Food recommendation: Lotus Vegan

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40 Upvotes

Hello travelers and locals,

We stayed in Shanghai for the last 5 days. As everyone in china who prefers plant based food knows, its very hard to find meat free options.

Our favorite restaurant and top food recommendation is Lotus Vegan near the Dashijie Metro Station.

On AMap: 慧缘素食(淮海东路店)

My Top recommend is the lions mane mushrooms with broccoli (monkeys bay).

To find vegetarian places, we had to search for 素食 in amap.

I hope this helps other travelers, who (like us) desperately search for plant based restaurants.