W A N D E R L U S T ; SHANGHAI 2019 (Part 1)

I'm back from China! I was extremely excited for this trip because this is my first long holiday since I started working (not counting Vietnam which was a short and unimpressive trip).

China is a really beautiful place but not so much its people. Met a lot of people who would cut queue with various methods – elbow jostling, lying that it's just a quick question, shamelessly taking advantage of your niceness. Service providers are really fierce because they ain't gonna handle your shit yo. In any case, I've learnt that you don't have to be courteous. Though I have to say the younger generation has better manners.

Before I start recounting what I did in China, I thought it would be useful to lay down the tips that I've gained as a 10-day tourist in Beijing, Suzhou and Shanghai.

TIPS TO SURVIVE IN CHINA

1. The following apps are crucial to your stay in China:

• DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT use Google Maps in China. Their maps are totally off because China blocked Google and Google doesn't have access. I learnt this the hard way. In China, people use 百度地图 (Baidu Maps). A good alternative with English instructions is Apple's Maps, sorry Android users!

• WeChat is what locals use to chat and pay their purchases with. Unfortunately, you'll need a local bank account set up to be able to use WeChat pay but cash works fine as well.

• Metroman has the train maps of pretty much everywhere in China. I used it frequently in Beijing and Shanghai to navigate my way through the metro stations and during my planning process when I needed to know how far is one destination to another.

• We stayed in Airbnb in Shanghai and Beijing because they were cheaper, but do note that there are certain drawbacks. Although the apartments we stayed in were very convenient, they were located in old estates. Like reaaaaaally old. They don't even have elevators installed! So do check if the apartment is on the first floor. If not, prepare yourself to work out with your luggages.
  
  Speaking of which, China has a serious lack of escalators/elevators. I really don't know how the elderly or the handicapped make their way around the city.

• 大众点评 (Dian Ping) is an app that I used a lot while in China whenever I needed recommendation for food. It's super easy to use and they will tell you the menu, price range, food reviews, and even the location. Do note that the food recommended are typically pricier because most people will obviously visit cafes and nicer places. There are some local gems listed though so always check the prices.

• I didn't use DiDi because I couldn't get my account set up. Learn from my lesson: If you're using a SIM card bought in Singapore, do change your number into their local number rather than retaining your SG number. I did the opposite and DiDi couldn't send me the password to verify my account. 

This was what I started out with. A very thin layer of jacket.

This was what I ended up buying. A winter windbreaker hahahaha.

2. It is extremely windy in China even during the Spring season so do bring enough warm clothing! Especially scarves. We made the mistake of bringing clothes that were for air-conditioned temperature (Weather told us it was 20+ degree) and had to buy winter jackets there lol.

3. The start of April marks the beginning of peak season for many tourist attractions so the entry tickets will be more expensive than usual. But April is a good time to shop for winter stuff because it's the turn of the season for them so there are sales everywhere.

4. Never underestimate the size of China. You'll need at least half a day to comfortably breeze through a location (note that I use the word "breeze" – it's impossible to finish an attraction if you want to see other things on the same day) which means you can only plan for 2 places to go every single day. Trust me on this because I had to make a lot of changes to our itinerary.

5. People are generally rude so no need to be courteous when calling them out.

6. They require bag checks in every metro station so either you bring a small bag out or avoid using the metro or be prepared to take off your bags every time you enter their metro. Shanghai is a lot more crowded than Beijing so public places are a lot squeezier.

7. Last but not least, if you're travelling via the bullet train or railway train, I highly recommend you to book your tickets via TravelChinaGuide. Your tickets are bought and settled by a middleman who's super responsive and understanding. I actually changed my tickets a few times after book but they were totally accommodating to me despite the hassle.

With that, let's move on to my itinerary (not chronological!)

PLACES TO SEE IN SHANGHAI

So I started off in Shanghai which is a damn crowded place. There's just so many people everywhere all the time!

The train station was so crowded that you can barely see the person in charge lol..

That day, we headed to 顾村公园 (Gu Cun Park) where the cherry blossoms bloom in season. It was quite out of town – about an hour's ride from People's Square – yet there were sooooooo many people. I highly recommend the place because it's very beautiful. My advice is get there as early as possible during the Spring season. Along the way, you will also see lot of people who play dress-up haha.

You can tell how crowded it was from this photo alone.

朱家角 (Zhu Jia Jiao) is another beautiful place to visit. It's a water town, also about an hour's ride from People's Square. You don't need a ticket to walk around but there are about 8 attractions that require a small fee. If you'd like to take a look at the priced attractions, the ticket counter offers both the full package (access to all 8 attractions plus a boat ride) and the half package (access to 4 pre-selected attractions at a cheaper rate).

We got the latter package but to be honest there are only 2 out of the 4 packaged attractions that I really recommend: Qing Dynasty Post Office and Kezhi Gardens. So it's up to you if you want to take up the packages. But do note that place is so huge that you can't possibly finish 8 locations in half a day.

Outside the metro station of Zhujiajiao.

Also, if you need directions for on how to get to the water town after alighting at Zhujiajiao station:
"Once you get to the Zhujiajiao station, go out the exit that is the bridge over the road and take the stairs down to your right. From here you can either walk (about 1 km – 15 minutes), take a bus, or take a taxi to get to the tourist areas of town (I walked). To walk turn left at the road in front of you (Zhuxi road), then take the first major right turn (Xiangningbang Road) and then take the second MAJOR left (Xinfeng Rd)."

Post office from the Qing Dynasty.

How post box in Qing Dynasty looked like.

I really enjoyed walking around Kezhi Garden which is located inside an old official's house. His garden alone is as bigger than a stadium, can you imagine? Inside the garden, there are many different areas and even a opera stage/house for singers to sing. I don't have a lot of photos because I was worn out from walking by then.


朱家角 (Zhu Jia Jiao) is also a residential area :D

Another of my favourite place in Shanghai is the Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Museum where they display poster arts from Mao's reign. I don't have photos because they didn't allow photo-taking but I love it because this is the only tourist attraction where it is quiet and I got educated on Chinese history. It is quite inaccessible though!

And of course you can't go Shanghai without visiting The Bund. I swear the have the nicest cityscape in Asia.

The above mentioned are the places that I really recommend while in Shanghai. Other notable mentions are 田子坊 (Tian Zi Fang), Nanjing Walking Street, 豫园 (Yuyuan Garden) etc.

For reference, 田子坊 (Tian Zi Fang) is like our Bugis Street while Nanjing Walking Street is our Orchard Road. I would say 豫园 (Yuyuan Garden) is similar to Chinatown but with a lot more history because some of their shops and architecture were from Qing Dynasty! When I visited 豫园 (Yuyuan Garden), it was as crowded as Chinatown during CNY period lol.

新天地 (Xin Tian Di), another notable place, screams european at every corner. Good for people walking and pub chilling.

FOOD TO EAT IN SHANGHAI

As for food recommendation, my top picks are 小杨生煎 (Mr Yang's Dumplings), 南翔馒头店 and 外婆家 (Grandma's House). For all bubble tea addicts, try 一点点 (Yi Dian Dian).

Mr Yang's dumplings

Mr Yang's dumplings aren't your normal dumplings. They are fried on one side and steamed on the other. The dumplings juicy and filled with hot soup. It's the perfect breakfast item! Skip the noodles though. Not worth your time.

南翔馒头店

*slurps*

南翔馒头店 is another dumplings stall but they are famous for their crab dumpling where you suck the juice out with a straw. Their normal dumplings are really delicious too. This store has been operating since the Qing Dynasty so it has a history of at least 200 years old! Don't miss this if you're in Yuyuan Gardens.

Tea flavoured chicken

Some prawn dish and braised meat.

外婆家 (Grandma's House) is a restaurant that serves huge portions for really reasonable prices (think zi char price!). You can check 大众点评 (Dian Ping) for recommended dishes and nearest locations :D

I miss this already :'(

And of course, not forgetting 一点点 (Yi Dian Dian). I don't know how to explain but unlike most bbt brands, 一点点 (Yi Dian Dian) doesn't come up with innovative and interesting drinks. Instead, it is all about simplicity. This brand is really for all basic people who just want a good simple cup of milk tea without any fuss. I recommend their macchiatos in warm/hot temperature especially if the weather is cold.

I think I shall break here. I'll write about my experience in Suzhou and Beijing in a separate post. See you there!