FODOR'S SHANGHAI GUIDEBOOK
Review by Barb & Ron Kroll
Fodor's Shanghai
(Fodor's) ISBN 978-1400017454 1400017459
This Fodor's travel guide covers things to see and do in the most westernized city in China other than Hong Kong. Readers will learn when to go, how to get around, basic vocabulary, hours of operation for shops, museums, temples and banks. They'll find information on Shanghai's top attractions: Yu Gardens, The Bund, Shanghai Museum, Shopping on Nanjing Dong Lu, Oriental Pearl Tower or Jinmao Tower, The Former French Concession, Dongtai Lu Antiques Market and Xintiandi.
The advice and tips are straightforward and practical: "Bring good shoes and a lot of patience."
Hotel information
Shanghai attractions, restaurants, hotels, nightclubs and shops include addresses, phone numbers and websites as well as hours of opening and credit cards accepted. Hotels and restaurants have dollar symbols indicating price range.
At A Glance sidebars provide translations from English to Pinyin and Chinese characters.
Subway map
Photos are black and white. Shanghai city and neighborhood maps include points of interest, restaurants, hotels and shops. There is an excellent subway map on the inside back cover.
When you travel to Shanghai, the book advises you to do as the Shanghainese do. A list of social customs includes eating xiao long bao (steamed pork dumplings) at street stalls, bargaining in markets, crowding together in buses and ferries, complimenting hosts with gifts and slurping noodles.
Best restaurants
A dining planner discusses dining hours, dress codes, Shanghai's top five restaurants, tipping advice and restaurants ranging from French to Vietnamese.
Sidebars include quotes from readers, history, walking tours and tips like renting a bike, local beers and where to buy monk's supplies. Close-Up sidebars feature topics like fast food places, Shaoxing yellow rice wine and hotels for families.
What to see and do
The remnants of the Old City neighborhood are located east of Puxi, on the west side of the river, near the city center. Portions of the city walls still remain. Although Shanghai is changing quickly, visitors can still see temples, markets and narrow alleyways with washing hung on bamboo poles.
Besides a description of what's here, the chapter includes a map to help you get oriented, information on history, how to get here, top reasons to go, places to eat, safety, how to find the public restrooms and suggestions for good walks. What to see recommendations include: Temple of the City God, Chen Xiangge Temple, Old City Wall and (Fodor's Choice) Yu Garden.
Contents
EXPERIENCE SHANGHAI- Shanghai Planner
- Top Attractions
- City Itineraries
- Shanghai with Kids
- Sightseeing Tours
- When in Shanghai
- Free Things to Do
- Get a Massage
- Golf
- Quirky Shanghai
- Shanghai Then & Now
- Holidays and Festivals
- On the Horizon
SHANGHAI NEIGHBORHOODS
- Old City
- Xintiandi & the City Center
- The Bund & Nanjing Dong Lu
- Former French Concession
- Nanjing Xi Lu & Jing'an
- Pudong
- North Shanghai
- Xujiahui & South, Hongqiao & Gubei
SHOPPING
ARTS & NIGHTLIFE
WHERE TO EAT
WHERE TO STAY
SIDE TRIPS
- Hangzhou
- Shaoxing
- Xiamen
- Gulangyu
- Nanjing
- Suzhou
UNDERSTANDING SHANGHAI
- PRONUNCIATION & VOCABULARY
- SHANGHAI ESSENTIALS
- INDEX
MAPS
CLOSE-UPS
- Ultimate Shopping tour
- Qipao Aplenty
- Tailor-Made for You
- Local Brews
- Old Shanghai's Dance Halls
- Historic Bar: Mint
- Where to Refuel Around Town
- Which Neighborhood?
- Kid-Friendly Hotels in Shanghai
- A River Runs Through It
- Art for Art's Sake
- What's Cooking
- Exploring the Water Villages
SHANGHAI IN FOCUS
EXPERIENCE
- 21st Century China
NEIGHBORHOODS
- The Age of Empires
SHOPPING
- Markets
WHERE TO EAT
- A Culinary Tour of China
SIDE TRIPS
- Spirituality in China
Authors
David Taylor, a resident of China, is a travel, hospitality, food and beverage writer and editor. He researched and updated the Shanghai Dining chapter.
Victoria Patience, who updated the Essentials chapter, grew up in Hong Kong. She frequently travels throughout Asia and China.
Lisa Movius, a resident of Shanghai, updated the Arts and Nightlife chapter.
Elyse Singleton, a writer, photographer and extensive China traveler, wrote the Markets essay and the Experience, Neighborhoods and Shopping chapters.
Rachel King Berlin, a dancer with the Shanghai Theater Academy and the Zhuheniao Dance Collective and a resident of Shanghai, wrote the Lodging chapter.
More things to see and do in China:
Beyond the Great Wall - Recipes and Travels in the Other China