Shanghai for Regular Tourists: My Real Take & What to AVOID (Seriously!)
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Hello everyone, it's the weekend again, and I'm sharing my personal experience from my trip to Shanghai this time.
Let me make it clear that these are solely my opinions, which may not suit everyone.
• Those famous photo spots on Xiaohongshu (a popular Chinese sharing app for traveling and lifestyle) are packed with people! You might feel like an idiot being surrounded by all those other tourists, even if you think the pictures look really cool beforehand.
• The local food recommended by some bloggers didn't quite impress me either. After sampling different choices, I was unimpressed and even found some of them offensively bad:
-- Ongchangqingtuang （Green sticky rice dumpling, Ongchang Qingtuan）: Just too generic!
-- Zhen Laodaofang:
- Pork mooncake: It smells like cheap meatballs.
- Radish strips mooncake: Also rather unpleasant. I recommend a shop on a local food street that's jokingly called “the street of poor folks’ joy.” This shop’s version of radish strips mooncake is much better and cheaper!
- Salted egg yolk pork mooncake: Oh my god, probably the worst dish in Shanghai! 8 RMB each and absolutely awful. I've never tasted salted egg yolk this bland...
-- Shiniang Nanhuodian: Seaweed mooncake! My biggest disappointment. I paid ten bucks, but it made me feel utterly disgusted. No matter how many times you ask me, I cannot get over how terrible its taste is!
• I planned to bring home some souvenirs featuring local delicacies as presents for friends. However, after sampling these three restaurants, instead of continuing my trial, I decided to call it a day there and just say goodbye.
• Speaking of the "INS Pass"（not the Instagram app but probably referring to a bar or a tour pass), it enables you to visit bars across six floors. For the price of more than 200RMB, what you'd expect to get are drinks. But most of them are simply called "small sweet water," barely worth tasting. Only the sixth floor provides real alcohol — so-so quality-wise but barely passable.
• Important reminder: Be aware of smoking restrictions! Shanghai's ban on smoking is stricter compared to almost any city in China I've been to.
- Fellow smokers, kindly pay attention.
• There’s an official information channel called "Smoke-Free Shanghai." Find out about local smoking regulations before you go, as most public places, including restaurants, malls or hotel lobbies, are strict no-smoking zones.
• When reserving a room, make sure whether it's for a smoke-free hotel or smoke-free floors. Never smoke in the room if you've chosen a non-smoking zone. When I was staying at a hotel, the guy in the next room was puffing away in his room, only to cause a short circuit and power outage all through the building because he triggered the smoke alarm. So, respect regulations and avoid all the trouble!
• Shanghai is incredibly rich in cultural activities, ranging from exhibits to concerts, stage plays, and talk shows.
For me, watching a good show in Shanghai is significantly more pleasant than queuing and jamming through popular streets like Wukang Road. I recommend paying attention to the city’s cultural events if you happen to be there. Wukang Road, just so you know, has too many people swarming everywhere (please remember this as a little reminder).
#ShanghaiTravel #ShanghaiSouvenirs
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It really just comes down to personal preference. For instance, Zhen Lao Da Fang is pretty reliable for its meat quality, whereas I'm aware that smaller, lesser-known places can be quite risky. Shen Da Cheng on Nanjing East Road is decent, but their 'shuangniangtuan' (double-stuffed glutinous rice balls) are their real star. Shanghai's performing arts are undoubtedly good, but what truly sets the city apart are its beautiful and distinctive Western-style villa districts from the former concession era – something other cities largely lack or have on a much smaller scale. Shanghai boasts nearly 10,000 outstanding historical buildings; perhaps you just don't appreciate them yet.
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If you're easily offended, please don't bother commenting. I've already made it abundantly clear multiple times that these are my personal feelings. What's there to argue about? Some people genuinely dislike crowded places and being packed in. The beautiful photos I shared? I just snapped them while casually wandering the streets of Shanghai, and I think they're lovely. Don't try to force your preferences onto others.
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Excuse me, where was picture 4 taken?
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Try searching 'Shanghai Carb Street' (上海碳水一条街) on this platform; you should find relevant posts. I can't recall the exact street name myself, as a friend took me there.
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Wukang Road is just a sea of people; it's inexplicably trendy.
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When it gets too crowded, those little street-side shops start to feel odd. For instance, many restaurants and cafes are designed with small windows, which is a nice touch in itself – customers can sit inside and enjoy the street view. But once the crowds swell, the customers inside end up looking like exhibits on display, with throngs of tourists peering in at them.
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Shen Da Cheng and San Yang Nan Huo Dian have always been popular spots for locals, particularly the older generation. Perhaps when it comes to fresh meat mooncakes, you could argue that even more locals frequent places like Xi Qu Lao Da Fang or Guang Ming Cun.
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If you find it delicious, by all means, enjoy more of it. As a tourist, I have the right to share my honest experiences. Just as I'd praise Shanghai if they did a great job with, say, their smoking ban.
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Among the time-honored brands, I personally prefer Wang Jia Sha. Their vegetable buns, 'qingtuan' (green glutinous rice balls), and other items are all delicious.
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Please post more like this! I love reading people's genuine expressions and authentic thoughts.