First Time Shanghai: My Raw Take
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Hi everyone! I've just returned from my first visit to Shanghai, and I am eager to share some fresh impressions with you all! I came from Nanning, a rather pleasant city in the southern part of China, so I couldn't help but compare it with Shanghai throughout my visit.
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The City of Shanghai:
- The city is truly enormous!
- At Pudong International Airport (the main international airport), after deplaning, it takes about ten minutes of brisk walking just to reach outside the terminal. So be prepared!
- The subway stations are massive and transfers can feel like a journey in itself – it can take quite far a walk.
- Speaking of the metro lines, there are frighteningly many of them— 18 in total. You can switch at almost every station or every other one. This does make navigation convenient.
️Important note: It's incredibly crowded on the metro! Even outside rush hours, finding a seat is largely a matter of luck.
- The city is truly enormous!
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Transportation:
- Regarding public buses, fares generally start at two RMB (Chinese Renminbi).
- ️Be cautious: Bus stop signs are particularly subtle, miniature in size, and could easily be missed. Be keen-eyed when looking for them!
- Electric bikes (which we call "battery-motorbikes", small motorcycles) are fairly common, although mostly privately owned. Unlike Nanning, where shared electric vehicles are ubiquitous, sharing services in Shanghai mainly offer bicycles.
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Suburbs:
- Shanghai's suburbs have developed well too, with various facilities available as a result, which makes residing in the outskirts quite handy indeed.
Travel tip: However, the distance between the outskirts and the city center is noticeable, and usually requires a combination of bus and metro ride to access it.
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Expenses (compared to life in Nanning):
- Rent: A small apartment costs around 3500 RMB per month in Shanghai's outskirts; in Nanning something similar costs only about 1000 RMB.
- Eating out: A bowl of rice vermicelli or noodle dish costs almost 20 RMB in Shanghai, compared to Nanning, where 12 RMB is often enough.
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My honest take on adapting to this big, expensive metropolis was surprisingly smooth and quick since the differences between Nanning and Shanghai don't seem that great after all!
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Finally, a few random thoughts:
- Major cities have their own kind of grandeur, while smaller cities are more peaceful.
- Bottom line: Being comfortable and happy wherever you end up is most important.
- Those appealing things might not necessarily cater to your tastes. Being able to appreciate solid happiness in your own surroundings reflects real strength.
#Shanghai #firsttimeinshanghai #travelshanghai #citylife #leisurewalk #singlevisit #exploringshanghai #tourism
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How on earth did you get out of Pudong Airport in 10 minutes?!
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Probably around 10 minutes or so. I didn't time it exactly, but it feels like a really long walk.
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What you're seeing is very one-sided.
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Perhaps.
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The happiness of ordinary people in small cities isn't necessarily lower than that of ordinary people in big cities. Everyday folks are pretty much the same; it's not like they can go shopping on Nanjing Road for luxury goods every day.
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How I wish for balanced development across all regions of the country!
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You can't get out of Pudong Airport in 10 minutes, right?
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Probably around 10 minutes or so. I didn't check the time specifically, but it's definitely a long walk.
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Okay, you're welcome to visit Nanning if you get the chance.
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Nanning has such great weather, and people there speak so gently!
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I once stayed in a hotel in Nanning. I slept through the night and only then realized the window facing outside had been open the whole time. It was so quiet and comfortable! You're welcome to visit Shanghai.