Shanghai Travel Forum

One is for the general city seeing and the other two, for water towns (Hangzhou? Suzhou? Wuxi? Huangshan?).

Any suggestions?

I travelled alone in Shanghai and went everywhere by taxi.

Get an early start and visit Huxinting Tea House and Yu Garden. When you get dropped off you'll have no idea where you are - just wonder in the direction the driver points you and go inside the shop complex, and soon you'll be there. You'll know you're there when you see this walkway, very unique:
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/p/m/7baec/
It was done in a zigzag to confuse evil spirits ;=)

I did not actually go in the tea house but spent some time in the zig-zag overpass. Yu Garden is right there if you look towards the left side or the back wall of the courtyard where all the other places are.

Reason for going early is to beat the crowds of tourists.

I also went to the Shanghai Confucian Temple which was very nice and quiet and interesting (but I also went in the morning). I did these things in one morning.

If you're flying into Shanghai, taking the Maglev train into town is definetely something you should do - nice how it takes off.

I also enjoyed going up Pearl Tower, and taking a Bundt cruise at night - this is nice as you see the lights in all the buildings, and the alternating screens and lights in some of the larger buildings. Pearl Tower itself looks neat from the Bundt.

I was only there one evening and one long morning so that's what I did - I chose carefully.

Ah, if taking a taxi, I assume you'll have a little note from the hotel with the names of the places written, and the hotel name to get back. Don't show the name of where you want to go to the driver until you are *inside* the car. Seems that if the car is facing the "wrong way", they'll just wave you off. ;=)

Enjoy!

(ps. I just returned from Guimaraes and I know I'll have to be back one of these days).

None of the 4 destinations which you named are water villages at all!
Huangshan isn't doable in the timeframe that you have. Wuxi isn't worth it. Either Hangzhou and Suzhou are perhaps doable, but I wouldn't try to do both.
Seriously though, Shanghai is NOT a small city. Where did you get the impression that you could finish it off in only a day?

No ellyse - these are for "general city seeing" (the one day).
I look forward to visiting villages when I return to Shanghai.

Shanghai is wonderful place for travelling and best for shopping. What say?

As we all do I researched before going, and found out about the Jin Mao Tower in Pudong so we went there.
It's free to go up to the lobby of the Shanghai Grand Hyatt Hotel on the 54th floor. From there you have fantastic views over the Bund and the Oriental Pearl Tower. Also you can go up to the 88th floor and pay approx US$10 to go to the Skywalk indoor observation deck, which we didn't do.
The Hyatt's famous barrel-vaulted atrium starts at the 56th floor and extends upwards to the 87th. Lined with 28 annular corridors and staircases arrayed in a spiral, it is 27 m in diameter with a clear height of approximately 115 m. It is one of the tallest atriums in the world, the tallest being Burj Al Arab's.
Reviews of Pearl Tower suggest if you go up, don't waste your money and pay to go to the higher levels.

It was not that much to go up Pearl Tower. But do stop and read the rules first - it states something like:

"Drunken, ragamuffin, and psychotic not allowed"

;=)

Suzhou is a nice place, and you can call it a watertown, it has all the canals, if you go by train, make sure to get the fast train!

Sjanghai has a great zoo, and the tower in Pudong you have to visit, next to it is the aquarium, this is also nice, and closeby is a big shopping centre, go to Pudong via the underground tunnel, this is fun!

Sjanghai centre with the big shopping street is great too! enjoy!!

Nomad, I wasn't even referring to anything in your reply. For goodness sakes look carefully at what the OP wrote -- "water towns (Hangzhou? Suzhou? Wuxi? Huangshan?)" -- none of those 4 places are water villages!
Suzhou USED TO BE a water village, but that was probably before the last century. Now it's really a city, with some rare little pockets of "water village-ness", which I really don't think qualifies it for the title of "water village" anymore.
I don't think Shanghai Zoo is particularly recommendable, unless the previous answerer meant the Shanghai Wild Animal Park out in Pudong.
The "underground tunnel" which I presume refers to the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel, is overpriced and not worth the tacky experience.

For tourists the underground tunnel is great, yes, overpriced, but I guess I made the trip 6 times or so in 4/5 days,

and I did like 'watertown' Suzhou, it is an experience,

and also the zoo is great!!! and I do mean the city-zoo,

but it is difficult to see this from the inside, since you are from Sjanghai, I do not like most things in my hometown!

ellyse - at the time my reply was the only reply so what would anyone think? Anyhow, what's important is to provide the information, no need to argue on a post, yes?

Shanghai's Tourist Tunnel is so bad and such a big tourist trip that you may want to take it to experience how bad it is. :) It is about 10 times the price of the metro if you only want to get to the other side of the river.

Here is a video of it to help you decide for yourself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgP-yEMx9oY

Agree!
“take it to experience how bad it is. :)”
Way to go, Mike!

Yes Mike, I am actually looking fwd to taking it at least once, and as you said, "just to see how bad it is!!!" Only 69 more sleeps for me!

Nomad, why would I reply to a reply, instead of replying to the question?!

hi Elyse, I don't want to argue - just look at the sequence of the post. What would you think?

I'm not looking for a fight either, but someone who read carefully would realise that I was referring to the four destinations (Hangzhou, Suzhou, Wuxi and Huangshan) described by the OP as "water towns". Nothing to do with your reply.

Hi nomad7890… I’m glad you enjoy Guimarăes… And of course, you are welcome as many times as you want…

So…

I would like to see a little of Shanghai because I know the city it's too big for the time I have. And since we are going to spend a week in Beijing, I'd prefer to visit the rural China, or a more natural part of china around Shanghai…
Ellyse, I just talk about the water towns because I read about the great canal, and I thought the water towns are those 4 cities I talk before…
I hope my “not-so-good” English is enough to express what I really want about the water towns…

Thank you all for your replies…

Water villages refer specifically to smaller settlements such as Tongli, Xitang, Zhouzhuang (this is the most awfully touristy one) and the like. Settlements don't necessarily become "water villages" just because they're situated near or along what used to be the Grand Canal.

Sorry to get off topic,
but all this talk about Shanghai's Tourist Tunnel reminds me of the "Museum of Bad Art" which motto is:

"Art too bad to be ignored"
http://www.MuseumOfBadArt.org/

Maybe the motto of the Tourist Tunnel should be: "Must be seen to be believed"

China and Shanghai has lots of good interesting things to see and do, so maybe a 4 minute diversion of nonsense will be fun. :) Many of the youtube videos have people laughing and having a good time because they can't believe they paid over $5.00 USD to see this.

Yes Mike, well I just looked at your Youtube link and I found it quite bizarre!!! All it is is lights and noise, none of the speaking I could even make out or relate to. Anyway, I am sure we will do it, just the once, just to say we had!

There are many youtube videos of the tunnel.. I posted a different one where you can hear the people watching under the mis forum, so bad its good thread.

They are trying to imitate Disney Land ride but with less than Midway’s ghost-town ride quality! (Australia might not have a ‘Midway’, can someone please help to explain ‘Midway’ to Lindy.)
It’s a hit for children who have never seen a Disney ride.
You should do it when you absolutely run out of things to do.

Yes, please someone explain, as I have no idea what "Midway" is!?

I do not know what a Midway’s ghost-town ride is.

http://www.namidway.com/

In the older days (60’s, 70’s), Midway often had haunted house/ghost-town rides. Don’t know if they still have?

The Shanghai Bund Tunnel video shows that it’s so tacky, that’s not better than a Midway haunted house ride. But… maybe it’s good for laugh… -:)