Shanghai, China's financial hub and largest city, gives me good vibes when I was there for a week.
I felt safe, enjoyed the cultural sights and the food was amazing! There was no pollution. For these reasons, I definitely recommend Shanghai as a possible destination for female travellers to explore on their own for the first time.
Shanghai has an area of 6350 km to the power of 2 with a population of 24.18 million, as compared to Singapore, 721.5 with an estimated population of 6 million. I am pretty impressed that the city is clean. The people are friendly. The Metro system is efficient.
So, why did Shanghai give me good vibes despite Google, Instagram, Facebook, Whatsapp not working at times? One important reason was that I stayed in a hotel just opposite People's Square Metro Station, a large interchange station of the Shanghai Metro. It makes my travelling a breeze and the location is close to many important cultural sights. I definitely suggest that you stay in one of the hotels or hostels near People's Square Station.
Charming Shanghai Streets
The Bund
(Chinese: 外滩; pinyin: Wài Tān)
Metro Station: Nanjing Road (E) Line 2
 |
| Beautiful night view |
It is a must to take a walk along The Bund and admire the night view of the Huang Pu River with modern buildings and their colourful lights. On the other side are charming historical buildings, carefully preserved. Even in the midst of a sea of people, I felt contented with my stroll. A young chap asked me for my Wei Bo and I was tickled that he was interested in a Lao Char Bor. Although I felt safe, it is better to be careful with your belongings as it was very crowded.
 |
| Love is in the air! |
Love is in the air! There were many couples, dressed identically, taking wedding photos, looking forward to a bright future. I was very amused that the brides to be were dressed identically in red evening gowns. Red usually symbolises good luck in the Chinese culture, but not for me. Some China website mentioned that my zodiac sign has to avoid red in 2017 and 2018.
 |
| Historical Buildings |
 |
| Behind the scenes! |
It was also a good experience to return to The Bund during the day. If you do not have the time, the night view is always more romantic. Before the walk, I started my day with a healthy breakfast at the cafe of Mingtown Etour Youth Hostel. It served good coffee with western breakfast sets.
 |
| Fruits with Yogurt and Muesli |
Mingtown Etour Youth Hostel
No.55 JiangYin Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai 200003, China
Nanjing Lu (Nanjing Road)
 |
| Day View of Nanjing Road |
One of the things that I enjoyed was also to take a stroll along Nanjing Road on my way to The Bund. The buildings were very interesting - some historical and others modern with spaceship looking designs.
 |
| Night view of Nanjing Road |
I also loved taking a walk along Nanjing Road at night because the buildings would be lit, giving the city a different feel. I also had an amazing dinner at one of the Chinese restaurants near Nanjing Road - Lao Yu Fu Zhou Shan Seafood Restaurant. The price was very reasonable and the taste was superb.
Delicious and Cheap Shanghai Food
Lao Yu Fu Zhou Shan Seafood Restaurant
老渔父舟山海鲜
 |
| Delicious Baby Squids |
The restaurant is popular among locals. It is air-conditioned and nicely decorated. The Baby Squids dish is a MUST TRY. The squids were very sweet and fresh. The sauce was so awesome with white rice that I kept reaching out for more. Thumbs up!
 |
| Delicious Claypot Braised Eggplants |
The eggplants were so soft that it almost melted in my mouth. They were soaked in a delicious sweet, salty and with a sourish tang sauce. Lovely! What was impressive were also the generous portions and the very reasonable prices.
Lao Yu Fu Zhou Shan Seafood Restaurant
老渔父舟山海鲜
Address: 222 Shandong Middle Rd, Huangpu Qu, Shanghai Shi, China, 200001
Phone: +86 21 3366 3676
Xiao Yang Sheng Jian
小杨生煎
 |
| Amazing Pan Fried Soup Dumplings |
小杨生煎 Xiao Yang Sheng Jian is a MUST TRY. It has many outlets in Shanghai and the one that I tried was a stone's throw from my hotel at People's Square. I attempted to order one dumpling of each flavour at the cashier but was flatly rejected. The lady told me that if I wanted to try every flavour, the only way was to order the set of 6 - 2 pork, 2 prawns, 2 MALA squids!
 |
| MALA Squids! Yums |
Ma La sauce is known for its spiciness and the tongue numbing effect. I was very excited try the Ma La dumpling and it did not disappoint. Lovely!
 |
| Prawns! Yums! |
When I bit lightly at the crispy dumpling skin, the delicious soup oozed out. The three soups tasted distinctly from one another and this was a major plus point. I enjoyed every one of them so much that I returned the very next day!
小杨生煎
97 Huanghe Road, Shanghai, China (People’s Square Station)
+86 21 5375 1793
A La Ding Ma La Tang (Aladdin Spicy Soup)
 |
| Yummy soup version! |
Everyday, I took the train from People's Park metro station. The station itself is a shopping paradise of small shops selling clothes, shoes and accessories at reasonable prices. One stall that always caught my attention was A La Ding Ma La Soup. It was always packed with locals slurping their spicy Ma La soup.
 |
| Delicious Dry Version |
I chose many ingredients and the cashier weighed the items in order to know the total price. It was very reasonably priced. I tried both the soup and dry versions. Both were delicious. I would choose the dry one between the two because I loved the peanuts and intense flavour.
 |
| Choose your own ingredients! |
A La Ding Ma La Soup
People's Square Metro Station
Shanghai Old City
 |
| Shanghai Old City |
Shanghai Old City is where the notable City God Temple 城隍庙 is located and it is also connected to the famous Yu Yuan garden. Just next to the garden, there is a Yu Yuan Bazaar, selling street food. I wanted to visit Yu Yuan Garden in the day but it was so crowded that I could not get in! I was not disappointed, just relieved to be able to get out of the crowd.
 |
| Shanghai Old City |
I decided to return to the Old City at night as I did not get to try the street food in the day due to the maddening crowd. It was the best decision ever as I was mesmerized by the beautiful Chinese Temple and buildings that lit up at night. There was even traditional Chinese music playing in the background as I explored the old streets. Missing the Yu Yuan in the day turned out to be a blessing as I really enjoyed the night scene.
 |
| Food Court! |
There were two food courts in the Shanghai Old City that were amazing. The variety of street food was breath taking.
 |
| Dumplings with crab juice |
 |
| Poultry |
 |
| Crabs |
 |
| Braised Duck |
 |
| Seafood |
 |
| Squid |
 |
| Weird stuff |
 |
| Pastries |
 |
| Steamed Crabs |
 |
| Deep fried Crab |
 |
| Shanghai Dim Sum |
 |
| Delicious Shanghai Yogurt |
I enjoyed myself thoroughly, trying the street food and soaking in the traditional Chinese Cultural atmosphere in the Old City at night.
Shanghai Old City
Metro Station: Yu Yuan (Line 10) 豫园 Yù Yuán
Beautiful Parks for relaxation
People's Park
 |
| People's Park |
I took a morning stroll at People's Park since I stayed around People's Square station before heading for my sightseeing. Flowers and greenery help me to relax. People's Park turned out to be bigger than my imagination. There were also kiddy rides in the park.
 |
| People's Park |
 |
| People's Park |
 |
| People's Park |
People's Park (Admission is free)
Metro Station: People's Square
Century Park
Century Park is huge! I had to walk for quite a distance before I found a nice bench to eat the street food that I had packed along for my picnic.
 |
| Squid marinated with Ma La Spices |
 |
| Century Park |
 |
| Century Park |
 |
| Century Park |
I definitely recommend Century Park for an easy hike. Bring along your insect repellent, some food and enjoy the flora, greenery and waterfront.
Century Park (Admission is not free.)
Metro Station: Century Park
Chillax at Xin Tian Di
Shanghai Xin Tian Di is a quaint area, with historical walls and fashionable buildings. More importantly, it has transformed into an area with many cafes and bars for locals and tourists to chill and relax. I had a very lovely dinner at Ye Shang Hai.
 |
| Xin Tian Di |
Ye Shanghai
The first thing that struck me at Ye Shanghai was its atas ambience, with modern decor. The restaurant serves traditional Shanghai cuisine at affordable prices in a setting fit for fine dining.
 |
| Chicken Cubes in Shanghai Sauce |
 |
| Xiao Long Bao |
 |
| Hong You Chao Shou |
 |
| Dish of the day - Deep Fried Fish |
The dish of the day was the Deep Fried Fish. It is a MUST TRY as it was the most delicious fried fish slices I have ever eaten. The batter was uniquely crispy and the fish was unbelievably soft and sweet.
 |
| Ye Shanghai |
 |
| Ye Shanghai |
It is best to make a reservation beforehand as the restaurant was full house.
Ye Shanghai
Address: 338 Huangpi S Rd, XinTianDi, Huangpu Qu, Shanghai Shi, China, 200000
Phone: +86 21 6311 2323
Metro station: Xin Tian Di
Shanghai Water Town - Zhu Jia Jiao
I was attracted to Shanghai Water Town, Zhu Jia Jiao for its history as it was established 1700 years ago. Since it is accessible by Metro, I decided to explore the Water Town.
The journey to Zhu Jia Jiao was not a pleasant one for me as it was raining. I had to walk around 20 minutes from the Metro station to the Water Town on flats. My sneakers were soaked the day before so I had to wear my flats. Because of the rain, my flats were also soaked and my feet kept slipping out from them. I also had blisters and every step was very painful. My umbrella was spoiled. It was cold and wet. What kept me going interestingly, were the signs along the way that the Water Town was near. The signs assured me that I was going in the right direction and that the destination was soon to be seen as long as I kept walking.
 |
| On my way to the Water Town |
 |
| The Water Town - Zhu Jia Jiao |
 |
| Old Bridges |
 |
| Delicious Rice Dumplings |
OMGosh! The Ah Por Rice dumplings were the best ones I have ever eaten. The rice was extremely fragrant.
 |
| Melt in the Mouth Fatty Pork |
 |
| Delicious Rice Dumpling! |
 |
| Chinese Pavilion |
 |
| A variety of Street Food |
 |
| Shopping! |
Despite the rain, I enjoyed exploring the alleys and shops. I even managed to buy a sweet looking Cheong Sam for S$20. Heaven took pity on my feet. The Cheong Sam boss told me a short cut to the Metro Station - to follow the emergency route.
 |
| On a boat! |
Shanghai Water Town - Zhu Jia Jiao
Metro Station: Zhu Jia Jiao
 |
| Muzmm Backpack |
My Shanghai trip has been wonderful with delicious food, beautiful Shanghai Bund, rich Chinese culture, some shopping and beautiful parks for relaxation. As I would be flying off to South Korea after Shanghai, I packed light and took my Muzmm Backpack along. I have used it several times and it is very functional especially for short trips. It could also be used as a sling bag. If you are looking for a Muzmm Backpack, you can click
here. (20% discount code: MYSASSYFOODBLOGGER)
I will be blogging about my South Korea trip soon. If you have enjoyed reading my post, feel free to share it with your friends who are planning a trip to Shanghai! Enjoy!
No comments: