In February 2019, I had an 13-hour layover in Shanghai on my way to Thailand so I decided to get a free transit visa and put my ankles to work. For every step I took, for every person that touched my face and hair, for every time I got lost, for every time I couldn't find an English speaker and Google Maps failed me, for every time it rained, for every time it got so cloudy I could barely see far out, I took a bite of street food to console myself and suddenly, all was well. Will I ever return to Shanghai? NEVER! Do I regret this experience? Hell No!
China has a 144-hour visa-free transit policy where foreign travelers from 53 eligible countries can enjoy a six-day stay in certain Chinese cities without a visa, provided they enter and exit China from eligible ports, stay within the allowed cities and regions, as well as satisfy other requirements like, it must be a connecting ticket. The US is one of the countries and Shanghai is one of the cities so when I saw this layover (with day hours) as an option when looking to get my ticket to Thailand, I jumped at the opportunity. I planned to spend 9 hours in the city and saved 4 hours for airport exit and entry.
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| I saw this mural while running through Pudong Airport <3 |
Shanghai is walkable, if you have the stamina, but can be difficult to navigate without staring at your phone because some of the signs are only in Mandarin. Google maps is also blocked in China and though you can use it with VPN, the streets don't align perfectly with satellite maps due to foreign restrictions on geographic data in China. I didn't know this before getting there so I was lost half the time. I had to use a lot of mental gymnastics and the graciousness of strangers to get around. I highly recommend researching the most reliable navigation app, with English translation if needed, and using that instead. I will be detailed on navigation with this post to hopefully make it easier for someone reading this for tips. I didn't find a lot of people who spoke English but the few I met were very helpful.
I took Line M from the airport then switched to Line 2 at Lonyang Road and get off at East Nanjing Road to start my day. Nanjing Road is a shopping haven that comprises of shopping stalls, boutiques, restaurants and hawkers. I saw some ladies practicing Tai Chi in the square and they invited me to join.
I saw a ton of street food stalls and got myself a Chinese Bean curd filled with noodles and bok choy to congratulate yourself for making it that far into the city.
I then walked towards Shanghai's iconic boardwalk, The Bund. The Bund is a water front area and protected historic district. You also get a lovely view of the business district, Lajizu, across the Huangpu River.
Shanghai is very quiet, especially given the number of motorcycles on the streets. The motorcycles don’t drown the city out as they pass you by because most of them are electric and silent which was pleasantly surprising.
I was also amazed by the amount of street food I found. I turned around and walked west to Huanghe Road, Shanghai's street food wonderland, and indulged as much as I could. Most of the hawkers couldn't tell me what I was eating but I didn't mind a single bit.
From there, I walked towards the end of west Nanjing Road to Westgate Mall for the simple fact that I love to check out at least one mall in every country I visit. Westgate Mall is so legit they actually host fashion shows and grand product launches. I stopped by the food court and had crab meat roll, quail eggs, fresh Chinese yam, spinach and vermicelli in peanut butter sauce at Red Lips.
Once I was done with Nanjing Road, I walked east again on other street and went to People's Park/Square for a much needed break in nature. The land used to be for horse racing but after the government banned horse racing and gambling, they converted it to a green space for public use and the north part is called People's Park while the south is called People's Square. After I had caught my breath, I walked about 5 minutes to the free and historic Shanghai Museum.
From the museum, I walked back to People’s Square and hunted down found People's Square Station. I took the 2 Metro, switched over to 10 at E Nanling, then took the 10 to Yuyuan Garden Station to explore Old City. If you take a wrong turn, end up where you know you shouldn't be and don't know how to get back to Old City, shamelessly grab a Tuk Tuk. If you are into architecture, you can alternatively take the Line 2 to Lujiazui so you can enjoy the beautiful, concrete jungle that is Lujiazui (business district across from The Bund). From there, then take the Metro to Yuyuan Garden Station.
After I got lost yet again and took a tuk tuk to Old City, I made my way to Chenghungmiao (City God Temple).
From there, I then sauntered over to Yuyuang Garden, a Chinese garden located beside the City God Temple. It is surrounded by the Yuyuan Tourist Mart, the Yu Garden Bazaar and the Huxinting Teahouse.
Huxingtin Teahouse is the oldest existing teahouse in Shanghai. The building used to be part of the temple before it was converted to a teahouse in 1855. The pagoda-style building sits on an artificial lake and serves a range of authentic Chinese teas and snacks.
Due to the food and shopping centers as well as the garden surrounding the temple, you can spend several hours there. Rumor has it that the sunset is also beautiful there and that the lights around the temple are incredible at night.
If you have time, take the metro Xintiandi, to marvel at the shikumen residences which are traditional stone houses and courtyards called siheyuan and they line narrow alleyways called hutong. Unfortunately, I was out of time and couldn't go there so I took the Line 10 and then Line 2 which took me straight to the airport.
***To be honest and transparent, Shanghai kicked my butt! My day there was easily one of my most physically and emotionally draining travel experiences. If you are a dark-skinned Black person, expect to be stared at, touched without permission and asked to get your picture taken, often. If you are a Black person with curly hair/weave of sorts, expect to have your hair touched, a lot. Expect your personal space to be violated, but also remember that it is more from a place of ignorant micro-aggression and back-handed compliments than it is from a place of overt racism. You can smile and engage, smile, politely decline and walk away or just not go there... I won't be going back. However, for every navigation issue, every new lesson and every success I had my appreciation and respect for cultures that are different than mine grew bigger so I am grateful for the experience. Biggest lesson learnt: I am the visitor and the city does not owe it to me to make my life easy; I can adapt or get out of dodge. I am the visitor - I explore, I learn, I try to interact and I leave without causing trouble.