Headed to Shanghai for Work. Anyone have Travel Recs for China?

[Kevo]

Mags, I'm going to be in Shanghai for work in mid July and I'm contemplating adding on a vacation to the trip.

I'm really interested in getting out of Shanghai to see some of the other parts of China. Yes, I realize it is a massive country- I'm willing to fly to get to good stuff.

I'm interested in checking out Sichuan, Yunan (will it be monsoon season there in July?) or potentially any other areas that are really amazing. I'm a fan of mountains and have really enjoyed seeing other parts of the himalayas.

What places should I look at visiting?

[riser4]

I heard a story once about the local help using the stairwells as a bathroom in a newly constructed data center. But only for number one.

[FormerKnuckleDragger]

I spent a few days in Beijing for work. The city is...well...MASSIVE on a scale that boggles the mind. I arrived late on a Sunday and got caught in "rush hour" traffic - 1.5 hours from the airport to the hotel, which was maybe a 20 km drive.

If you go to Beijing, I can recommend the China World Summit hotel (not cheap, but ~$300/night for the nicest hotel room I have ever been in). Beijing has Tienanmen Square and the Forbidden City (about 4 km from the hotel, and a direct shot on the subway), an amazing opera building, and all of the olympic infrastructure. It's also a 1.5 hour drive from the Great Wall. Our local office recommended that we go see the Summer Palace (in the city, but probably also a 1.5 hour drive), but I didn't have the time to do that.

You'll be shocked by how many of the people in the big cities speak English (or at least understand it). Crossing busy streets is an exercise in finding a local and using them as a human shield from traffic. The pollution is no joke - we were there on a "good weather day" where the pm 2.5 was only at 75 ppm. A co-worker was there last week when it was 250 ppm, which the news attributed to a "Mongolian dust storm." The hotel made him buy a mask before they would let him go outside.

The food is amazing, but 75% of my team got some form of severe indigestion or all-out food poisoning on a one week trip. Not sure whether it was the birds nest (gross...) or the water, but eating can be an adventure. Most restaurants have picture book menus, so it's pretty easy to find something you want.

[Alaskan Rover]

I was within 5 miles of the Chinese/Russian border back in 2001, but didn't go in. Cheap-looking cars on the road in. A truck went by loaded with squaking chickens. They like chicken.

Hope that helps as much as my Barcelona advice!

[hawkgt]

been to China alot in late 90's-early 00's changed alot since then so my advise is out of date. dont miss it.

I do remember the panda zoo outside Chengdu, very cool visit.

[hikesalot]

I recommend taking the bullet train somewhere... easy and a great way to see the countryside also. We were in the major cities, normal touristy stuff, and took trains between them. It will be hot as fuck in July- think heat index 95-110 the whole time. We brought masks for pollution but never used them, but none of us have asthma, etc. None of us had stomach issues - be sure to only drink bottled water - use bottled water for brushing your teeth, etc. Be careful of eating fresh fruit (rinsed in water, etc). Be sure to bring TP and wet wipes in your backpack while out and about. You'll thank me later. (most tourist places have a western toilet and TP, but outside of those areas don't count on it).

[Harry]

I do remember the panda zoo outside Chengdu, very cool visit.

That's not a panda. No idea WTF it is, but it's not a panda.

[hawkgt]

get out more....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_panda

[FormerKnuckleDragger]

Be sure to bring TP and wet wipes in your backpack while out and about. You'll thank me later. (most tourist places have a western toilet and TP, but outside of those areas don't count on it).

I was very surprised to find only squat toilets at the offices of some very sophisticated, western, wealthy clients in Beijing. Doing the business in a suit in a squat isn't the most familiar thing...

[4matic]

The food is amazing, but 75% of my team got some form of severe indigestion or all-out food poisoning on a one week trip. Not sure whether it was the birds nest (gross...) or the water, but eating can be an adventure. Most restaurants have picture book menus, so it's pretty easy to find something you want.

Amazing could go either way in this account. First thing I would check is if the tabletops are sticky.

[FormerKnuckleDragger]

Amazing could go either way in this account. First thing I would check is if the tabletops are sticky.

Amazing in a good way. We've got decent Chinese food in SF, but (unsurprisingly) good restaurants in Beijing are much, much better.

[Harry]

get out more....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_panda

Huh, learn something new every day. Thanks for enlightening me.

[splat]

I was very surprised to find only squat toilets at the offices of some very sophisticated, western, wealthy clients in Beijing. Doing the business in a suit in a squat isn't the most familiar thing...

I'm sure it would be surprising to make a business call, only to discover negotiations would take place while squatting over a hole in the floor. Must make presentations even more challenging.

[riser4]

I was very surprised to find only squat toilets at the offices of some very sophisticated, western, wealthy clients in Beijing. Doing the business in a suit in a squat isn't the most familiar thing...

So please enlighten me on how folks avoid getting explosive diarrhea all over their trousers and shoes?

[SkiBall]

A butt funnel would do the trick.

[splat]

You could prolly get those made in China for next to nothing and become a butt funnel tycoon.
Think of the prestige...

[Alaskan Rover]

That's not a panda. No idea WTF it is, but it's not a panda.

You're actually incorrect and correct simultaneously.

Incorrect because the common name for the animal is actually Red Panda.

Correct because it is functionally unrelated to what people normally call pandas - the Giant Panda. The Red Pandas name was basically misapplied because it DOES share some dietary, locomotive and physiognomic traits with the Giant Panda, but the Giant Panda is a true BEAR, and the Red Panda (sometimes called the Lesser Panda) is actually in the superfamily Musteloidea...which represents such critters like weasels, raccoons, skunks, badgers, etc.

There is actually a fascinating Journal paper on Musteloidea, here:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science...55790312000784

[Alaskan Rover]

That's not a panda. No idea WTF it is, but it's not a panda.

You're actually incorrect and correct simultaneously.

Incorrect because the common name for the animal is actually Red Panda.

Correct because it is functionally unrelated to what people normally call pandas - the Giant Panda. The Red Pandas name was basically misapplied because it DOES share some dietary, locomotive and physiognomic traits with the Giant Panda, but the Giant Panda is a true BEAR, and the Red Panda (sometimes called the Lesser Panda) is actually in the superfamily Musteloidea...which represents such critters like weasels, raccoons, skunks, badgers, etc.

There is actually a fascinating Journal paper on Musteloidea, here:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science...55790312000784

[Rubicon]

Mags, I'm going to be in Shanghai for work in mid July and I'm contemplating adding on a vacation to the trip.

What places should I look at visiting?

Check out Huangshan(Yellow Mountains). They are a 4-5 hours SW of Shanghai and should be easy to get to.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huangshan

https://www.google.com/search?q=huan...w=1198&bih=928


The city of Xian is also worth seeing. Centuries ago it was the capital of China, marked the beginning/ending point of the Silk Road and it's one of the last cities in China with an intact wall surrounding the entire city. It also houses one of the largest mosques in China and the Terracotta Warriors are nearby.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terracotta_Army

I only had three days there but felt like I could have spent a week exploring the city and still not seen everything.


IMO, the cities in the interior of China were more interesting than the cities on the coast. The interior had a more authentic feel to it.

Try to get out of the big cities. I was in Shanghai about a decade ago and they were in the middle of "modernizing", meaning they were tearing down everything that didn't look new and shiny and replacing it with buildings that were new and shiny. The people I talked to loved it. But from the perspective of a visitor it was a shame. The old parts of the city had so much character and the newly built up areas were nearly indistinguishable from any other modern city in an industrialized country. That process is almost certainly complete by now.

[SkeezeBall]

Heading to Shanghai tomorrow for a week for work. Any dinner, nightlife, entertainment etc. rec's to do after work each night?

[thebirdhunter]

Heading to Shanghai tomorrow for a week for work. Any dinner, nightlife, entertainment etc. rec's to do after work each night?

Do me a favor and punch a dog eater in the throat while you're there. thanks.

[SkeezeBall]

Do me a favor and punch a dog eater in the throat while you're there. thanks.

Will do

[fatnslow]

work on your street fighting skills.

[digitaldeath]

Challenge a local to a Kung fu street fight

[Timberridge]

And please, if you go to the safari park, stay in your car.