Travel guide  
China is often a place of mystic for the westerner especially so as it's culture is so different to that of the west. One good thing is that Chinese people are friendly and travel is easy. The only problem that is encountered particularly so outside the major metropolitan areas is that any language other than Chinese is difficult to find. But that can be part of the fun. Travel is not difficult and even getting to the most remote parts of China can be accomplished either by plane or train.

City Transportation
The public transport system, particularly buses and minibuses, is rarely attempted by foreign visitors, unless they have a good understanding of Mandarin Chinese. Travel by metro or taxi is by far the easier option. Shanghai Municipal Public Transportation Administration (tel: (21) 6323 2150) makes a reasonable fist of running an integrated and comprehensive system, albeit overburdened and struggling to keep up with the city's breakneck expansion.

City buses (tel: (21) 1608 8160) run 0500-2300 and can be appallingly crowded during rush hours (0630-0830 and 1700-1900), with consequent rudeness. Flat fares of RMB1 (up to RMB3 for air-conditioned buses) are paid to the conductor. Major city-center routes are numbered - suburban and long-distance buses only have their destination in characters. Minibuses follow a few fixed routes within the city and the flat fare of RMB2 guarantees a seat. There is a limited suburban minibus services.

Shanghai metro (operating 0500-2300) is clean, efficient, and easy to navigate. Three lines are running to date, with more being built. The Number 1 Line operates north-south from Shanghai Railway Station to the southern suburb of Xinzhuang. The Number 2 Line runs west-east from Zhongshan Park to Longyang Lu in Pudong, while the Pearl Line runs north-south from Jiangwan Zhen in the north to Shanghai South Station in the south. Stations have a red sign resembling an 'M'. Tickets cost RMB3 for journeys of 13 stops and RMB4 for further. These are available from the ticket offices above the platforms or in books of RMB90. There is no integrated travel card or saver ticket scheme. Signs and station announcements in trains are in Mandarin Chinese and English. Long-term plans for the expansion of the network are ambitious.

Despite the alarming metal cages around the drivers, Shanghai taxis are actually reliable, plentiful, cheap and safe. Taxi journeys are metered and it is wise to watch the meter carefully. A variety of fleet companies operate Shanghai taxis, which are almost uniformly Volkswagens - Santanas or Passats - locally manufactured. Fares are normally RMB10 for the first two kilometres and RMB2 per kilometre thereafter, rising to RMB13 and RMB2.6 per kilometre at night (2300-0500). Although cabs are the simplest way to get around the city, getting into a taxi in China requires some preparation. Because most of cab drivers do not speak English, make sure you get the address or exact location of your destination written down in Chinese and have handy a map in English and Chinese so that you can point to for your driver's reference. Maps and written addresses or business cards are the best tools for foreigners to direct taxi drivers, as few speak English.

Taxi can be pre-booked from some of the major fleets, including Friendship Taxi (tel: (21) 6258 4584) or Dazhong Taxi (tel: (21) 6320 7207). Although not mandatory, a tip of 10% of the final fare is appreciated.

The Shanghai Municipal Taxi Association (tel: (21) 6368 1055) can provide further information.

Sightseeing
Shanghai has seen a lot of history and has kept many relics of it intact, with municipal conservation policies preserving large swathes of the colonial architectural inheritance. Add to this a city government that has not been too narrowly focused on commerce to neglect wider urban planning issues and the result is one of China's most elegant cities and certainly its most sophisticated and cosmopolitan. In a country where even a wealthy Shanghai person only nets US$1500 in average annual income per capita (this obviously is relative) but the quality of the urban environment is high by any standards. The Huangpu River separates the old and new Shanghai, with the historic Bund promenade on one side and the futuristic Pudong New Area on the other. The Old Town contains some cultural delights, such as the Yuyuan Gardens and Bazaar.

Shanghai is a cultural city with a long history. By the end of 2000, the city had 13 sites listed in the state key cultural relics protection program and 112 cultural relics, 22 memorial sites and 15 venues under the city protection. The city still maintains a number of ancient gardens from the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. The scenic spots and historical sites in Shanghai include the more than 1,000 years old Longhua Ancient Temple; the Jing'an Ancient Temple and the Jade Buddha Temple built in the Three Kingdoms Period; Yuyuan Garden, a classic garden of the Jiangnan (south of the Yangtze River) genre; the Confucius Temple in Jiading; and the Square Pagoda and Zuibei Pond in Songjiang.

Shanghai as one of the largest centers of economy in China has witnessed the development of the modern history of China. It is now on its way to become an international metropolis. Only having a good knowledge of these important features and backgrounds of the city, tourists can take a journey to Shanghai with an object in their mind. Shanghai has made an effort to develop the city tourism mainly featuring "city scenery", "city culture", and "city commerce". The municipal government has gradually mapped out three tourism itineraries. The itinerary for city tours, business, and shopping is organized around the People's Square and both sides of the Huang Pu River. The itinerary for cultural tours around the city is organized in the public entertainment places and communities. The itinerary for recreation and holiday in the outer suburbs is organized around Mount She, Dian Shan Lake, the deepwater port and the Chong Ming Island.

The architecture of Shanghai has its own characters. The Bund, the Stone-gate buildings, the different kinds of Shanghai style constructions, the modern installations which make an assemblage of different styles of architecture, ancient and modern, Chinese and foreign are worth visiting.