It's easily the fastest way to reach Pudong International Airport, and it's a blast, too. Go ahead, be a tourist and snap a photo when the speedometer hits 431 km/h. If that doesn't earn Shanghai bragging rights, we don't know what does.
Cheap Late-Night Hugs
You can buy giant plush bears on the street in the middle of the night. When the rest of the world is asleep (or in the bars), racks of enormous, nearly life-sized bears roll through the city, pushed along by local vendors. Nothing says love quite like a bear almost as big as you are.
The End of "Expat Apartheid"
Shanghai outclasses Beijing in style, elegance and nightlife, but our northern cousins have always had the edge when it comes to mixing locals and expats, until now. An unlikely contender is changing the game. In the heart of the "City of Expense Accounts" (Xintiandi) sits Brown Sugar. Too real for the preening peacocks on the Bund and too polished for your average English teacher, this live-music spot has something for expats and locals alike: from genuinely great house bands and international guests to a flaming bartender show that makes Tom Cruise's moves in "Cocktail" look pitiful. Shanghai's on top again.
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DVDs
Shanghai may well be the DVD capital of the world. Name a movie or a TV series, and we're confident you can track it down for 7 yuan a disc at one of Shanghai's hundreds of DVD shops.
The Shanghai Dialect
Nothing defines Shanghai more than the Shanghai dialect. Caught somewhere between a badge of a lost generation and the genuine pretension of a new generation determined to make sure everyone knows exactly which world city they grew up in, the Shanghai dialect is part of the code that shapes this place.
Historic Shanghai
Whether it's a Huangpu River cruise or a stroll through the French Concession with the founders of Historic Shanghai, this city serves up landmarks and layers of history that are mildly addictive. Packed with everything from classic colonial-era buildings to futuristic, neon-lit skyscrapers, Shanghai offers a living history lesson with every step.
Jiaozi in Every Form: Fried
Shanghai is a city of jiaozi, but few dumpling vendors have earned the fame of Yang's Fried Dumplings. These aren't your ordinary jiaozi; Yang's specializes in shengjianbao (4.5 yuan for four), fried round dumplings that hold a scalding, savory "soup" alongside the meat. Line up at Yang's new shop on the Maoming Bei Lu side of Wujiang Street, inside the mall. A foodie tip: don't pounce on these shengjianbao right away. Gently suck out the soup before dunking the dumpling in vinegar and swallowing it whole.
Jiaozi in Every Form: Steamed
Yang's may have cornered the shengjianbao market, but Fu Chun reigns supreme when it comes to xiaolongbao (4 yuan for six dumplings). Somewhere between a proper restaurant and a hole in the wall, this local institution serves some of the best xiaolongbao (pork, or pork and shrimp) in town. Order downstairs for a quick bite or savor them in the restaurant upstairs.
People in Pajamas
Although the government hopes to phase out the practice of wearing pajamas in public, we hope it lives on. Men and women go shopping, play cards, sip tea and chat with the neighbors in their nightwear, even in winter. And yes, they've got matching wool pajama tops and bottoms for that season too.
It's One Giant Gym
Anyone can work out for free. With pencil-colored equipment dotting many of the parks and residential complexes, there's bound to be a gym near you at the lowest price imaginable: free. Most of the machines are simple, stripped-down versions of what you'd use in a regular gym: ropes and pulleys, pull-up bars, ellipticals, leg and ab isolators, all using your own body weight for resistance. Twist, push and pull your way to a toned body in the fresh air.
Creativity Wherever You Find It (Everywhere)
Up-and-coming artists, architects and interior designers are leaving their respective marks on Shanghai, launching their work here and reimagining the city's public spaces with flair. At MoCA, for instance, there's an unforgettable bathroom decked out in the beautiful but controversial artwork of Zeng Jin Hua.
We're Always on the Move
Shanghai is a city of entrepreneurs. Whether they're selling new tech or old crafts, there's always a will and a way. Small shops often specialize in selling a single fruit, the tools for one trade or the instruments for one craft. Treasures can be found anywhere, not just in malls and big shopping streets, from the person who makes rocking horses (and only rocking horses) by Suzhou Creek to the guy sharpening knives by your neighborhood grocery market.
Cheap Back Rubs
Why is life in Shanghai so good? Two words: cheap massages. Whether or not you believe in TCM (traditional Chinese medicine), life looks rosier after a massage from skilled hands for less than 10 US dollars in some places. Your qi has never looked so good.
Look Up
Behold the astonishing apocalyptic yellow skies that form right before a storm rolls over Shanghai. Sudden summer rains and air pollution may be nuisances, but they're also the reason the city is prone to yellow hours; a few times a year the sky turns the color of corn just before the rain pours down.
Markets Galore
Shanghai has a market for everything: from cups and hair dye to electronics and retro eyewear.
The Republic of Tai Chi
You might walk past people hitting themselves, walking backward or flailing their arms in many of Shanghai's parks and grassy spots, but you don't blink, because it's completely normal here. Slapping your arms and legs or swinging against a tree (smacking it with your back as you go) is believed to boost circulation. Walking backward is said to turn back the years and sharpen your agility.
Green Living
Eco-conscious designers are paving the way toward a greener future with recycled and organic couture. In Shanghai you'll find undyed, chemical-free baby clothes, bamboo evening gowns softer than silk and stylish handbags made from recycled advertising paper.
Social Awareness
Social entrepreneurs are popping up everywhere here. D4D (Design for the Disadvantaged), for example, opened its collaborative space this year, aimed at improving the lives of Shanghai's lower classes. Bright minds from many fields, strategists, architects, designers and others, come together for research and workshops to create innovative products that make life easier for those struggling on low incomes.
山寨 (Shanzhai)
From Shanghai's very own Trader Zhou's (pronounced like Joe's, as in Trader Joe's) to mini iPhones and much more, the city's shanzhai market is alive and thriving. Originally meaning a mountain stronghold, the areas where bandits once hid, the term now refers to all those products that work and get made outside government regulation, and Shanghai's shoppers love every one of them.
The Avocado Lady
For many of the foreigners shopping in Shanghai, the Avocado Lady is an icon. Her shop at 274 Wulumuqi Lu is one of the few places in the city where you can buy cheap, fresh avocados, a rare find. The shop looks unremarkable from the outside, but great imported goods at unbelievably low prices have made this woman famous. Her business savvy, catering to a globalized market, is both brilliant in its own right and emblematic of the nature of Shanghai as a whole.
The Bund Sightseeing Tunnel
While many of Shanghai's tourist attractions have earned worldwide renown either for their architectural feats or their historical value, few have achieved the notoriety of the 647-meter Bund Sightseeing Tunnel. Put simply, the tunnel is (sadly) famous for leaving passengers asking "Huh?". Few people have ridden the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel more than once, but it's also rare to find anyone who regrets the trip.
Fast-Changing Food Fads
Mexican, Italian, pancakes, cupcakes and steaks, this city has seen more than its fair share of dining trends. New ones keep cropping up before we've even managed to try all the places that opened during the last craze. Italian restaurants and wine shops are still on the rise. Keep your eyes open. That innocent-looking couple renovating the apartment next to yours might be opening their very own pasta or wine house.
Persistent Live Performers
You've got to give credit where it's due when it comes to Shanghai's love of live music. Like younger brothers (and a few sisters) who simply won't let the Beijing music scene outshine them, local musicians keep on playing their riffs. Live-music champions like Lao Sun, Zhang Haisheng and, to some extent, Soma Records have fought to nurture local talent and get it heard, and it's working. We have a live-music scene that just won't die, and nothing could make us prouder.
Taikang Lu
There's nothing more Shanghai than brand-new commerce blossoming in old alleyways. Taikang Lu is a residential neighborhood transformed into a dining and shopping district with at least a hundred shops selling silver jewelry, traditional crafts, clothing, antiques, art, tea and T-shirts emblazoned with Chinese iconography. You could easily spend a whole day here, getting lost in the winding side lanes and dodging photographers who regularly stage fashion shoots among the quirky old houses of the district.
Chinglish
It's everywhere, and we love it. From mildly offensive T-shirts to nonsensical bank signs declaring the ATM a "cash recycling machine," you can't get very far without chuckling at yet another idea lost in translation from Chinese to English.
Thank You
Everything says thank you, the taxis, the Maglev, anything with a speaker will thank you for using it, usually in amusing Chinglish. Hearing "Thank you for taking my taxi" is as routine as hearing a phone ring. And who doesn't appreciate being appreciated?
