Shanghai in a small model on display at the Shanghai World Financial Center

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Xuegong Jie (学宫街) and Laodaoqian Jie (老道前街) are two small streets in the Huangpu District of Shanghai.

The streets are packed, full of life. There are low houses, street food, and there’s no lack of bicycles and electric bikes that weave through passersby and merchants. But what makes it special is that the two roads house a beautiful temple: the Temple of Confucius in Shanghai (文庙).

The temple seems out of place with the liveliness of the area that surrounds it, there’s just a small sign outside, the ticket counter consists of two holes in the wall before the temple, there’s a guard at the entrance who also handles the tickets, and for those coming from Hunan Nan Road it’s hard to find the entrance amid the small roads.

Fortunately the tourist guides haven’t forgotten the temple, and when reading about which were the best attractions in Shanghai, not only did I learn about the existence of the Temple of Confucius, but also its details: every Sunday there’s an extraordinary used book market held here.

An entrance ticket costs 10 Yuan, but to walk among the stalls of used books that invade the temple all you’ll need to do is buy a ticket for the symbolic price of one Yuan. [Read more…]

The use of a sling for traveling in China is highly recommended! (My family and I in Jiuzhaigou) – Photo by Matteo Bosi

This article is for couples who are planning a trip to China with their baby, and really wish to do so with the same levity that they had before: namely two hearts and a backpack.

I’ll be speaking to you in particular about my recent experience: I traveled with my one-year-old since she was three months old all around the country, on completely different planes. There are feasible choices and others worth taking another look at. Changing diapers and preparing food need not necessarily be an obstacle for discovering the Middle Kingdom.

Carrying around a screaming baby need not be a reason to worry. And you don’t necessarily have to go crazy thinking you’ll have to do it on your own. Mamma China will take care of some things!

The basics

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Shanghai is home to one of the best metro systems in the world, fulfilling the needs of the city dwellers facing rapid urbanization. Modeled after Hong Kong’s stellar MTR system, Shanghai’s metro network keeps expanding and improving.

In the ramp up to the Beijing Olympics in 2008, massive infrastructure expansions were seen along China’s coastal cities. Since then, large investments have been allocated to metro projects allowing Chinese cities to advance much quicker than their global counterparts. The systems were designed to be extensive and affordable, and people of all demographics are being brought onto the system. As China continues to invest in infrastructure, Shanghai has an ambitious plan to continue expanding its metro system to service more people.

Here are a few reasons why Shanghai’s metro system beats the rest.

1) It’s cheap, fast, and convenient

Riding the metro in China feels like living in the future. With the rapid growth and development of the systems in just the past couple of decades, the facilities and trains are modern and user-friendly, as well as safe. [Read more…]