Flights to

Shanghai

• Many citizens, including citizens of Finland, need a visa when travelling to China. You can conveniently apply for a visa here and you can find further information on the visa centre closest to you here.   

• If you have a connecting flight from China to a third country and your flight leaves from the same airport, you can, depending on your nationality, stay in Beijing, Guangzhou, Nanjing and Shanghai for 144 hours on a transit visa that is issued on arrival. In Xian, the allowed transit time is 72 hours. The transit visa allows entry into the country. Notice that your passport needs to be valid at least 3 months for a transit visa to be issued. A transit visa will not be issued if your connecting flight is to the same country that you arrived in China from.   

• You can read more about the Chinese visa requirements from the website of the Chinese Embassy in Finland. 

The Bund – a very popular waterfront boulevard that runs along the Huangpu River in Shanghai and offers fantastic vantage points from which to photograph the Shanghai skyline.

Shanghai Word Financial Center and The Oriental Pearl Tower (Dōngfāng Míngzhūtǎ) also offers spectacular views over Shanghai from their glass floored observation decks. The radical architecture of both buildings has made them very famous landmarks. How about dining at a revolving restaurant at 267metres? Jin Mao Tower is another famous skyscraper worth a visit.

Jade Buddha Temple – one of the most famous Buddhist temples of Shanghai that contains gigantic jade statues of Buddha.

Yuyuan Garden or Yu Garden – Shanghai’s most famous park, situated in the city’s old town, Huangpu.

People’s Square – also contains a park and is situated in the middle of Shanghai and is a popular meeting place. There are plenty of stalls on the edge of the square where you can sample traditional fast food.

Suzhou's Ancient Gardens – famous for many things: silk production, legendary temples and its gardens. Just two hours outside Shanghai.

Yangtze River Water Town – narrow canals, round bridges and little river boats. Take a boat ride down through the canals or have lunch at one of the restaurants that open out onto the river. About 60 minutes from Shanghai.

Nanjing Road (Nánjīng Lù) – the main shopping street in Shanghai with stores and galleries selling everything you could imagine. Well-known Western brands are on sale on the west side of the street, while Chinese goods are mainly offered on the east side.

Xujiahui is a good shopping area, and among some of the best shopping centers and malls you find Dimei Shopping Center, Super Brand Mall (Zheng Da Guangchang) and Maison Mode.

Dongtai Road is a large antique market offering porcelain, jade and other beautiful items, as well as food, candy, clothes and calligraphy. A good place to go shopping for souvenirs in Shanghai.

Visitors to Shanghai can find food from regions all over China. The city boasts an abundance of restaurants and fast-food joints, and popular snacks are sold everywhere on the streets. Sugar is a principal ingredient in Shanghai, not just in sweet delicacies, but also in cooking generally. Herbs and spices are often used conservatively, as the main ingredients of a dish are meant to provide its taste.

Dumplings (Xiaolongbao) – soup dumplings filled with crab meat or pork.

Deep-fried mantou – steamed buns fried in a wok and filled with a variety of ingredients.

Shanghai roast duck – a variation of Beijing roast duck.

Nanxiang steamed buns – traditional snacks in Shanghai consisting of steam-cooked dumplings filled with finely-chopped seasoned pork.

Da Zha Xie – a steamed Chinese mitten crab flavored with vinegar.

Chou Doufu – also known as Stinky tofu. Some find the smell terrible, while others consider it aromatic. This famous night market food may be deep fried, steamed, stewed with mouth-numbing spices, or barbecued.

Pi Dan – a preserved egg with an unusual colour. A Shanghai delicacy.

Suanmei tang – traditional Chinese beverage made from sour plums

Damai cha (barley tea) – briefly simmered roasted barley grains

Shanghai metro – fast, reliable and inexpensive.

Taxi – using a taxi is a simple and great-value way of exploring Shanghai. Write down your destination and agreed price to avoid any misunderstanding.