World's Greatest City: 50 reasons why Shanghai is No. 1

1. Direct to your door

Everything delivers in Shanghai, and we’re not just talking Chinese food. Even the woman pushing around the metal cart full of fresh flowers will give you her cell phone number. Airline tickets ... groceries ... that heavy potted plant you bought at the market -- all of it can magically appear at your door, often much faster than expected.

Noodles made before your eyes.

2. Muslim noodle shops

We love the way the waiters create noodles right in front of you at Shanghai's local Muslim soup joints. As soon as you order a bowl of the savory la mian, the magical process begins. The dough starts in a thick ball, which is stretched, twisted and wrung out by hand, effortlessly resulting in perfectly thin, fresh noodles. Where else can you get a live performance and a delicious bowl of noodle soup for less than US$1?

4. Shanghai’s energy is what makes it one of the greatest cities around -- it's the American Dream “a la Chinoise” where everything and anything is still possible.

— Jonathan L. Hasson, co-director, Luxury Concierge China

3. Wallet-friendly grooming

Having a blah hair day? In Shanghai, there’s no need for a pricey cut. For around US$5, you can stop into any one of the city's many local salons and get a hair wash. The relaxing scalp (and shoulder, if you’re lucky) massage is worth the price tag alone, but you’ll also end up with shiny tresses straight out of a fashion mag. The best part: most salons are open until midnight.

5. Convenience store ladies

There’s nothing like stopping by the local convenience store for a late-night ice cream (or one last bottle of Qingdao) and a hard time from the shopkeepers.

As they lounge back on their stools, perhaps puffing a cigarette, they’ll entertain themselves at your expense. Where did you go tonight? Was it expensive? You look like a nun in that outfit!

The women behind the counters are like your mom, but funnier. If they’re having a good night, they’ll even sprinkle some broken English in -- which sends them into contagious gales of laughter.

6. Community karaoke

Chinese parks are known for having everything, from backward power walkers to kite-flying grandpas. But Fuxing Park takes park-side entertainment to a new level. A group of retired folks frequently gathers in the park for mid-afternoon karaoke, belting out Chinese tunes on a microphone as they scan a laptop for the lyrics. If they see an interested audience, they’ll even swish their hips a bit to liven the performance.

7. People's Square marriage market

This unusual event that takes place on Saturdays at People’s Square is jam-packed with parents who have children of marrying age. Their mission: to match-make their unwed offspring. They show off their child’s best attributes by writing their details on a placard or piece of paper (a bit like a resume), and pegging it to a branch. It lists their height, weight, interests, education and may include a photo.

“I’ve got a boy, what do you have?” says a woman.

“I’ve got a girl,” says a man.

“Perfect,” the woman says and the match is done.

The next step is to get their children to meet on a blind date in the hope they’ll hear wedding bells.

Mao might be long gone, but his likeness lives on ... on everything, including lighters.

8. Myriad Mao memorabilia

Mao's iconic figure has inspired many odd gifts, from old pocket watches with the Chairman’s face behind the hands and porcelain collectible figurines to cigarette tins, lighters and T-shirts. The best place to find 'em? Dongtai Lu "Antique" Market. Although anything with dust here is called an antique, if you're looking for Mao memorabilia this street can't be beat.
Dongtai Lu, near Ji'an Lu 东台路, 近吉安路

9. The town that's tailored to you

Get your favorite, suit, dress, jeans -- hell, even your best gown copied here. The tailors at the South Bund Fabric Market (aka The Fabric Market) will make anything you can dream up for a fraction of the designer price. We recommend stall 174 for leather goods, stall 377 for linen goods and stall 282 for a good cashmere winter jacket.
399 Lujiabang Lu, near Zhongshan Nan Lu 陆家浜路399号, 近中山南路

12. Shanghai has all the ingredients for our kind of club, and these are what make it such a fabulous place: it's old meets new, ageless and growing. This city is one of the last unpaved roads available, where I am happy to be a part of the parade.

— Amelia Kallman, co-owner, Gosney $ Kallman's Chinatown

10. Brunch is a way of life

At the Wolong Panda Reserve near Chengdu, visitors either disdain the critters’ sloth or enviously wish that they too could loll around eating and drinking the day away. The latter can live out their fantasies at the human panda reserve that is Bonito’s Sunday brunch. Tapas and Catalan fare with free-flow sangria and coffee cap off any great weekend (RMB 250). Put your feet up, take a siesta. You deserve it.
Rm. 1101, Bldg 1, 508 Jiashan Lu, near Jianguo Xi Lu 嘉善路508号1号楼1101室, 近建国西路

11. Decadent brunch is a way of life

There are several iconic Shanghai experiences, and Brunch at The Stage in the Westin Hotel is one of them (RMB 498 plus 15 percent tax). This gluttonous affair offers a two-floor culinary experience with live music and almost any dish imaginable from foie gras to fresh seafood, soup, teppanyaki and traditional Chinese delicacies -- all accompanied by Champagne, shots of iced Van Gogh vodka and free-flow wine. Go ahead and overfill your plate, then go back for more -- at this brunch, that's the point.
The Stage, 1/F, The Westin Bund Center Shanghai, 88 Henan Zhong Lu, near Guangdong Lu 河南中路88号外滩中心上海威斯汀大饭店1楼, 近广东路, +86 21 6335 0577, www.westin.com/shanghai

Ballroom dancing makes a comeback in Shanghai.

13. Ballroom dancing doesn't need a ballroom

Early in the morning and during weekends all over Shanghai, the city shows off its community spirit. Pensioners gather with a boom box in squares and parks city-wide. Not to battle it out to hip-hop beats, but to gracefully move and turn, ballroom-style. Anyone can get involved and many people just go to watch -- and still get pulled in for a dance.

14. Haibao

Nothing says Shanghai World Expo 2010 like this Gumby-esque figure, by whom the city’s love-hate relationship with all things Expo can be summarized. With news like Haibao’s un-PC wardrobe and fake Haibao wars, he’s a walking cartoon representation of why we’re simultaneously captivated and nauseated by Shanghai Expo updates.

A street to truly take things slow on.

15. The last place on Earth to truly meander

Although Shanghai moves at a frenetic clip, there are still a few places where it’s best to stroll at a more leisurely pace. Start at the corner of Wukang and Hunan and get lost in the quiet tree-lined avenues of the former French Concession. Finish up with a cigar and a drink at Mardi Gras at 372 Xingguo Lu.

17. I feel privileged to live in China, Shanghai specifically, because I get to see the music scene grow up from really nothing: bands, venues, labels, promoters and managers. It’s incredible to be associated with something as early-stage and dramatic as the music scene here.

—Archie Hamilton, managing director of Split Works, one of Shanghai’s most influential concert organizers and music promoters

16. Bar 88

We almost lack the vocabulary to describe this club. A nightlife institution in China’s second- and third-tier cities, Bar 88 came to Shanghai and took no prisoners with its plaid, suspenders-clad servers, bottle service at every table, seizure-inducing lights and atmosphere that’s a cross between Willy Wonka’s factory, the inside of a clock and a pirate ship. Once you join in choreographed dancing to techno remixes of “Happy Birthday” and “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” you’ll know why Shanghai is obsessed.
2/F, Wujin Building, 291 Fumin Lu, near Donghu Lu 富民路291号2楼, 近东湖路, +86 21 6136-0288, www.no88bar.com

18. (Oriental) Pearl Tower

Phallic jokes aside (although that is part of the fun), it wouldn’t be the Shanghai skyline without the Pearl Tower. Other buildings might come up around and above it, but this was the first building to define the Shanghai cityscape and it's irreplaceable.

19. Di Shui Dong ribs

Not your typical, sweet-and-sour, miniature rib appetizer, these are the meaty, spicy, grab-on-with-both-hands goodness that the Shanghai dining masses can get behind -- and do, again and again.
2/F, 56 Maoming Nan Lu, near Changle Lu 茂名南路56号2楼, 近长乐路, tel: +86 21 6253-2689, www.dishuidong.com

20. City rivalries

Because Shanghai is not Beijing and never will be.

Shanghai's Bund glows at night.

21. The Bund

Deriving its name from Hindi (bet you didn’t know that, did you?), the Bund is Shanghai’s most famous attraction. We could go on about the history and how, even today, the city’s most respected business, loved restaurants and infamous clubs all call the Bund home, but we don’t need to. It’s The Bund. Enough said.

22. Mag Lev

This is, hands down, the fastest way to Pudong International airport, and a fun way at that. Go ahead, be a tourist and take a photo as the speedometer hits 431 km/h. If this doesn’t give Shanghai bragging rights, we don’t know what does.

Life-size stuffed bears spontaneously appear at night.

23. Low-cost late-night cuddling

You can buy giant teddy bears on the street, in the middle of the night. When all the world’s asleep -- or in bars -- racks of giant, almost life-sized bears are wheeled around town by local vendors. Nothing says love like a bear nearly as big as you are.

24. The abolition of “Expat Apartheid”

Shanghai blows Beijing away in style, elegance and nightlife, but our cousins to the north have always held the upper hand in local-expat relations -- until now. An unlikely candidate is changing the game. In the heart of Expense Accountville (Xintiandi) lies Brown Sugar. Too real for preening peacocks on the Bund, too slick for crunchy English teachers, this live music venue has something for expats and locals alike, from legitimately good house acts and international guests to a flaming bartender show that puts Tom Cruise’s skills in “Cocktail” to shame. Shanghai is back on top.

26. It is quite rare to have the opportunity to grow together with a new city of this scale, to feel a part of the city growth. I love Shanghai because it never sleeps. It is hectic. We can feel the energy.

— Paul Pairet, executive chef at Mr & Mrs Bund and creator of the Lemon & Lemon Pie. You need to try it to understand

25. DVDs

Shanghai just might be the DVD capital of the world. Name the movie or the TV series and we’re sure you can find it for RMB 7 a disc in one of the hundreds of DVD stores in Shanghai.

27. Shanghainese

There is nothing that defines Shanghai more than Shanghainese. Caught somewhere between the sign of a lost generation and the true pretentiousness of a new generation that wants to make sure everyone knows exactly which world-class city they grew up in, Shanghainese is part of the code that forms this city.

28. Historic Shanghai

Whether it's river cruises down the Huangpu or walks with Historic Shanghai's founders through the French Concession, this city offers historical sights and depths that are mildly addictive. Packed with everything from classical buildings erected by colonists to futuristic neon-lined skyscrapers, Shanghai offers an living history lesson with every step.

These shenjianbao are delicious and dangerous -- watch out for the scalding liquid inside.

29. Jiaozi in all forms: fried

Shanghai is a jiaozi city, but few dumpling vendors have made a name for themselves the way Yang’s Fried Dumplings has. These aren’t just any old jiaozi; Yang’s specializes in the shenjianbao (RMB 4.5 for four) -- fried, round dumplings containing a scalding, delicious “soup” along with the meat. Line up at Yang's new store at the Maomin Bei Lu side of Wujiang Lu, inside the mall. Foodie tip: Don’t dive into these shenjianbao all at once. Carefully suck out the soup before you dunk the dumpling in vinegar and devour it.
54-60 Wujiang Lu, near Nanjing Xi Lu 吴江路54-60号, 近南京西路

30. Jiaozi in all forms: steamed

Yang’s might have cornered the market on shenjianbao, but Fu Chun reigns supreme when it comes to xiaolongbao (RMB 4 for six dumplings). Somewhere between a restaurant and a hole-in-the-wall, this local staple offers some of the best xialongbao (pork or pork-and-shrimp varieties) in town. Order downstairs for a quick bite or savor them in the upstairs restaurant.
650 Yuyuan Lu, near Zhenning Lu 愚园路650号, 近镇宁路, +86 21 6252-5117

Pajama people are a Shanghai cultural institution.

31. Pajama people

Although the government hopes to phase out the practice of wearing PJs in public before Expo 2010, we hope it continues. Men and women shop, play cards, drink tea, and chat with neighbors in their nightwear, even in winter. Yes, they have top-and-bottom matching wooly pajamas for that, too.

32. It's one big gym

Anyone can work out for free. With Crayola-colored equipment in many parks and apartment complexes, there’s sure to be a gym near you, and at the lowest possible price: free. Most machines are simple, stripped-down versions of what you’d use in a regular gym: ropes and pulleys, chin-up bars, elliptical trainers, leg and ab isolators, all using your own bodyweight for resistance. Twist, push, and pull your way to a taught bod in the great outdoors.

34. Shanghai has an interesting pool of creative people who draw the city together very successfully. It's also the most international city in China, with lots of opportunities to work all over the PRC from here. It’s something new every day, every project.

— Frank Krueger, creative director of Logon Shanghai which transforms old villas and factories into exhibition spaces, preserving heritage and giving it a new twist

33. Creativity is where you find it (everywhere)

Up-and-coming artists, architects and interior designers are making their respective marks in Shanghai, launching their work here, and redefining Shanghai’s public spaces with flair. For example, MoCA has an unforgettable bathroom lined in the beautiful, but controversial, artwork of Zeng Jin Hua.

35. We're always hustling

Shanghai is a city of entrepreneurs. Whether selling new technologies or old crafts, there’s always a will and a way. Small shops often specialize in selling one fruit, implements for one trade or tools for one craft. Treasures can be found anywhere, not just in malls and major shopping streets, from the man who makes rocking horses -- and only rocking horses -- by Suzhou Creek to the guy who sharpens knives outside your neighborhood food market.

36. Bargain back rubs

Why is life so good in Shanghai? Two words: cheap massages. Whether or not you believe in TMC (traditional Chinese medicine), life looks rosier after a massage from experienced hands for less than US$10 in some places. Your qi will never look so good.

37. Look up

Behold the amazing apocalyptic yellow skies that form just before a storm over Shanghai. Sudden summer rains and air pollution may be nuisances, but they're also the reason why the city is prone to yellow hours; several times a year the sky turns the color of maize before rain pours down.

38. A multitude of markets

There’s a market for everything in Shanghai, from trophies and hair dye to electronics and retro specs.

39. Tai chi republic

You might walk past people hitting themselves, walking backwards or flailing their arms in many of the parks and grassy areas in Shanghai, but you don't blink because this is quite normal here. It is believed that banging ones arms and legs or rocking against a tree (hitting your back as you do) improves circulation. Walking backwards, it’s thought, will turn back the years, and it also improves agility.

40. Green living

Eco-conscious fashion designers like Nuomi are leading the way to a greener future with recycled and organic couture. In Shanghai, you’ll find chemical-free undyed baby clothes, bamboo evening gowns softer than silk, and hip purses made from recycled billboard paper.
196 XinLe Lu, near Donghu Lu 新乐路196号, 近东湖路, +86 21 5403 4199

42. Shanghai is one of the world’s greatest cities because there is so much possibility for everyone here, every day. .

— Gary Wang, co-owner of The Shelter, DJ and entrepreneur

41. Social consciousness

Social entrepreneurs here are popping up all over the place. For example, D4D (Design for the Disadvantaged) this year opened its collaborative environment, aimed at improving the lives of Shanghai's lower classes. Luminaries from many industries -- strategists, architects, designers and more -- gather to research and workshop in creating innovative products to make life easier for those who are struggling on low incomes.
design@d4d-china.org, www.d4d-china.org

43. 山寨 (Shanzhai)

From Shanghai’s own Trader Zhou’s (pronounced Joe’s, as in Trader Joe’s) to iPhone minis and much more, the city's shanzai market is alive and kicking. Originally meaning mountain stronghold -- areas where bandits used to hide out -- the term now refers to all those products operating and being created outside of government regulation, and Shanghai consumers love each of every one of them.

44. The Avocado Lady

To many foreigners shopping in Shanghai, the Avocado Lady is an icon. Her shop at 274 Wulumuqi Lu is one of the only places in the city to buy cheap, fresh avocados, a rare find. Her store looks like nothing special from the outside, but the good import foods at incredibly low prices have made this woman famous. Her business savviness, catering to the globalized market, is both ingenious on its own and representative of the nature of Shanghai as a whole.
274 Wulumuqi Zhong Lu, near Wuyuan Lu 乌鲁木齐中路274号, 近五原路

A mind altering experience awaits at the Bund Tourist Tunnel.

45. Bund Tourist tunnel

While many of Shanghai’s tourist attractions have gained fame worldwide either for their architectural feats or historic value, few have achieved the infamy of the 647-meter Bund Sightseeing Tunnel. Simply put, the tunnel is (in)famous for leaving riders asking "Huh?" There are few people who have travelled the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel more than once, but it's also rare to find someone who regrets the trip.

46. Fast-moving food fads

Mexican, Italian, crepes, cupcakes and steak -- this city has seen more than its fair share of dining trends. New ones keep rolling out before we can even get around to trying all the places that popped up during the last fad. Italian restaurants and wine shops are still on the rise. Keep your eyes peeled. That innocent looking couple renovating the apartment next door to yours might be opening their very own house of pasta or vino.

Shanghai bands keep the music alive.

47. Scrappy live performers

You gotta give credit where it’s due when it comes to Shanghai's love of live music. Like the little brothers (and a few sisters) who just won't be shown up by Beijing's music scene, local musicians have kept the riffs coming. Live music shepherds like Lao Sun, Zhang Haisheng and to some extent Soma Records have fought to develop local talent and get them heard -- and it's working. We have a live music scene that just won’t die, and nothing could make us prouder.

48. Taikang Lu

There's nothing more Shanghai than brand spanking new commerce blooming in old lanes. Taikang Lu is a residential area turned restaurant and retail district with at least a hundred shops that sell silver jewelery, traditional handicrafts, clothes, antiques, art, tea and T-shirts with Chinese iconography. You can easily spend a whole day here, getting lost among the weaving side streets, ducking the photographers who stage regular fashion shoots among the area's quaint old houses.
Taikang Lu, near Sinan Lu 泰康路248弄11号, 近近思南路

Watch out for that Slippy, he's a shady character.

49. Chinglish

It’s everywhere, and we love it. From semi-offensive T-shirts, to nonsensical bank signs indicating that the ATM is a “cash recycling machine,” it’s impossible to walk very far without enjoying a giggle at yet another idea lost in the translation from Chinese to English.

50. Thank you

Everything says thank you -- the taxis, the Maglev, everything that has speakers on it will thank you for using it, usually in amusing Chinglish. Hearing “Thank you for take my taxi” is as common as hearing a phone ring. Who doesn’t appreciate being appreciated?