#whatshallwedo in Shanghai

If you're looking for a place to ease you into the Chinese culture, Shanghai is a great place to start. It's less crowded, clean, organised; pretty much Singapore with more space. Much more space. The city has somewhat a charming beauty about it but with so much to take in, here are some things that you may want to consider doing if you had only one day to spend it on.

1. Walk along the Bund.

From age old buildings to soaring skyscrapers, the entire stretch parades them all. On one side of the street you see architecture of several kinds, some that event dates back all the way to 1914. On the other side, across the Huangpu River you see the spectacle of Shanghai's famous skyline with it's iconic Oriental Pearl tower in sight.

2. Stand 863 ft. high over Shanghai city from the Oriental Pearl Tower.

While city observations seem boring to some, the view from on top can be rather breathtaking and when clouds have cleared, it is almost as if you are looking out at Gotham. Yes, Gotham as in Batman's Gotham. No kidding.

3. Up your insta-game with neon lights at Nanjing Road.

Nanjing is just as luring in the day time with it's wide range of branded stores and savoury restaurants. But the place really comes alive the moment the sun begins to set. With the streets lit up with neon signs on its buildings and even street stalls, every photo suddenly looks like a scene out of a movie.

// Useful tips while travelling in Shanghai //

• English is not a primary language here, so if you do not speak Mandarin, it would be very helpful to download a translation app of some sort to use while you are there.

• If you're travelling by taxi, and you're being charged more than 150RMB to get anywhere, you're being ripped off. Always make sure you get a metered taxi.

• The Oriental Pearl Tower is on the opposite side of the river from the Bund. You may take a taxi or the Bund Tunnel. While the Bund Tunnel has some pretty cool projections on it, the ride  lasted less than 5 minutes and costs more than twice as much as taking a taxi. But if you're in it just for the experience, it may be worth a go.

The Bund Tunnel

There are so many other things to do in Shanghai, but my uncle once told me something about travelling and it stuck with me. He said, "There used to be a time where you would have to go visit a place and explore it for yourself to be able to find out about it. Now we see pictures and videos and so much information that travelling has become only a matter of setting foot there and being able to say, 'Here I am'." So while there are more things that I could write about, I won't. This is merely the kick-off to your journey, you could call it. An idea of what your adventure could be like. 

The rest of it, is yours to discover.