9:41
Welcome to Shanghai
What do you need right now?
Essentials
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Emergency Chinese
Show phrases to anyone, instantly
✅
First-day checklist
6 tasks to do when you arrive
🗺️
Transport guide
Metro, airport, taxi, and Didi
Explore Shanghai
📍
Tourist spots
12 places worth your time in Shanghai
🌃
Nightlife & social
8 places foreigners actually go at night
🏟️
Sports & events
9 places to watch, play, or join
🏠
Renting basics
How renting in Shanghai works — read before you sign
🤝
Meet foreigners in Shanghai
Language exchange, meetups, events, and useful updates — coming soon
Hello Shanghai · Phase 1b v0.3
Have a Shanghai tip or feedback? Help improve Hello Shanghai:
help_helloshanghai007@gmail.com
Emergency Chinese
Tap a category to see phrases
Tap Copy · show to someone nearby
First-day checklist
Your progress 0 of 6 done
Tap any task to open its guide
Transport guide
How do you need to get around?
✈️
I just landed
Airport to city — Pudong & Hongqiao
🚇
Metro
Buy tickets, key lines, tips
🚕
Taxi
Hailing, payment, phrases
📱
Didi
Download, set up in English, book a ride
Tap any option to open its guide
Airport guide
Getting from the airport to the city
Which airport are you at?
Pudong PVG
East of the city — most international flights. Further from the centre, ~45–75 min by transit.
Hongqiao SHA
West of the city — domestic flights and some regional routes. Easier to reach, ~35–45 min by metro.
From Pudong (PVG) — your options
Maglev + Metro Line 2
Fastest
Time: ~45 min
Cost: ¥60–80
Take the Maglev from T2 to Longyang Road (8 min, ¥50), then transfer to metro Line 2 into the city.
Metro Line 2 only
Cheapest
Time: ~70 min
Cost: ¥8
Line 2 runs directly from PVG into central Shanghai. Slow but cheap and simple — one line, no transfers.
Official Taxi
Easiest
Time: ~50–70 min
Cost: ¥160–230
Go to the official metered taxi queue outside arrivals. Never follow anyone offering a ride inside the terminal.
From Hongqiao (SHA) — your options
Metro Line 2 or Line 10
Best value
Time: ~40 min
Cost: ¥5–8
Line 2 goes east to Pudong; Line 10 covers central areas. Both run from the T2 metro station under the terminal.
Official Taxi
Easiest
Time: ~30–50 min
Cost: ¥80–130
Shorter distance than Pudong so fares are lower. Use the official metered queue — never follow anyone inside the terminal.
Watch out
  • Anyone who approaches you inside the terminal offering a ride is unlicensed — always refuse and walk to the official queue outside.
  • Official taxis are metered. If the driver refuses to start the meter, get out and find another taxi.
  • Screenshot your accommodation address in Chinese before landing — you may have no signal on arrival.
  • The PVG metro (Line 2) exit fare is charged when you tap out — make sure Alipay or a transit card is working.
Useful phrase
请带我去这个地址，谢谢。
Qǐng dài wǒ qù zhège dìzhǐ, xièxie.
Please take me to this address, thank you.
Metro guide
Tickets, key lines, and how to pay
How to pay — 3 options
Alipay / WeChat
Open the app at the turnstile, tap the QR code button, and scan. No card needed — this is how most locals travel.
Transit card
Tap on entry, tap on exit. Buy at any station service window (¥20 deposit + load).
Single ticket
Buy at the machine inside the station. Select your destination on the map, pay in cash or scan Alipay.
How to buy a single ticket (machine)
  1. 1
    Find a ticket machine inside the station — they have an English option in the top-right corner.
  2. 2
    Tap your destination station on the map — search by name or browse by line.
  3. 3
    Select the number of tickets (usually 1) and confirm the fare.
  4. 4
    Pay with cash, Alipay QR, or WeChat QR. The machine gives change in coins.
  5. 5
    Take the token or QR receipt, tap it on the turnstile to enter, and keep it to tap out at the destination.
Key lines for foreigners
Line 2
East–west spine. Runs from PVG airport through People's Square to Hongqiao. The most important line.
Line 1
North–south through the French Concession, Xintiandi, and People's Square.
Line 10
Runs through Xintiandi, Jiaotong University, and Hongqiao. Good for the west and southwest.
Line 11
Connects downtown to Disney Resort and Jiading. Long but simple.
Tips
  • All station names are shown in English and Chinese — easy to follow even without Mandarin.
  • Trains announce stops in Mandarin and English.
  • Rush hour is 7:30–9:00 AM and 5:30–7:30 PM — trains are packed. Travel outside these windows if possible.
  • The metro runs from around 5:30 AM to 11:00 PM. Last trains vary by line — check before a late night out.
Useful phrase
请问，去人民广场怎么走？
Qǐngwèn, qù Rénmín Guǎngchǎng zěnme zǒu?
Excuse me, how do I get to People's Square?
Taxi guide
Hailing, paying, and handling problems
How to hail a taxi
  1. 1
    Stand at the roadside and raise your arm — taxis with a lit roof sign are available.
  2. 2
    Get in and show the driver your destination address in Chinese — use the copy button below or screenshot it in advance.
  3. 3
    Make sure the driver starts the meter (打表, dǎ biǎo) before moving. The starting fare is around ¥16.
  4. 4
    Pay by Alipay, WeChat Pay, or cash when you arrive. Most drivers accept all three.
Payment
Alipay / WeChat
Scan the QR code on the back of the driver's seat or the dashboard screen. Fastest and easiest.
Cash
Always carry some ¥10 and ¥20 notes as backup. Most drivers can make change for ¥100.
Credit card
Almost never accepted. Do not rely on a credit or debit card in a Shanghai taxi.
Common problems
Refuses meter
Do not get in, or get out immediately. This is illegal — they are trying to overcharge you.
Wrong route
Open Amap or Google Maps to follow the route. If the driver goes off-route, tap the screen to show them.
No English
Show the Chinese address on your phone. If confused, call your hotel and ask them to speak to the driver.
Lost something
The receipt has the taxi ID and driver number. Call the taxi company hotline printed on it.
Watch out
  • Unlicensed drivers hang around airports and tourist spots. Always use the official metered queue.
  • A taxi refusing the meter is illegal. Walk away every time.
  • Avoid taxis during rain or rush hour — they're very hard to find. Use Didi instead.
Useful phrases
请打表。
Qǐng dǎ biǎo.
Please use the meter.
请带我去这个地址。
Qǐng dài wǒ qù zhège dìzhǐ.
Please take me to this address.
请在这里停车。
Qǐng zài zhèlǐ tíng chē.
Stop here, please.
这不是我要去的地方。
Zhè bú shì wǒ yào qù de dìfāng.
This is not the right place.
Didi guide
China's ride-hailing app — easier than taxis
What you need first
  • A working Chinese phone number (from your SIM card — task 1 on the checklist).
  • Alipay or WeChat Pay set up for payment.
  • The Didi app downloaded before you need it — don't try to set up during an emergency.
Setup (do this once)
  1. 1
    Download DiDi from the App Store or Google Play. Search "DiDi" — the icon is orange.
  2. 2
    Open the app. Tap the language icon (top right) to switch to English if it opens in Chinese.
  3. 3
    Tap Sign Up and enter your Chinese phone number. Verify with the SMS code sent to your SIM.
  4. 4
    Add a payment method: Alipay or WeChat Pay are the easiest. International Visa/Mastercard also works in some versions.
  5. 5
    Allow location access — Didi needs GPS to find your pickup point.
How to book a ride
  1. 1
    Open Didi. Your current location appears automatically on the map.
  2. 2
    Tap the destination box and type your destination in English or Chinese. Didi recognises both.
  3. 3
    Choose a ride type: Express (快车) is the cheapest; Premier (优享) is a nicer car; Taxi (出租车) hails a metered taxi via the app.
  4. 4
    Tap Confirm — you'll see the price estimate before confirming. The price is fixed, not metered.
  5. 5
    Wait at your pickup point. The app shows the driver's name, car model, plate number, and a real-time map.
  6. 6
    Payment is automatic at the end of the trip — nothing to hand over to the driver.
Didi vs taxi — quick comparison
Price
Didi Express is usually 10–20% cheaper than a street taxi for the same trip.
Availability
Didi is much easier to find in rain or rush hour when street taxis disappear.
Safety
Driver details are logged. You can share your trip with a contact from inside the app.
Language
No need to speak Chinese — everything happens in the app. The driver sees your destination already.
Watch out
  • Always check the driver's plate number on the app matches the car that pulls up before getting in.
  • Surge pricing applies during rain and rush hours — the app shows the price before you confirm.
  • At airports, Didi pick-up zones are separate from the taxi rank — look for the Didi sign or check the app map.
  • If you have no internet signal, Didi won't work. Keep a taxi phrase card saved offline as backup.
Useful phrase — if you need to call the driver
我在门口等你，车牌是多少？
Wǒ zài ménkǒu děng nǐ, chēpái shì duōshao?
I'm waiting at the entrance. What's your plate number?
Tourist spots
Ordered by what foreigners visit most
Nightlife & social
Areas and venue types — not single bars
Sports & events
Places to watch, play, or join
Renting basics
10 topics — read before you contact an agent
Coming soon
Meet foreigners in Shanghai
A new social space is coming to Hello Shanghai — designed to help you find your people, simply and safely.
Find your people in Shanghai — simply, safely, and naturally.
What's coming
A new social space is coming to Hello Shanghai. We plan to add:
  • one-to-one meetups
  • language exchange
  • small events
  • meeting spots
  • sports meetups
  • useful Shanghai community updates
  • verified opportunities later
Preview
Language exchange
Practice Mandarin, share your language, meet locals and foreigners
Meetups & events
Café meetups, small social events, meeting spots around Shanghai
Social sports
Running clubs, weekend football, badminton, casual sports groups
Preview only No login, no profiles, no chat, and no public posts yet.
Get in touch
Have a Shanghai tip, event idea, or feedback?
help_helloshanghai007@gmail.com
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