<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Mad4Miles:
Can a US passport holder board a Dragon flight to Shanghai and without a valid China visa and obtain one upon landing in China? I know you can do this to Xiamen, but I think Xiamen is some special zone.</font>
I would say you are probably talking about special cases. In general, the government regulation says you MUST have a valid visa before you arrive in China. However, if you somehow get on the plane and land, and do have a valid reason to be in china, the border guards MAY give you a visa on the spot. But keep in mind that by no means they will do this for you even if you have valid reasons and valid documentation. Like government agencies in communist countries, they can be irrational from time to time.
I strongly suggest you get appropriate visa before you arrive in China.