Shanghai: Night or day?
 

I'll have a 26 hour stopover in Shanghai in early December and I'm debating whether to do my exploring at night, upon my arrival at 7pm and stay up all night (which is what my body will want to do) or, should I plan in advance to sleep that night and make a go of it in the morning and explore the city during the day?

I've read a lot about how nice the Bund is at night, and certainly the city lights are worth seeing, but can I keep myself busy for a whole night i.e. is there enough to do?

Also from what I've read (thank you FTers), I'm not concerned about safety, so I don't think that's a deciding factor (right?) for day vs night.

Any thoughts from those of you who have done this would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Shanghai is a fairly tough city, not very welcoming to this kind of endeavours.

I don't mean security, that is not an issue in central Shanghai apart from some side alleys of Nanjing East Road but more the overall lifestyle and attitude. My thinking is you would be cold and miserable by the end of the night. ;)

My advice would be, book a hotel room in any case, check in, take a shower or bath and/or a nap if necessary. Then venture outside by all means if not too tired.

Next morning try some real Shanghainese dumplings for lunch, enjoy watching the crowds and faster pace of life and head back to the airport well rested and fed...

You should be all means get a hotel BanderBoy. But, just plan on going there after you arrive, freshen up, hit the town, sleep, and follow up with a day time plan (which needn't be exhausting).

If you're arriving at 7 pm and departing at 9 pm, I would look for a hotel that will give you a late checkout, for example 4 pm in SPG Gold or Plat and 4 pm if Hyatt Diamond. They you can shower before heading back to the airport rather than rushing around homeless to do tourist stuff during the day.

I would go to the hotel, shower, then go off to do stuff at night, perhaps dinner, definitely a walk along the Bund, maybe a little boat trip there, perhaps more depending on your taste for nightlife. However, be aware that the lights on buildings etc. are turned off late in the evening, although not all at the same time. IIRC by midnight the skyscrapers are generally dark. Also pay attention to when the subway system closes for the night.

IME when entering China, either with a visa or on the 72 hour TWOV, the forms ask for your hotel information and immigration officers ask you to verify this. For 72 hour TWOV, they're also apparently concerned that your hotel be within Shanghai and not in some other city in the region. I'm not sure how they would react to 26 hours, hence the 72 hour TWOV rules, with no hotel plans. It could make you look like a vagrant who cannot afford the cost of spending a day in Shnaghai. You could be hassled over this.

Thanks for the input, all. ^

I failed to mention that I do have a hotel booked - Sheraton Shanghai Hongkou. There's no way I'd do this trip without a hotel to crash in. I do plan on a late checkout as I have SPG gold, which will be very handy.

Clearly, I have lots of options, so I think I may just play it by ear and see how I feel after I arrive and check in. The worst case scenario is I'm wide awake and roam the city for a few hours, then crash until late the next morning. And Shanghainese dumplings sound like a great idea mosburger. I'll research a good place to find them. ^

Xièxiè

Can you score 12 Hengshan for a similar rate? Or even the LRM? Both are better suited than Hongkou for a 26 hour visit.

Hongkou has the cheapest C&P rate, then LRM. Both 12 Hengshan and Westin Bund Center have the same C&P rates, but are still reasonable.

All three are do-able for me. Which would you pick?

In spite of the fact that I dislike People's Square, I would go with the LRM in your case (due to the short stay).

I'd second this. The Bund is a 15 minute walk from the hotel. However, at nighttime you might want to avoid dark corners on Nanjing East Road, just to be on the safe side. Better to use next parallel street from and to the hotel from dusk to dawn.

12 Hengshan might be good for nightlife, but it's pretty far from the Bund and major tourist stuff. I'd vote for LRM which sometimes has very inexpensive rates. If you stay there and are awake at dawn, walk along East Nanjing Road toward the Bund to see various groups doing exercises, dances, etc.