ChinaMuslimKit
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Shanghai skyline
Shanghai, East

Shanghai

China's most international city

The most foreigner-friendly city in China — clean metro, English everywhere, the Bund, and growing halal options in the international districts.

Halal ease

7/10

First-timer

Easy

Prayer

7/10

Family

9/10

Airport

PVG / SHA

PVG ~50 km east (Maglev 7 min to metro, then ~40 min). SHA ~15 km west (metro line 2, 30 min).

Best time

March–May, September–November

Hot humid summers (32°C+), cold wet winters (0-8°C). Spring and autumn are best.

Language

Mandarin (Shanghainese dialect in some neighborhoods, but Mandarin works everywhere)

Population 24.9 million

Currency

CNY (¥)

Time zone UTC+8

Flights from Southeast Asia

Direct and 1-stop options into PVG / SHA from the main Southeast Asian gateways. Schedules change seasonally — verify on the airline's site before booking.

Singapore

from SIN

  • Scoot Nonstop

    Nonstop SIN–PVG, daily

  • China Eastern Nonstop

    Nonstop SIN–PVG

  • Juneyao Airlines Nonstop

    Nonstop SIN–PVG

Malaysia

from KUL

  • Malaysia Airlines Nonstop

    Nonstop KUL–PVG

  • China Eastern Nonstop

    Nonstop KUL–PVG

  • AirAsia X Nonstop

    Nonstop KUL–PVG, low-cost

Indonesia

from CGK

  • China Eastern Nonstop

    Nonstop CGK–PVG

  • Citilink 1-stop

    1-stop

3 days in Shanghai

Day 1

The Bund & Pudong

Morning

  • • Walk along the Bund (外滩) at sunrise — gold-tinted colonial facades on one side, futuristic Pudong skyline on the other
  • • Coffee at a Bund-side cafe (¥40-80)
  • • Visit the Rockbund Art Museum if open (¥80)

Afternoon

  • • Cross to Pudong via the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel (cheesy) or metro (fast)
  • • Shanghai Tower (¥180) or Shanghai World Financial Center observation deck
  • • Lunch at IFC Mall food court — halal options at the international level

Evening

  • • Sunset cruise on the Huangpu River (¥120, 1 hour)
  • • Dinner in Pudong or back at the Bund
  • • Walk Nanjing Road pedestrian street at night
Day 2

French Concession & old Shanghai

Morning

  • • Brunch in the French Concession — many cafes and bakeries
  • • Walk Wukang Road, Anfu Road, Fuxing Road — leafy plane trees, art galleries
  • • Photo stop at Wukang Mansion (the 'flatiron' of Shanghai)

Afternoon

  • • Visit Tianzifang (artists' alleys) for shopping and lunch
  • • Or: Xintiandi — upscale dining, restored shikumen houses
  • • Calligraphy or tea experience in a restored lane house (book ahead)

Evening

  • • Dinner at a halal-friendly spot — try a Uyghur restaurant near the Bund
  • • Acrobatic show (Shanghai Circus World, ¥200-300)
  • • Rooftop bar in Jing'an (skip if alcohol-only; many have mocktails)
Day 3

Museums, gardens & halal food crawl

Morning

  • • Yu Garden (豫园) and Old Town — go at 9 am to beat the crowds
  • • Try nanxiang xiaolongbao at the original Nanxiang Mantou Dian in the garden
  • • Browse the City God Temple area

Afternoon

  • • Shanghai Museum (上海博物馆) — free, world-class bronze and ceramic collection
  • • Lunch at a halal Uyghur or Hui restaurant near People's Square
  • • Or: Long Museum or Power Station of Art for contemporary

Evening

  • • Zhujiajiao water town (1 hour outside city) — gondola ride, old bridges
  • • Or: Jing'an Temple area, dinner, temple night view
  • • Last-night stroll along Suzhou Creek — newly pedestrianized

Where to stay

The Bund / Nanjing Road

Iconic views, walkable to Pudong ferry, dense in halal options (especially Uyghur restaurants). Best for first-timers.

¥600–1500/night (mid-range to luxury)

French Concession (Xuhui)

Tree-lined streets, cafes, art galleries, expat feel. Quieter, more residential. Less halal on the doorstep.

¥500–1200/night

Jing'an Temple area

Central, near metro lines 2/7/14, mix of temples, malls, and restaurants. Good for families.

¥500–1000/night

🚿

Insist on a smart-toilet room

The single biggest quality-of-life upgrade is booking a hotel with an electric smart toilet seat (智能马桶). The Japan-style washlets — heated seat, warm-water spray, dryer — are far more common in modern Chinese hotels than you'd think. When booking, search "smart toilet" in the property description or reviews. The international chains and modern local brands in this city almost always have them.

Full hotel guide & search strategy →

Getting there & around

From the airport

Pudong (PVG): Maglev train to Longyang Road (¥50, 8 min), then metro line 2 to city (45 min). Total ~¥60 and 1 hour. Or DiDi (¥200-300, 1-1.5 hours). Hongqiao (SHA): metro line 2 direct to city (¥5, 30 min). Avoid unlicensed taxis at the airport.

Metro

20 lines, 500+ stations. The cleanest, fastest system in China. English signage everywhere. Single ride ¥3-7. Use the Shanghai Public Transportation Card or scan with Alipay/WeChat.

Taxi

Metered, ¥16 flag fall. Drivers rarely speak English — show your destination in Chinese. Cashless payment via QR code in the back of the cab. We recommend using DiDi instead for a safer, scam-free experience.

We recommend using DiDi instead of taxis. We've had mixed experiences with taxis — DiDi offers a safer, worry-free, and scam-free experience.

DiDi

Best in Shanghai. Alipay integration makes hailing seamless. Cheaper than taxis for non-Chinese speakers.

Tips

  • • Avoid driving in Shanghai — the metro is faster, cheaper, and stress-free
  • • Maglev is a tourist must-do at least once (300 km/h!)
  • • Last metro ~22:30. Plan DiDi for late nights.

Halal restaurants

Mandalay Uyghur Restaurant (玛迪拉新疆餐厅)

¥80–150 per person

Near the Bund / Yan'an Road

lamb kebabsdapanji (big plate chicken)naanlagman noodles

Reliable Uyghur chain. English menu, halal-certified, popular with the Hui and Uyghur diaspora.

Aladdin Turkish Restaurant

¥120–200 per person

Xintiandi

kebab platterhummuspide

Halal Turkish, slightly touristy, good for a treat. Has Arabic-speaking staff.

Mama's Kitchen Uyghur

¥60–100 per person

Hongqiao

lagmansamsa (baked dumplings)rice polo

Local Uyghur favorite. No English menu — point at photos. Cash or WeChat.

Xi'an Bianrou (西安饭庄)

¥60–100 per person

Jing'an

yangrou paomobiangbiang noodles

Xi'an cuisine in Shanghai, halal-certified. Good airport-area location.

Hui Min Ju (回民居)

¥40–70 per person

Qibao Old Town

beef noodle soupshao mai

Old Hui-run restaurant in a historic water town, ~1 hour from city center.

Mosques & prayer spaces

Shanghai Xiaotaoyuan Mosque (小桃园清真寺)

52 Xiaotaoyuan Street, Huangpu District

Daily ~09:00–17:00 (closed during prayer)

The most central mosque, founded 1917. Mixed Chinese and Arabic architectural style. Modest dress required.

Shanghai Pudong Mosque

300 Yishan Road, Pudong (Lujiazui area)

Daily ~09:00–17:00

Larger facility in Pudong, used by the local Hui community. Friday Jummah very busy.

Top things to do

The Bund (外滩)

Huangpu·2-3 hours (walk + photos)

Tickets: Free

Best at sunrise or sunset. 52 historic colonial buildings on one side, Pudong skyline on the other.

Yu Garden & Old City (豫园)

Huangpu (south)·2-3 hours

Tickets: Garden ¥40; Old Town bazaar free

Ming-dynasty garden, surrounded by old-town alleys and food. Go early to avoid crowds.

Shanghai Tower (上海中心大厦)

Pudong (Lujiazui)·1-2 hours

Tickets: ¥180 (book online; skip-the-line recommended)

Tallest building in China, 632m. The observation deck is on the 118th floor.

French Concession walk

Xuhui·Half day (3-4 hours walking)

Tickets: Free

Tree-lined streets, art galleries, cafes, boutiques. Pick up Wukang Road, Anfu Road, and Maoming Road.

Shanghai Museum (上海博物馆)

People's Square·2-3 hours

Tickets: Free (book online)

World-class bronze, ceramic, and calligraphy collection. English signage is excellent.

Tianzifang (田子坊)

French Concession (Dapuqiao)·2 hours

Tickets: Free

Artistic alleys with boutiques and cafes. Heavily touristed but photogenic.

Food to try

Xiaolongbao

xiǎo lóng bāo

Halal at certain spots

Soup dumplings, served in bamboo steamers. The most famous Shanghai snack.

Find: Look for 清真 labels or Uyghur-run xiaolongbao places — the most famous chains (Din Tai Fung, Nanxiang) are not halal.

Shengjian bao

shēng jiān bāo

Hard to find halal

Pan-fried pork buns, juicier than xiaolongbao. A Shanghai breakfast classic.

Find: Most shengjian is pork — seek out Hui-run stalls. Yang's Dumpling has lamb options.

Scallion oil noodles

cōng yóu bàn miàn

Widely halal

Simple, savory noodles tossed in scallion oil. Found at most halal noodle shops.

Find: Any Hui noodle shop

Hairy crab (autumn only)

dà zhē xiè

Widely halal

Yangcheng Lake hairy crab, a delicacy from October-December. River crab, not seafood-restricted.

Find: Specialty restaurants Oct-Dec; steamed with ginger tea

Dapanji (Uyghur big plate chicken)

dà pán jī

Halal — order carefully

Spiced chicken and potato stew with hand-pulled noodles. A Uyghur classic.

Find: Mandalay Uyghur, Mama's Kitchen, any halal Uyghur restaurant

Apps to set up before you go

  • Alipay

    Activate the 'Tour Pass' before you land — it gives you ¥800 of prepaid credit and works on any merchant.

  • WeChat

    Required for almost all in-person payments. Set up with a foreign card before arrival.

  • AMap (高德)

    Best English-Chinese mapping. Metro routing, walking, DiDi integration.

  • DiDi

    China's Uber, fully English. Connect a foreign card or pay through Alipay.

  • Pleco

    Camera-based Mandarin translation. Point at the menu, get English.

Common scams to avoid

Touts on Nanjing Road

Friendly young women offering 'cheap tea ceremony' or 'art student' tours, then a ¥500+ bill.

How to avoid: Politely decline and keep walking. Real tea houses advertise prices clearly.

Maglev 'discount' touts

Touts at the airport selling 'discounted' Maglev tickets that are full price or fake.

How to avoid: Buy at the official Maglev counter inside the airport.

Black cabs at the airport

Drivers offering fixed prices 2-3x DiDi/taxi rates.

How to avoid: Use the official taxi queue or DiDi. Maglev + metro is the cheapest.

Phrases in context

清真

qīng zhēn

halal

The single most important word in Shanghai — show it on a card to waiters.

洗手间

xǐ shǒu jiān

restroom

Standard Mandarin, understood everywhere.

不要辣

bù yào là

no spicy

Shanghai is not Sichuan-spicy, but some dishes still have chili.

微信支付

wēi xìn zhī fù

WeChat pay

Vendors may ask if you can pay by WeChat. Show them your payment code.

谢谢

xiè xie

thank you

Simple politeness opens many doors.

The verdict

Shanghai is the easiest big city in China. English is everywhere, the metro is world-class, and the halal options — while not as abundant as in Xi'an — are growing fast. A great first city to land in.

Best for

  • ✓ First-timers to China
  • ✓ Business travelers
  • ✓ International food lovers
  • ✓ Architecture and cityscape fans

Not for

  • ✕ Travelers seeking authentic Muslim heritage (Xi'an is better)
  • ✕ Budget backpackers (Shanghai is expensive)

Recent traveler intel

paymenthigh confidence

Payment setup worked — Alipay with SG/MY cards

Alipay successfully linked with Singapore and Malaysia cards before departure. QR payments worked at major venues.

prayermedium confidence

Prayer planning note — Shanghai mosque access

Mosque access easier when planned around lunch stops. Fuyou Road Mosque near Yu Garden is most accessible for tourists.

app setuphigh confidence

eSIM and VPN setup confirmed working

Travelers report eSIM with VPN pre-installed worked smoothly on arrival. Google, WhatsApp, and Instagram accessible.

On-the-map places

mosque

Fuyou Road Mosque

Fuyou Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai

Main mosque in central Shanghai near Yu Garden. Friday prayers well attended.

attraction

The Bund

Zhongshan East 1st Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai

Iconic waterfront promenade with views of Pudong skyline. Best visited in evening.