Language------------------------------------------
by Tal_A
Language---------------------------------------------
The national language of China is Mandarin, known in China as Putonghua. Nearly everyone speaks Mandarin, but many also speak a local dialect that uses the same characters as Mandarin but whose pronunciation can vary greatly.
All Chinese languages are tonal. Each syllable has a different meaning depending on the pitch or musical inflection the speaker gives it. To give an example, in Mandarin the syllable 'ma' can mean mother, horse, curse, or hemp plant or be a particle denoting a question, depending on the tone used. Since 1949, the government has revamped the teaching of Mandarin, introducing a simplified phonetic system known as pinyin, which uses the Roman alphabet to denote the pronunciations of the myriad Chinese characters.
It is difficult for foreigners to speak Chinese, and even harder to be understood. However, the Chinese will appreciate your making the effort to speak a few phrases understood almost everywhere. Try 'Hello'-'Ni hao' (nee how); 'Thank you'-'Xie xie' (hsyeh, hsyeh); and 'Good-bye'-'Tsai jian' (tsigh djyan).
You can usually find someone who speaks English in the major cities. Outside the cities, it is difficult to get around China on your own without speaking the language; and road signs are rarely in English. If you are not planning to go with a tour group, you can go from city to city and hire a local English-speaking guide from the CTS office at each stop.
Airport to City Hotel
by Audrey118
It was madness when we got out of the immigration. It was really early in the morning...and there was hardly anyone. At 6am, the airport looks deserted, and everyone was snail paced. It is so different from back home in Kuala Lumpur.
Here there is a lacking of signage in english...lots in Mandarins, and not many spoke much English. I could not comprehend where I could get a public taxis into the city. I was not interested in a bus shuttle, nor was I keen to try out the Maglev. I was tired from lack of sleep, so all I wanted was jump into the cab and get to the hotel ASAP.
My solution I thot was walk to the hotel counters...yes - my hotel is listed there...so I asked how much was hotel limo..it cost 500 RMB and he said the normal cab wil be around 280 RMB. That is a bloody rip -off...If this was my first trip to Shanghai - i would have taken the limo ride...so I was not going to be fooled this time. Anyway he kindly pointed me to the right direction, to exit at Gate 15 and there was plenty plenty taxis waiting. On the way to Gate 15 - i was hassled by locals tout - TAXI TAXI etc.
And my taxi ride to my hotel at Weihai lu cost a mere 140 RMB!!! , and on one occassion i ran into a nice sleek brand new Mercedes Benz taxi - i booked him for a ride back to the airprt -at RMB200 - which i without regret paid for. He turned up in time, and was excellent.
SEE THE THIRD TALLEST TV TOWER IN THE WORLD!
by tanbeth
Approximately eight hundred and sixty feet into the sky, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower is the tallest TV tower in Asia and third tallest in the world. On the banks of the Huangpu River, it dominates a large portion of Shanghai's skyline. Located across the river from the Bund, the Oriental Pearl Tower offers spectacular views of the bustling city. Nighttime is the most popular time to visit, as the lit-up Bund makes the scene even more magnificent. It is all on display from the tower's observation deck, which also features the requisite souvenir shops and small eateries.
Of course, the tower is not merely a tourist attraction. The Oriental Pearl Tower services the Shanghai area with more than nine television channels and upwards of ten FM radio channels.
Huangpu River Cruise
by Travelchili
The Huangpu River cruise is not a bad idea, but hopefully you'll be better at choosing a clearer day. Shanghai's air is so polluted that sometimes you can hardly see your own toes. Also, during certain months of the year, it can rain quite often, making the river cruise rather pointless.
One-hour cruise cost me RMB 25.
grove_1984's latest trip in Shanghai
by grove_1984
hi,everyone
I live close to Shanghai.So I have many chances to visit there.Of course like what others say,Shanghai is a magnificent modern city.And it's always changing.I would have different feeling for the city each time when
I was in Shanghai.
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The girl's!
Construction of Shanghai World Finance Building
outside the temple
Dancing on the Bar
