International Removals to Shanghai with The Moving Partnership
Shanghai has a huge expat population – more than 150,000 strong – with many people being sent there for work reasons. The city is one of the world’s major centres for finance, science and technology, manufacturing and tourism, and also boasts the world’s busiest container port. So what can you expect when you arrive? The Moving Partnership, who offer international removals to Shanghai, supply some answers.
The History and Heritage
Originally a fishing village and market town, Shanghai’s coastal location on the eastern side of the country meant it grew in importance very quickly. The city is split in two by the Huangpu river, with the Puxi area to the west and the Pudong to the east (although there are other sub-districts within these two halves of the city). The former is the older, central part of the city - there was a settlement there more than 6,000 years ago - and the latter is home to most of the mass high-rise developments that were built from the 1980s onwards.
It is now described as one of China’s showpieces, with a mix of architectural styles. As well as the high-rise blocks there are plenty of traditional Oriental properties and some art deco buildings.
Getting There and Getting Around
The city is served by two international airports. Pudong is the main international gateway, while Hongqiao operates mainly domestic flights.
There are shuttle buses between the two, and the metro system, which first opened as recently as 1993, is the longest in the world by route length. A top tip is to buy a Jiaotong card, this is the equivalent of an Oystercard and can be used on buses, trains, the metro and even taxis.
There are ferries too (both local services and to Japan), which are a more picturesque way of getting around if you need to cross the river. If you can cope with the traffic, driving is a good way of getting around too, with a lot of highways that have been built in recent years. You can get around on foot too, particularly in the older parts of the city.
The Main Attractions
Some of the attractions will be familiar to Western visitors. There’s a Madame Tussauds (on Nanjing Xi Road) and a Disneyland theme park (close to the Pudong International Airport). If you’d prefer a taste of ancient China, though, you should visit the Yuyuan Gardens in the Old City.
If you want something more up-to-date, and don’t mind heights, try Pudong's Lujiazui District. This has the Oriental Pearl Tower, one of the tallest structures in Asia, the Jin Mao Tower, which is 88 storeys high, and the Shanghai World Financial Center, which has one of the world's highest observation decks, at 474m (1555 ft).
Eating Out and Shopping Around
Shanghai cuisine is characterised by an extensive use of soy sauce. With its location as a port, seafood is likely to be on the menu too, with both fish and crab popular. Dishes can be baked, stewed, steamed, fried or braised. Rice is also more commonly used than noodles.
The main shopping street is Nanjing Road, which is 3.4 miles long. Perhaps unsurprisingly, you can get most things here, from big brand names to smaller and independent stores.
Learning the Language
Most Shanghai natives speak Shanghainese, which is part of the Wu dialect of Chinese languages. However, because the city attracts a lot of migrants from other parts of the country, Mandarin Chinese is becoming more and more common. It is also the country’s official language and everyone understands it.
English is the most common ‘foreign’ language in the city, and is likely to be spoken at hotels, and main tourist attractions. However, you shouldn’t rely on this being the case everywhere. Therefore it’s a good idea to learn at least a smattering of Mandarin.
International Removals to Shanghai with The Moving Partnership
The Moving Partnership can help with house removals to all parts of China, including Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu and Guangzhou.
Our network of contacts in the international removals industry means we can come up with a competitively-priced quote that will be tailored to your exact needs. We can ship your items there either in a dedicated container or a groupage option, where the container will be shared with other people’s belongings. We also offer optional extras such as packing and unpacking services.
For more information about life in China, and some of the paperwork involved, follow this link, you can also call us on 0800 772 3709 if you have any questions.
