Shanghai Useful Information

Since the official opening of Shanghai's Pudong International Airport in 1999, Shanghai has become the first city in China to have two international airports.

Hongqiao Airport in western Shanghai, about 15 kilometers from the city center, now handles domestic flights only. By taxi, the trip from the airport will take you about 30 min. Hongqiao Airport actually works quite well and is easily accessed from the central business district where many airlines have offices

Pudong International Airport is now one of the most advanced airports in the world, providing world-class services to airlines and passengers. It is also much farther from downtown Shanghai than Hongqiao Airport.

Under normal circumstances, passengers can travel from Pudong Airport to Hongqiao Airport, Shanghai Railway Station and Shanghai Harbor within 40-60 minutes. Five bus lines leading to the airport have been put into operation. The Pudong Airport is 40 kilometers from Hongqiao Airport and 30 kilometers from Renmin Square in the center of Shanghai.

It is a 40-minute car ride from Hongqiao Airport to Pudong Airport. It is a 60-minute car ride from the city center to Pudong Airport. Passengers can also take a special airport bus from Pudong Airport to the downtown area and Hongqiao Airport. Now five bus lines have been put into operation. Buses operate from 6:00 to 19:00 in downtown areas and from 8:00 to 21:00 at Pudong Airport.

Holders of an American Express card can make inquiries about currency exchange, emergency card replacement, personal-check cashing, and 24-hour ATM access at Room 206, Shanghai Centre, 1376 Nanjing Xi Lu (tel. 021/6279-8082; fax 021/6279-7183). Office hours are Monday to Friday from 9am to 5:30pm and Saturday from 9am to noon. Note that tickets, bookings, and tours are not handled directly by American Express's Shanghai office.

ATM Machines are common in Shanghai and many banks are linked to the Visa, Mastercard and Cirrus networks. There is a limit of 1,500 - 2,000RMB per withdrawal but you can withdraw a number of times over from the same machine.

Most four- and five-star hotels can provide baby-sitting services if you give them advance notice. Prices vary, but average about 42RMB ($5) per hour.

Bank of China branches for currency exchange and credit-card cash withdrawals are located on the Bund at 23 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu (tel. 021/6329-1979 ), at 1221 Nanjing Xi Lu (tel. 021/6247-1700 ), at 2168 Yan'an Xi Lu (tel. 021/6278-5060 ), at 1207 Huaihai Zhong Lu (tel. 021/6437-8753 ), and at 2550 Hongqiao Lu (tel. 021/6268-8866 ). Business hours are Monday to Friday from 9am to noon and 1 to 5pm, and Saturday from 9am to noon.

Many foreign banks maintain offices in Shanghai, including the Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd., 10th floor, Novel Plaza, 116-128 Nanjing Xi Lu (tel. 021/6350-9599 ); Bank of America, Room 104-107A, Union Building, 100 Yan'an Dong Lu (tel. 021/6329-2828 ); and Citibank, 5th floor, Union Building, 100 Yan'an Dong Lu (tel. 021/6328-9661 ), but none of these handle currency exchange. The most convenient place to exchange currency is at your hotel, where the rates are similar to those at the Bank of China.

Mondays to Fridays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., although all foreign banks have slightly different hours (Japanese banks tend to close at 4:30 p.m. and American ones at 6 p.m.). Half days are the rule on Saturdays.

It is recommended to have a local bank account to keep small amounts of RMB in it. The four large banks are Bank of China, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Bank of Communications and Agricultural Bank of China. Banks are open weekends as well as week days and close early evening. Some smaller branches will close during lunch hours from 11.30am to 1.30pm.

Most hotels have on-site upscale hairdressers and Western beauty salons for men and women, with prices somewhat lower than those in Western cities. Shanghai is a very stylish city, offering plenty of private beauty salons as well. Numerous sidewalk barbers give old-fashioned dollar haircuts, often with a head massage thrown in; look along the Huaihai Zhong Lu shopping avenue.

Shanghai's City of Books, with two locations, one on the Nanjing Road pedestrian mall at 345 Nanjing Dong Lu (tel. 021/6322-1557 ), the other at 465 Fuzhou Lu (tel. 021/6352-2222 ), is the city's newest, most modern complex, with a huge collection of books and magazines (in English and Chinese), CDs, DVDs, its own Internet cafe, and a Web site (www.bookmall.com.cn). City of Books is Shanghai's answer to the Borders and Barnes & Noble superstores in the United States.

The city's biggest bookstore is actually the much more staid Xinhua Bookstore, 701 Huaihai Zhong Lu (tel. 021/6358-2464 ); the Xinhua Bookstore branch on the pedestrian mall at 345 Nanjing Dong Lu (tel. 021/6351-7246 ), open daily from 9:30am to 9pm, has a better selection of English-language books than the mother store.

Among other traditional outlets, the Shanghai Foreign Language Bookstore, 390 Fuzhou Lu (tel. 021/6322-3200 ), once the city's premier bookstore, still carries one of the best selections of maps and English-language books.

Since China adopted the 5-day work week in 1995, most banks and government offices are open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm, although some still close during the lunch hour (from about noon to 1:30pm), and some have Saturday hours as well. Bank branches and CITS tour desks in hotels often keep longer hours and are usually open Saturday mornings. Shops and department stores are open every day, typically from 9am to 7pm or later. Most hotels keep their money-exchange desks open 24 hours every day. Most temples and parks are open daily from sunrise to sunset. Other tourist sites are typically open daily from 9am to 5pm, although some, such as museums, may close for a day or two during the week (but are open on weekends). Restaurants outside of hotels are generally open at least during these hours daily: 6 to 9am, 11:30am to 2pm, and 5 to 9:30pm. Restaurants catering to foreigners may stay open later, while bars (which often have cafes) don't close until the very wee hours.

Kodak, Fuji, and other imported films can be purchased all over Shanghai, at hotel kiosks, megamalls, shopping plazas, and camera stores. Prices are on par with those in the West. There are 1-hour and next-day film processing outlets in hotels and shopping centers, too.

For reliable camera repair, film, and batteries, try Guanlong Photographic Equipment Company, 180 Nanjing Dong Lu (tel. 021/6329-0414 ). The new Kodak Image Center in the Carrefour supermarket, 560 Quyang Lu, Gubei New Town, offers film developing and cameras.

Shanghai is famous for its style and trendy ness. Famous international brands from ever corner of the globe have found or are looking for street front shops on Nanjing road and Huai hai road shopping streets.

Shanghai lags behind Western cities in installing data ports and modular plugs in hotel rooms, but it is quickly catching up. Hotel business centers offer computer (PC) rentals with up-to-date software, Internet access, and e-mail capabilities.

The consulates of most countries are located in or near Shanghai Centre, 1376 Nanjing Xi Lu, several miles west of the city center. The consulates are open from Monday to Friday only, and often close for lunch (from noon to 1pm). Visa and passport sections are open only at certain times of the day, so call in advance.

The Consulate General of the United States is at 1469 Huaihai Zhong Lu (tel. 021/6433-6880; fax 021/6433-4122). The Canadian Consulate General is at Suite 604, West Tower, Shanghai American International Centre, 1376 Nanjing Xi Lu (tel. 021/6279-8400; fax 021/6279-8401). The New Zealand Consulate General is at 15A Qihua Tower, 1375 Huaihai Zhong Lu (tel. 021/6471-1108; fax 021/6431-0226). The Consulate General of Australia is at 17 Fuxing Xi Lu (tel. 021/6433-4604; fax 021/6437-6669). The British Consulate General is at Suite 301, Shanghai Centre, 1376 Nanjing Xi Lu (tel. 021/6279-7650; fax 021/6279-7651).

International parcel and courier services in Shanghai include FedEx, 10th floor, Aetna Building, 107 Zunyi Lu (tel. 021/6275-0808 ); DHL-Sinotrans, 303 Jinian Lu (tel. 021/6536-2900 ); and UPS, Unit 304A, Hotel Equatorial, 65 Yan'an Xi Lu (tel. 021/6248-6060 ). Pickup and delivery can usually be arranged by your hotel.

American Express, Visa, MasterCard, and Japan Credit Bank are accepted at most hotels, hotel restaurants, and a growing number of stores and restaurants outside of hotels. Diners Club is accepted at many accommodations, but the Eurocard is accepted at only a few of the top hotels. The Discover card seems to be accepted almost nowhere in Shanghai. A service charge of between 3-4% is added to most charges.

China still has a low rate of crime especially directed against foreigners. Incidences of burglary and pick pocketing have increased slightly. Most compounds have good security however it I still advisable to keep doors and windows locked. You will also need to carry identification with you at all times and register with your Consulate soon after arriving in Shanghai. 

Renminbi (RMB), jiao (mao) and fen are the local currency. The term 'kuai' is commonly used, similar to the term 'bucks'. One kuai has ten jaio (mao), and one jiao (mao) has ten fen. The exchange rate of RMB to USD is 8.3 to $1.00.  Ren Min Bi means “the peoples money.” The basic unit of RMB is the yuan ( ￥ ), also known as "kuai," divided into 10 jiao. Yuan notes come in 1, 2, 5, 10, 50, and 100. The Renminbi exchange rate is pegged to the USD. The average exchange rate is about 1 usd= 8.28 RMB. RMB can not be traded outside of China

Certain branches of the Bank of China (see "Banks," above) and other banks can convert your traveler's checks and national currencies to RMB. The rate is fixed by a government agency. Hotel desks offer currency exchange, usually on a 24-hour basis, at rates nearly as good as those offered by the banks. A passport is required. There are no private offices or kiosks offering currency-exchange services.

Shanghai has the most advanced medical treatment and facilities in China. Hotels can refer foreign guests to dentists and doctors versed in Western medicine; they also usually have in-house or on-call doctors, and some maintain small health clinics.

The following medical clinics and hospitals specialize in treating foreigners and provide international-standard services.

World Link Medical and Dental Centers, Suite 203, Shanghai Centre, 1376 Nanjing Xi Lu (tel. 021/6279-7688 ), and Unit 30, Mandarine City, 788 Hong Xu Lu, Hongqiao District (tel. 021/6405-5788 ), have 24-hour emergency services, offer Western dental care, and maintain a Web site (www.worldlink-shanghai.com).

New Pioneer International Medical Centre (NPIMC), 2nd floor, Ge Ru Building, 910 Hengshan Lu, Xujiahui District (tel. 021/6469-3898 ), is staffed by Western-trained expatriate doctors and dentists, maintains a laboratory and pharmacy, and offers ambulance and evacuation services.

The Huashan Hospital, Wulumuqi Zhong Lu, Jing'an District (tel. 021/6248-9999, ext. 1921), has a special foreigners' clinic on the 19th floor.

The First People's Hospital International Medical Care Center (IMCC), 585 Jiulong Lu, Downtown Shanghai (tel. 021/6324-3852 or 021/6324-0090), is located near the Bund and offers 24-hour medical emergency assistance.

The Ninth People's Hospital, 639 Zhizaoju Lu (tel. 021/6377-4831 or 021/6313-8341), has a Western (Canadian-managed) dental clinic on the seventh floor.

The Drs. Anderson & Partners General Medical Clinic, 10th floor, D block, New Century Plaza, Hongqiao District (tel. 021/6270-3263 ), located near the Westin Hotel, offers Western medical care to the expatriate community.

The representative office of AEA International (SOS Alarm Centre), 2606 Shartex Plaza, 88 Zunyi Nan Lu (tel. 021/6295-8277 ), provides medical evacuation and repatriation throughout China on a 24-hour basis; for emergency medical evacuation, call tel. 021/6295-0099.

Carry your passport at all times, and keep a photocopy of your passport in a separate place.

See "Pharmacies," below.

Shanghai is not located in a particularly earthquake-prone zone. The last big one was in 1624, although a 6.2 quake in the Yellow Sea in 1984 caused some Shanghai residents to jump out of windows in fear. Twenty stations measure tilting, budging, and other seismic activity around Shanghai. New buildings can withstand quakes in the 7.0 range and above. Regional earthquakes over the last 20 years (centered in the East China Sea) have been in the 5.0-to-6.2 range.

The electricity in Shanghai is 220 volts, alternating current (AC), 50 cycles. Outlets come in a variety of configurations. Be prepared to supply your own transformers and modem adapters. Most luxury hotels have built-in converters in bathrooms for shavers, hair dryers, etc. Otherwise, come equipped, because a wide variety of plug types are used. The most common adapters are the narrow round two-pin, the slanted two-prong, and the three-prong types.

The emergency phone numbers in Shanghai are  110 for police, 119 for fire, and   120 for ambulance.

Han Chinese make up the majority of China's population (91.9%). Zhuang, Uygur, Hui, Yi, Tibetan, Miao, Manchu, Mongol, Buyi, Korean, and other nationalities make up only 8.1%.

Kodak, Fuji, and other imported films can be purchased all over Shanghai, at hotel kiosks, megamalls, shopping plazas, and camera stores. Prices are on par with those in the West. There are 1-hour and next-day film processing outlets in hotels and shopping centers, too.

Growth rate:9.1% percent (2003) Per capita: $3,600 (1998 est.)

Communist state. President and vice-president elected by the National People's Congress for five-year terms. Administrative divisions: 23 provinces, 5 autonomous regions and 4 municipalities.

Before coming to China, it is advisable to get a complete medical examination and bring the copy of the report with you. There are a number of hospitals in Shanghai that have wings specifically to treat foreigners. There are also medical clinics with western doctors' set up exclusively for expatriates. If conditions are too serious to be treated in China, foreigners are sent to Hong Kong or back home. For this reason, it is advisable to take out good health insurance coverage.

Consult the hospitals listed under "Doctors & Dentists," above; those hospitals and clinics cater to the expatriate community and foreign visitors.

The level of hygiene in some areas is not so good and toilets in particular can be extremely dirty. It is best also to carry packet tissues as toilet paper can be limited. Wash hands well before eating and wash fruit and vegetables thoroughly in bottled water (some people soak fruit and vegetables in a mild solution of bleach). Tap water cannot be consumed in China, instead people drink bottled water which is freely available. Many people have drinking water tanks in their homes.

4.6% (2004 est.)

There are three official Tourist Information Centers (also called Consultant Service for Tourists) in Shanghai, with English-language speakers, located at the Hongqiao Airport, International Arrival Hall (tel. 021/6268-8899, ext. 56750), open daily from 10am to 9:30pm; at the People's Square Metro Station, Main Hall (tel. 021/6438-1693 ), open daily from 8:30am to 5pm; and at the Yu Yuan Commercial Building, Yayi Jewelry Store, Old Town Shanghai (tel. 021/6355-4909 ), open daily from 8:30am to 9pm.

While lagging well behind the West in Internet communications, the business centers at major Shanghai hotels now provide online access and e-mail services, including PC rentals employing familiar English-language software programs. Charges for computer rentals and e-mail can be put on your hotel bill and paid for with a credit card. In-room Internet access and e-mail using your laptop has become increasingly common in Shanghai's top luxury hotels. An alternative is to use the facilities at a growing number of independent Internet cafes around the city.

Since the first server was introduced in China in 1994, Internet use has boomed and Internet cafes are springing up everywhere. Some of the more established are

Shanghai East Laser Computer Bookstore, 2nd floor, 190 Hubei Lu (tel. 021/6361-4082 ), located near Fuzhou Lu, open daily from 9am to 8:30pm (closes at 6pm on Sun);

3C+T, off Huaihai Lu at 238 Shaanxi Nan (tel. 021/6473-0439 ), open Monday to Thursday from 10am to midnight, Friday to Sunday from 10am to 2am (its initials stand for "computer, communications, and coffee plus training");

InfoHighway, in the French Concession at 181 Ruijin Er Lu (tel. 021/6415-5009 ), open daily from 9am to 6pm and charging just 5RMB (60¢) per hour;

Jing Xi Internet Bar, 549 Beijing Xi Lu (tel. 021/6218-0203 ), open 24 hours daily;

and the Shanghai Library, 1550 Huaihai Zhong Lu (tel. 021/6445-5555 ), located in a small office on the ground floor west of the main entrance, open daily from 9am to 6pm and always packed with Chinese students.

The Shanghai Library and most of the other Internet cafes listed above levy low user rates, from 6RMB to 15RMB (70¢ to $1.80) per hour for workstations, with nominal charges for sending and receiving e-mail. Hotel Internet fees are generally three to six times higher.

Most Chinese speak the national language of Putonghua (Mandarin) however each area has its own local dialect. In Shanghai they speak Shanghainees and in Beijing, Mandarin is the local dialect. Chinese learn English in school but most are unable to speak it with great proficiency. In large Hotels and multi-national companies, staffs speak varying degrees of English however those assigned to expatriate staff speak English well. When shopping and catching taxis, ask a local person to write things down in Chinese. 

Launderettes and Laundromats have not made a mark in Shanghai. Your hotel will provide full laundry and dry-cleaning services, often same-day service, with prices depending on the rating of the hotel.

94% (1998 est.)

The drinking age in Shanghai is 18. Bars keep irregular closing hours, some not shutting down until 4am or later. Supermarkets and some hotel shops sell imported and domestic beer, wine, and spirits.

Shanghai residents don't drink much except on special occasions. Many Chinese believe that Westerners are big drinkers, whatever the occasion or hour of the day. At a banquet or hosted dinner, follow your Chinese host's lead in drinking and toasting, but don't try to keep up if you're having too much, as some Chinese are prodigious drinkers.

First, contact the site where you think you lost an item. Then report the loss to your hotel staff for their suggestions and assistance in calling around town. Items lost in taxis are sometimes returned to your hotel.

The train stations have left-luggage counters, but the Metro stations and airports do not. Hotels provide storage (often for a small daily fee) at their bell desks.

It is common in China to employ a maid, commonly called an "Ayi". Ayis can clean, iron, cook, shop, pay your bills and baby-sit. There are some Ayi agencies however the best way to find one is through word of mouth or check out the notice-board at the supermarket at Shanghai Centre and City Supermarket. You can expect to pay an Ayi who works 6 hours a day 5-6 days a week around 1,000RMB per month.

Most hotels sell postage stamps and will mail your letters and parcels. A few hotels even have small post offices. Overseas letters and postcards require 5 to 10 days for delivery. Overseas airmail rates are 4.20RMB (50¢) for a postcard, 5.20RMB (60¢) for an aerogramme, and 6.40RMB (75¢) for a letter (up to 20g or 0.5 oz.).

The main International Post Office, open from 7am to 10pm daily, is located at 276 Beisuzhou Lu (tel. 021/6324-0069 ), at the intersection of Sichuan Bei Lu, in downtown Shanghai just north of Suzhou Creek; international parcels are sent from a desk in the same building, but its entrance is actually around the corner at 395 Tiantong Lu.

For private couriers offering overseas express mail and parcel service, see "Couriers," above.

electrical machinery and equipment, machinery and mechanical appliances, woven apparel, knit apparel, footwear, toys and sporting goods.

Manufacture of textiles, garments, footwear, toys, crude oil, household electrical appliances, sports goods, telecommunication equipment, pharmaceuticals, steel products, general metalwares and coal.

The official China Daily English-language newspaper appears Monday to Friday, with a special edition on Saturday. It's available free at hotel desks. As the national newspaper, China Daily gives versions of national and world news within Communist party guidelines, although there is some self-criticism and its feature articles can be quirky. Monthly editions of English-language magazines and newspapers produced for travelers and expatriates in Shanghai, available at hotels and restaurants around town, include Shanghai Daily, Shanghai Star, that's Shanghai, Shanghai Talk, Shanghai Travel, and Shanghai Now.

Foreign magazines and newspapers, including USA Today, International Herald Tribune, South China Morning Post, and Asian editions of the Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, and Time, are available at kiosks in all international hotels.

There are no 24-hour drugstores in Shanghai. Hotel kiosks, modern department stores, and supermarkets are stocked with some Western amenities (cough drops, toothpaste, shampoo, beauty aids), but bring your own pain and cold remedies, as these are more difficult to find.

The best outlet for Westerners is Watson's Drug Store, with locations at Shanghai Centre, 1376 Nanjing Lu (tel. 021/6279-8382 ), and at 789 Huaihai Zhong Lu (tel. 021/6474-4775 ); both are open daily from 9am to 10pm.

Prescriptions can be filled at New Pioneer International Medical Centre (NPIMC), 2nd floor, Ge Ru Building, 910 Hengshan Lu, Xujiahui District (tel. 021/6469-3898 ), and World Link Medical and Dental Centers, Suite 203, Shanghai Centre, 1376 Nanjing Xi Lu (tel. 021/6279-7688 ).

Chinese medicines are dispensed at the Shanghai No. 1 Pharmacy, 616 Nanjing Dong Lu (tel. 021/6322-4567 ), which is open daily from 9am to 10pm.

The Shanghai police force is known as the Public Security Bureau (PSB). The main office is downtown at 210 Hankou Lu (tel. 021/6321-5380 ). The emergency telephone number for the police is tel. 110.

There is plenty of public transport in Shanghai with Taxis being most commonly used by expatriates. They are cheap and plentiful however drivers don't speak English so locations need to be written down in Chinese. There is also a good subway system, which is cheap, clean and well run although stations are limited. Using the new air-conditioned buses is the cheapest form of transport however they tend to be overcrowded and bus drivers don't speak English so, unless you know your bus number, route and stop they are difficult to use.

For hygienic rest rooms, rely on the big hotels. Thousands of public rest rooms are located in the streets, parks, restaurants, department stores, and major tourist sites of Shanghai, but these are seldom clean and do not provide tissues or soap as a rule, although the rest rooms in the newest shopping plazas, fast-food outlets, and deluxe restaurants catering to foreigners are cleaner than average. The public rest rooms in the streets charge a small fee (0.5RMB/6¢ or less), but seldom provide Western-style facilities or private booths, relying instead on squat toilets (porcelain "holes in the floor"), open troughs, and rusty spigots. Tourists often come armed with their own tissues and even a can of spray disinfectant. Look for wc signs at intersections, pointing the way to these facilities. Be prepared to rough it if you are off the beaten track (often meaning anywhere outside a major hotel).

China is officially atheist, but traditionally pragmatic and eclectic. Some 2% to 3% of the population practice Daoism (Taoism), Buddhism and Islam. An estimated 1% are Christianians.

Shanghai is one of the safest cities in the world for foreign travelers, but as the city modernizes and Westernizes, the crime rate rises. Pickpockets and thieves do exist. At crowded public tourist sites, keep an eye on purses, wallets, and cameras. Always store valuables in a concealed safety pouch. Backpacks and fanny packs are targets on buses, on the subway, and in markets. Use hotel safe-deposit boxes or room safes, and do not open your door to strangers. Violent crimes and cases of sexual harassment against foreign visitors are quite rare, but do occur, so use common sense. Travel with others when possible, rebuff strangers in the streets, and avoid unlighted streets after dark. Beggars are common on Shanghai streets, as are touts hawking merchandise. Idlers who speak a little English may pose as "friends" and try to engage you in conversation in the street. While they are not thieves, as a rule, they are after more than friendship (usually some of your money, often turned over in the form of an outrageously expensive restaurant bill); they should be rebuffed quickly. Don't give strangers your hotel name or phone number, unless you want to be bothered later.

Street-side vendors repair shoes and other leather goods for a small fee; most hotels provide the same service.

China has more smokers than any other nation, an estimated 350 million, accounting for one of every three cigarettes consumed worldwide. About 70% of the men smoke. Recent anti-smoking campaigns have led to laws banning smoking on all forms of public transport (including taxis) and in waiting rooms and terminals. The ban is spreading to some public buildings. Fines can be levied, but enforcement is sporadic. Hotels provide no-smoking rooms and floors, and many restaurants have begun to set aside no-smoking tables and sections. At present, expect to encounter more smoking in public places in China than in the West.

Most hotels levy a 15% tax on rooms (including a city tax), and many restaurants and bars place a 15% service charge on bills. There is no sales tax. The other common tax tourists face is the international departure tax at the airport, currently 90RMB ($11), payable only in Chinese currency in the departure hall before checking in.

The country code for China is 86. The city code for Shanghai is 021. If you are calling a Shanghai number from outside the city but within China, dial the city code (021) and then the number. If you are calling Shanghai from abroad, drop the first zero.

Local calls in Shanghai require no city code; just dial the eight-digit Shanghai number (or the three-digit emergency number for fire, police, and ambulance). Calls from Shanghai to other locations in China require that you dial the full domestic city code (which always starts with 0 ).

To call Shanghai from the United States, dial 011 (the international access code) plus 86 (the country code for China) plus 21 (the city code for Shanghai minus the initial zero) plus the eight-digit Shanghai number.

To make an international direct dial (IDD) call from Shanghai (which you can do from most Shanghai hotel rooms), dial the international access code ( 00 ) plus the country code for the country you are calling plus the area code and the local phone number. The country code for the United States and Canada is 1; for the United Kingdom, 44; for Australia, 61; and for New Zealand, 64. To call the United States from Shanghai, for example, dial 00 plus 1 plus the U.S. area code plus the U.S. phone number. If you have questions, speak with the hotel operator or an international operator (tel. 116 ).

You can also use your calling card (AT&T, MCI, or Sprint, for example) to make international (but not domestic) calls from Shanghai. The local access number for AT&T is 10-811; for MCI, 10-812; and for Sprint, 10-813. Check with your hotel for the local access numbers for other companies. The directions for placing an international calling-card call vary from company to company, so check with your long-distance carrier before you leave home.

Most Shanghai hotels provide fax services. Faxes are an efficient way to communicate overseas (and within Shanghai and China). The charges for faxing overseas are dropping but are still relatively high, owing to the higher rates imposed on international communications by China. Additional hotel charges are usually imposed on faxes as well

Chinese Central Television operates six stations (CCTV 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8), while Shanghai Television (STV) offers three stations, including OTV and cable channel 2. Nearly all programs are in the Chinese language. The hotels, however, provide a spectrum of Western-language satellite stations and international networks. Hong Kong-based Star TV has an English-language channel. Most hotels offer music video stations (such as MTV), CNN, and NHK (Japan), and some offer CNBC, BBC, ESPN, and other channels from the United States, Europe, Australia, and even India. The large hotels offer more than 20 Chinese and international choices. Most hotels offer in-room movie channels or HBO (an Asian version); some offer both.

There are two radio stations with substantial English-language programming, FM 101.7 and FM 103.7.

There is a Thomas Cook Liaison Office at China Travel Service, 881 Yan'an Zhong Lu (tel. 021/6247-6390; fax 021/6247-6390).

Shanghai (and all of China) is 8 hours ahead of Greenwich mean time (GMT plus 8), meaning it is 13 hours ahead of New York, 14 hours ahead of Chicago, and 16 hours ahead of Los Angeles. Shanghai does not use daylight saving time, so subtract 1 hour from the above times in the summer. Because China is on the other side of the international date line, you lose 1 day when traveling west from the United States, but you gain it back upon return (across the Pacific).

This practice is still officially forbidden in the People's Republic of China, and no tipping is necessary. In reality, however, Shanghai hotel bellhops routinely receive 10RMB or $1 per bag; rest-room attendants, 1RMB or 2RMB (10¢ or 25¢) per visit; taxi drivers, the change from a fare (1RMB/10¢ to 5RMB/60¢); guides on day tours from hotels, 10RMB to 20RMB ($1.20 to $2.40); and waiters (where no service charge is added), hairdressers, and other service personnel, 10% of the bill. Most large hotels add a 15% service charge to bills and therefore tipping is not necessary.

Consult the Chinese embassy or consulate in your home country to arrange for a visa. A tourist visa is valid for 90 days but can be extended for 30 days. For business visa extensions, you'll need to bring your passport and registration of temporary residency from your hotel, plus a letter from the business that invited you, to the Public Security Bureau (PSB) Division for Aliens at 333 Wusong Lu (tel: 6357-6666) on weekdays from 9 to 11 a.m. and 2 to 5 p.m.

Water from the tap is not safe for drinking (or for brushing teeth), even in the best hotels. The water available in hotel rooms in flasks, thermoses, or plastic bottles has been boiled and is safe to drink. Clean bottled water (including imported brands) can be purchased almost everywhere, even from street vendors, for 10RMB to 40RMB ($1.20 to $4.80) per liter.

The China Daily newspaper, Chinese TV news programs, and some hotel bulletin boards furnish the next day's forecast. You can also dial Shanghai's weather number (tel. 121 ).