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Living in Shanghai
Ni hao and a warm welcome to our expat community in Shanghai! Get to know this city before you start your real life here. From accommodation to kids’ education, from banking and internet connection to where to shop and eat, see advice and information from iReloChina’s experts here.
In Shanghai, it is easy to find a group of people of play your favorite sport with. There are many specialized sport complexes and it’s never difficult to find squash rooms, tennis courts or swimming pools. Not to mention, there’s plenty of places to go bowling, play billiards, or go rock climbing. SmartShanghai or Reddit (requires VPN) are good websites to look for specialized sports club or sporting events in Shanghai. SmartShanghai has a pretty up to date directory of indoor and outdoor sports complexes, articles, and listicles with useful information regarding sports such as top places to go for a run or play basketball. If just watching sports is more your speed, head on over to The Camel or Cages to catch the Premier League, NFL, Rugby, or any other sport with an international following. Sports lovers will never be bored in Shanghai.
If you are passionate about the arts, you will have plenty of options. Shanghai has a variety of museums such as The Long Museum, the Power Station of Art, the Rockbund Art Museum, the Yuz Museum, or M50, which is the creative art district on Moganshan Lu.
You can also attend a Chinese opera, take a walk around Shanghai Film Studios, visit Lai Lai Dancehall, or watch an acrobatic show such as Shangcheng Acrobatic Show or Era: Intersection of Time.
M50 Arts District
In mainland China, KTV, or karaoke, is very popular. However, it is quite different from the public stage karaoke that you are used to. KTV is enjoyed in a swanky private room, so you don’t have to worry about strangers if you want to cut loose and sing your heart out.
Shanghai is full of spas and massage parlors, ranging from cheap to luxury. Dragonfly and Subconscious are popular places to get a massage, and every high-end hotel in town will have spas. For more options you can visit SmartShanghai,which will have a comprehensive list of spas and reviews of most of them.
If your company doesn’t offer you an after-work Chinese course, there are plenty of options for Chinese learning in Shanghai for you and your children.
Most major universities in Shanghai have programs tailored specifically for expats to learn Chinese, either full time or part time. There are also some chain learning centers such as Mandarin House or iMandarin. Alternatively, if you are looking for more flexibility, you can hire a tutor. You can also find a lot of Chinese speakers who want to learn English and would be happy to teach you Chinese in exchange for English classes. Additionally, there are a variety of online courses and apps that can help you get started in Chinese such as FluentU or Pleco.
Shanghai offers various shopping opportunities, whether you are looking for big shopping malls or local markets. It’s never too difficult to find familiar brands in the city, whether that is Old Navy or Prada. Many Western luxury brands are located throughout the city in street level retail on East Nanjing Road and West Nanjing Road, or in malls in Jing’an and Xuhui district. Before you head out the door, however, keep in mind that prices for luxury goods are actually known to be higher here than in cities such as London, New York or Paris. If you are looking for more up and coming designers, you will find many local, regional, and international designers with boutiques throughout the Former French Concession.
East Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street
