China Travel Forum

[Iore]

Does anyone know about Shanghai airport (Pudong) has any good facility to spend 8hrs trangit time? Are there many shops to have a look? What time do they close? If you could also advise me how I can get out of the city from there during this limited time there, it would be very much appreciated....
Thanks so much!

[shanghai boy]

The Pudong airport (PVG) in Shanghai is clean and modern, but a TERRIBLE place to hang out. There are no TVs, and the most interesting hang out in the whole airport is a KFC (which is very hard to find). Shopping is virtually non-existant.

The good news is is that you can get into the city and have a good look around in 8 hours. I suggest you take the magnetic levitation train (maglev). If you are holding a flight ticket for the current day, you can take the maglev round trip for RMB80. It gets up to 431km, so it is an experience in itself! Anyway, take the maglev to Longyang Rd. station (maglev only makes this one stop, so it's easy). At Longyang Rd., take the subway to "Lujiazui" station. In Lujiazui, you are in the heart of new Shanghai, and can spend the time by going to the top of the Pearl Orient TV tower (panaromaic views of Shanghai), or the top of the Jinmao Tower (observation deck on 88th floor, also great views of Shanghai). You can get lunch and do some shopping in the "Zheng Da Guang Chang", one of the largest shopping malls in China. In Lujiazui, you are also very near the Huangpu river, and can get a great glimpse of the "Puxi" side of Shanghai and its colonial architecture.
After spending about 4 hours in Lujiazui doing the above, you can get the subway and maglev back to the airport.
I've lived in Shanghai for 4 years and think this is the best possible way to use your limited time in the city.

[guest]

Not if you don't already have a China visa though. I'm not sure if they're still issuing any transit visas, nor do I know if you'd be eligible for one.
What time is your transit?
There's a hourly hotel there, and a Motel168 (rooms start from about 300+ RMB for a night, not sure if they have hourly rental) right outside as well.