There are roughly eight areas of Shanghai that a large number of expatriates live in and a
few outer districts. These areas tend to provide easy access to shopping malls, restaurants,
schools and medical clinics, entertainment and night-life, transport and fly-overs, and close
to the commercial sectors of the city.
Chan Ning District - Hongqiao, Gubei and Zhongshan Park Areas
HONG QIAO AREA
Located in the west, Hong Qiao is known as the suburbs and lacks the noisy and dense population of downtown areas. Most of Shanghai’s expatriate villa compounds with gardens, pools, tennis and gyms are located here along with office, apartment and shopping complexes.
The main west-east thoroughfares are along Hong Qiao Rd & Yan An Expressway. The Shanghai zoo and Hong Qiao domestic airport are located in the area.
The many families in this area have attracted most of the international schools and kindergartens in Shanghai.
Good restaurants, shops and supermarkets are located in the area with shops and support services focusing on the needs of expatriates
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GUBEI NEW AREA
Gubei is Shanghai’s first expatriate apartment area which was built in 1994 and is located within Hongqiao. Many large apartment blocks take on classic European names and décor like Rotterdam Gardens, Athena, Paris and Roma Garden.
This large apartment block area has some stores, restaurants and sports clubs. Gubei’s highlight is its large Carrefour supermarket.
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ZHONGSHAN PARK
As the name suggests there is the lovely Zhong Shan Park in this area. In the past few years there have been new large apartment complexes built along with a Carrefour supermarket.
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Known as the heart of the city, People’s Square is located here with the Grand Theatre and Museum as its main attractions. China’s most famous shopping street, Nan Jing Rd runs through the area.
Stunning Art Deco buildings built in the early ‘90’s line the Huang Pu River. This area is called the Bund, an Anglo-Indian word meaning "embankment on the waterfront”. The Bund is probably Shanghai’s most spectacular attraction and is stunning when lit up at night. In contrast to the old world of the Bund, on the opposite side of the Huang Pu River, new skyscrapers line the area of Pudong.
Tourist sites such as Yu Yuen Garden, Shopping Bazaar and “Temple of the City God” are located in the southern area of the Bund.
As Huang Pu is more of a tourist, retail and commercial area then there are limited apartment buildings to choose from.
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Located in the far northwest region of Shanghai, the area manufactures automobiles and parts and accessories and is well known now as the “Auto City”.
The areas claim to fame was its production of the first Santana made in China, manufactured in Anting town.
The district is rich in tourist attractions such as Guyi Garden, Zhouqiao Traditional Street as well as the historical towns of Nanxiang and Anting.
Qingpu is located in the western outskirts areas of Shanghai.
The district has the largest lake in Shanghai, Dianshan Hu Lake, which is surrounded by a number of tourist scenic spots and historic sites such as the ancient Tang Dynasty pagoda, an ancient Song Dynasty bridge, and an ancient Ming Dynasty temple. A well known tourist attraction in the region is the famous water town Zhujiajiao.
Located on the outskirts in the southwest area of Shanghai, the district has a historical link with Shanghai as a political, economic and cultural center.
The Shanghai-Hangzhou Highway links Shanghai with the New Songjiang City which has two styles of construction, a European style in the south and a Ming/Qing Dynasty style in the north.
Jing An has a mix of glamorous shopping malls, small boutiques and old colonial shop front facades.
The highlight of this area is the Jingan Temple which was built in 247 during the Three Kingdoms Period and then moved to Nanjing Rd. The temple survived the Cultural Revolution but has lost it’s original mysterious charm, replaced by a new façade and souvenir stores. Other cultural sights are the Shanghai Exhibition Center and Jade Buddha temple.
Nanjing Rd has the city's tallest office towers such as Plaza 66, CITIC Square and Westgate Mall. Combined office and apartment blocks are located at the Shanghai Centre and Kerry Centre. It is also dotted with four and five star hotels like the Ritz Calrton, Four Seasons, the Hilton and JW Marriott.
A very central location with good access to the rest of Shanghai. Well established subway and transport systems and a central bus terminal to Pudong airport.
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Luwan is located south of People's Square. Shanghai’s second most popular street is Huai Hai Rd,
One stretch of Huai Hai Rd holds a large business district and the other section is lined with international brand stores. Large department stores such as Isetan, Pacific and Parkson stores have there presence in the area.
On the edge of Luwan is Xiang Yang market with its souvenirs and fake brand clothes, shoes and bags. There is also an Antique market on Dong Tai Rd and a Flower Market on South Shanxi Rd.
Luwan houses Xintiandi which is an historic, up market dining and entertainment area with excellent western restaurants and bars. Xintiandi Lake and Fuxing Park are two green oasis areas.
Parts of the old French Concession area stretch through the area with historic apartments blocks and 100year old parasol trees lining the streets
Luwan is also where Puxi connected with Pudong via the Lupu bridge and Dapu tunnel.
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Located in the south west of Shanghai, Minhang is a rapidly expanding area. It is connected to downtown by number 1 metro line.
There are many new villa compounds and apartments being built in the area along with a number of new international schools and kindergartens
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Pudong New Area is located on the east side of the Huang Pu River and consists of Lujiazui Financial Area, Jinqiao Export Development Zone and Zhangjiang Industrial Park. The area is classified as the new finance, high tech and advanced manufacturing area.
Up until the late 90’s Pudong was largely farmland but is now a thriving area linked to Puxi by a number of bridges, tunnels, ferries and a subway line. It is a large area with wide roads and lots of green open spaces and lacks the noisy, bustling crowds of the Puxi area. Highlights of the area are Century Park, Jin Mao tower and the Oriental Pearl TV Tower
Nice large expatriate villa and apartment compounds set in peaceful surrounds are scattered round the Pudong New Area. There are also many international schools and kindergartens located in Pudong.
Pudong International AirportTransport to/from the Pudong International Airport is either bus, taxi or by the Shanghai Maglev, the fastest railway system in the world which travels at a top speed of 501 km/h (311 mph).The 30-km line ride from the International Airport and Lujiazui financial district takes about eight minutes.
Lujiazui Financial AreaLujiazui Financial Area can be seen on the east side of the Huang Pu River and is Shanghai’s most impressive finance and commercial area. It houses the offices of most foreign and domestic banks. Impressive office buildings such as the Jinmao Tower, HSBC and Shanghai Stock Trade Centre locate areas that were farmland not long ago.
JinQiaoJinqiao Export Development Zone was developed to provide tax incentives for large multinational companies. It has already attracted companies such as Philips, NEC, and General Motors. Jin Qiao is conveniently located close to Pudong International Airport and has a Carrefour supermarket in its region.
Zhangjiang
This area was created for the development of high and new technology and is an important area in the Pudong New Area Development Program and there are already a large number of international and domestic enterprises located there.
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Xu Hui has limited number of high rises and therefore the lowest population density of all downtown areas. It covers the largest inner area of Shanghai and has covers most of the historic former French Concession area. Many beautiful old classic villas and apartments are in this prestigious area and I the choice of residence for many government officials.
Shanghai’s famous tree lined boulevard, Heng Shan Rd is dotted with attractive bars and restaurants. The quieter section of Huai Hai Rd runs through the Foreign Consulate area and past Shanghai’s impressive library. It’s also where two of Shanghai’s famous Universities, Jiao Tong and Dong Hua are located.
XujiahuiXujiahui has a large, crowded intersection where five major streets meet. The Orient and Pacific department stores and Grand Gateway mall are located here.
Further south of the intersection is Shanghai’s Catholic Cathedral, the Shanghai Olympic Stadium and the beautiful old Longhua Temple.
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