Are you coming to Shanghai (or flying out) and want to take the Maglev to the city (or airport)? Here is all you need to know about Pudong’s ultimate superlative.

The Maglev is based on a system of magnetic levitation technology designed by the German company Trans-Rapid. It is the fastest way from the city to the airport as its highest speed can reach 431kph in just under 8 minutes. However, it is not the most convenient; because it only starts at Longyang Station all the way to PVG. From wherever you are, you have to take another form of transport system going to Longyang. Or if you are coming from the airport, you have to step off at Longyang and take something else  to wherever you are going.

The steps shown here start from Longyang. But it is just the same banana if you are coming from the airport–just reverse everything.

Before proceeding, have you checked this post already? Clear out your options first on how you want to go downtown from PVG before deciding on taking the Maglev.

From Longyang to PVG

Take Metro Line 2 (the green line) and get-off at Longyang Station. When you reach Longyang, look for the sign pointing to the Maglev station.

Sign pointing to Maglev station

You might want to say goodbye first to whoever is dropping you off at the station, because they would not be joining you as they need to exit the turnstiles and pay if they do. Hehe.

Goodbye...

Proceed to Exit 4

Just follow the arrows towards Exit 4 and you will see a McDonald’s to your right and a Chinese fast food to your left.

Go up the escalators…

Up, up the escalators

…and buy your ticket to a very fast ride.

You will immediately see the ticket booth when you reach the second floor. Do not worry about not speaking Chinese. English-language signs are all over the place.

The ticket booth

How much is the fare?

For single-trip, it is RMB 50; but if you show your plane ticket, it is only RMB 40. However, if the plane ticket you brought with you does not fly on that same day (like I did), heave a sigh of relief if you have your public transportation card with you; because that will also entitle you to a RMB 40 ticket (like I did).

What I did was, I raced back down to the ground floor again towards the service center to deposit money in my transportation card.

I think these people were thinking of the same thing.

Anyway, round-trip is RMB 80. Now why would you want a round-trip ticket if you are flying out of Shanghai anyway? Because a round-trip ticket is valid for 7 days. You can fly out then come back to Shanghai within the 7-day period.

There are VIP prices too, by the way. Single-trip is RMB 100, and round-trip is RMB 160. All round-trips are valid for 7 days. All discounts are 20% less if you present your plane ticket of the same day or use your public transportation card to pay.

Basically, if you have a VIP ticket, your cabin interiors are nicer; and that’s about it. So decide too if those 7 minutes of your life are worth double the price of a ticket.

In summary–

• Single-trip economy is RMB 50. VIP is RMB 100. Validity is 1 day only.
• Round-trip economy is RMB 80. VIP is RMB 160. Validity is 7 days.
• Souvenir-ticket (for single-trip and economy only) is RMB 55. This is valid for 2 years.

Why is there a special souvenir ticket?

Because they take the tickets when you exit the train. If you want to keep your ticket, buy the souvenir ticket. However, if you are a cheapskate (like me) and is just contented with taking a picture, then just buy the regular-priced ticket.

But if you will be using your public transportation card…

…you do not get a ticket. Just swipe your card like what you normally do. So I just took a picture of my friend’s single-trip economy ticket.

Single-trip economy

Frequent passengers

If you think you will be riding the Maglev quite often, you could buy the RMB 900 ticket good for 30 single trips valid for 1 year from date of purchase.

You can also buy your tickets at the vending machine.

Ticket vending machine

Time table

Take note of the following boarding times and speed increases of the Maglev:

Time table & maximum speeds

Before you board, you might want to check out the Maglev museum at the ground floor. The museum is composed of “Birth of Maglev”, “Maglev Shanghai Line”, “Maglev Technology”, “Maglev Superiorities”, and “Prospects for Maglev” halls.

This is free for Maglev passengers.

The trip is less than 8 minutes. But if you think you would go hungry during that time, well, the station has a small store in the second floor where you can buy last-minute snacks before checking-in–aside from the ones at the ground floor of course.

Small store

Boarding

Like the airport and the metro, there is also luggage-check before boarding the train.

Security x-ray

And there are group check-ins too.

Group check-ins

If you have been to the train or metro station before, the Maglev boarding area does not look any different.

Before riding the train

Once you get in the train, there are places for you to secure your luggage.

Luggage compartments

Lots of seats. Seat anywhere.

We started at this time…

Actually around 14.45. But, dude! Look at the speed after one minute!

Top speed!

…and stopped at this time.

And it was over just like that.

What was the experience like? Well, there were about 2 sharp curves. And it was really fast. Probably if the time was longer than 8 minutes, the ride would not feel as comfortable.

Is it worth a second try? If my time is really short, like I need to get to a business meeting or whatever, the Maglev will save me time definitely. PVG metro station to Longyang will take about 50 minutes already. However, maybe I should be taking an earlier flight instead so as not to stress myself with that time difference.

The Expo is a place of education. In the midst of entertainment, it gives children knowledge and enlightenment. The famous American blind author Helen Keller was deeply touched when she went to the Chicago World Expo in 1893. For her, the World Expos can give hope to the world. So do not let your children miss this opportunity.

Early Morning: Go to the kid’s favorite Puxi pavilion.

Vanke Pavilion

Puxi’s Theme Pavilions, Corporate Pavilions, and the Urban Best Practices Area are basically the essence of the Shanghai World Expo.  Especially that these are more attractive to the children. So why not spend 1 day in the Expo there?

Jiangnan Shipyard

Metro Line 8 stopping at South Xizang Road is the largest and busiest pathway to the Expo. Start from there and enter the old factory converted into the Jiangnan Shipyard which is owned by the China State Shipbuilding Corporation. Inside, you can see the history of China’s system of vessels as well as a model of Zheng He’s treasure ship. From the Jiangnan Shipyard, come out through Nanpu Bridge and read about the  Private Enterprises Joint Pavilion and the Vanke Pavilion. The Vanke Pavilion is made out of 7 golden straw houses with the main building material coming from natural wheat straw. Do not go in anymore. Instead, go straight to the Pavilion of Future.

Private Enterprises Joint Pavilion

The Pavilion of Future is really exceptional. It has an electronic book displayed that constantly flips and turns its pages telling of the philosophy and architecture of the Pavilion of Future. The “ant houses” inside reveal the different kinds and levels of urbanism. The animation appeals very much to a child’s attention and most importantly, imagination.

SAIC-GM Pavilion

After the Pavilion of Future, go directly to the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. General Motors (SAIC-GM) Pavilion whose theme is “Drive to 2030″. They have a film and a car show inside. The movie shows how the transportation system and lifestyle will look like 20 years after: bustling city center, intelligent transport network, even blind people can drive cars, and green charging stations at every corner of the streets.

Coca-Cola Pavilion

Proceed next to the 3,000-square meter Coca-Cola Pavilion. The classic red is guaranteed to spread the happy atmosphere among the kids. “Happiness” is needed especially with the laugh meter. If the meter can detect the “happiness voice” to a certain decibel, the Happiness Workshop’s door will automatically be opened. Coca-Cola actually has a surprise for its happy visitors. When this special bottle of Coke is opened, the liquid inside will solidify into tiny ice crystals.

National Grid Pavilion

Go to the National Grid Pavilion afterwards and get ready for an IMAX experience with LED screens on all four corners, ceiling, and floor.

Continue on to the China Aviation Pavilion. Ride on the intelligent (and trackless) tour vehicle, have a taste of how it is to fly, and know how to operate a plane through its realistic flight simulator.

China Aviation Pavilion

The Shanghai World Expo’s China Aviation Pavilion is the first of its kind in history where one could experience in just 3 minutes and 40 seconds (through its 4D system) aviation dreams/stories coming true, the feel of air technology, urban development, and the future of human life.

Global City Square

After coming this far, go back to the overhead walkway heading to the south area. You will see a square called the Global City Square with tents for shades. At the center of the square is a stage where one can watch performances. Below the chimney, one can see the Pavilion of Future which can be checked out in the afternoon. And since it is 12 noon already, better eat some lunch first. Anyway, the Pavilion of Future is near the overhead walkway and the biggest food court in the Puxi side. It is recommended to eat there.

Pavilion of Future

In the afternoon, proceed to the Urban Best Practice Area where the best from 80 international cities were chosen to participate. Roam the exhibition hall to Barcelona and experience the real Barcelona winds. Next, go to the southern city of Malmo in Sweden where stepping docks for tired tourists can be seen. The ones in Xian and Ningbo are not bad as well.

Urban Best Practices Area

Then quickly take your child to the “Dock Theater” and the “Recreation Bay” which are paradise for kids. The “Dock Theater” can be found in the Puxi area of the Expo and was reconstructed from a real dock. The “Dock Theater” has 4 programs that vary in content, though all have a “travel” theme–”Journey To The West” puppet show, shadow play on “The Three Kingdoms”, “Sesame Street” magic show, and the multimedia presentation starring none other than the World Expo 2010 mascot Haibao.

"Journey To The West" Puppet Show

“Recreation Bay” is an experiential theme park. There are 25 representative industries where children can have a preview of their workplace in the future. For example, they can become reporters; tour guides; work in a power company, water company, banks, police stations, fire stations, hospitals, etc.

World Expo Museum

At night, you could check out the World Expo Museum. And then go out from the Luban Road exit. There is a Metro Line 4 and also buses 17, 36, 146 which departs the Expo.

Afternoon: Explore the Theme Pavilions.

It is suggested that you enter through Gate 6. Once you have entered and passed by the Expo Axis, you will see the Celebration Square. From there, majestic performances take place. Then go next to the Expo Center where all the country pavilions hold their opening ceremony there.

Expo Axis

After visiting the Expo Center, direct yourselves to the Theme Pavilions. There are 2 to 3 pavilions to your east from Asia. And also there is Oman Pavilion, Pakistan Pavilion, Israel Pavilion, Sri Lanka Pavilion, India Pavilion, and Nepal Pavilion. Included in this list is the Saudi Arabia Pavilion which is the pavilion with the highest investment and the biggest IMAX theater in the world. Sneak a peak inside and then go to the Meteo World Pavilion which allows children to be weather presenters. The United Nations Pavilion is good to point out too. Take your dinner and then have a casual stroll to see the Japan and South Korea Pavilions. Go to the Performing Arts Center, see the parade, proceed to the Celebration Square to view the closing ceremony. And then go back to the hotel.

Night: A taste of the World Customs.

Celebration Square

Enter through Gate 7 this time. Then first go to the Swiss Pavilion’s cable car and ride up, up, and away to the Alps. Right beside it is the France Pavilion where one can appreciate the art treasures. Opposite the French is the Germany Pavilion which houses a lot of interactive play items.

Expo Center

In the afternoon, rest in the kite forest of the Mexico Pavilion then proceed to the Russia Pavilion to watch a world of fairy tales. The Belgium-European Pavilion has free chocolates and small cookies. There’s also the how-to-make-chocolates performance. You could stay to eat or go to the Italy Pavilion where you could taste pastas. Next visit the Poland Pavilion and drink their coffee. After which you could check out the Romania Pavilion for their movie and walk around the Holland Pavilion just because. The UK Pavilion? Well, you could just appreciate it from the outside anyway.

If your kid is 12 years old and above, you could give him or her a World Expo Passport; and let him go around on his own, while the adults hang around in the Ireland Pavilion drinking lattes and playing cards.

If you are bringing kids to the Expo, here are some practical tips.

Transportation: You must believe that using Shanghai’s public transport is really easy. Whether you are coming from the plane, the train, or private vehicle–there is always the Expo Line to rely on. The most convenient form of transportation to the Expo is the metro. The Expo Line 7 is just several doors down the subway, and there are free buses which shuttles to the general Expo entrance.

Accommodation: For convenience, deliberately set hotel around the Expo. Though it may not be necessary. However, you can not control traffic; so the suggestion is to select your hotel accommodation near the metro too.

Theme Pavilion

Schedule: The peak time in the morning is 10am. In the afternoon, it is 2pm. The best option is to eat when others are visiting the pavilions and to visit the pavilions when others are eating. When the people are in Pudong, you are in Puxi. When the people are in Puxi, you are in Pudong. Night view of the Shanghai World Expo Park is very beautiful. There are many wonderful performances by 5pm. So going there after dark is also a good idea.

Note: It is recommended to buy 3 tickets. Three days is enough. Lighters, matches, long umbrellas with metal tips, sharp objects, scooters, skateboards, and liquids are not allowed. Water bottles are allowed because there are drinking water fountains inside. Better to not bring a lot of bags and/or packages due to the strict security. It will be an inconvenience.

Also, it is not recommended to bring a baby or a very young child to the Expo during the day. Because of the hot weather and very little shade and because a baby can not regulate his or her body temperature well enough, he or she might get heat stroke. And the place is crowded. People will push against each other. So your baby will be at risk. If you stay in a queue for a long time, air pollution might get the best of your baby. Almost all of the country pavilions have no facilities for younger children. Lastly, multi-dimensional and interactive media might not be suitable for a baby to watch.

So there you have it–CNReviews’ World Expo Kids Guide! This is just a sampling of lots of exciting things to see and do in the Shanghai World Expo 2010. Watch out for more of these guides here in CNR.

There are 5 ways to beat the traffic and get to the Shanghai World Expo 2010 happy and sane.

1. If  You Drive

No parking lots for private cars are set up in the Site and its immediate vicinity. Only vehicles with Expo passes will be allowed in. To ease traffic around the Site, 31 new one-way routes can be used. Five major P+R (park and ride) lots at Shanghai International Circuit, Hongqiao Transport Hub, and Songjiang District can accomodate 10,000 cars.

2. If You Go By Taxi

Some 4,000 high-end World Expo taxis can take visitors in and out of the Expo Site, mainly through phone and online reservations. The taxis offer services to people inside the Site where private cars are offlimits. The Site is open to other taxis after 9pm.

• To reduce the traffic pressure, there is a traffic-controlled area around the Expo site, which has Luban Road, South Zhongshan Road No. 1, Guohuo Road as border in Puxi section; Yaohua Road, South Pudong Road, Nanmatou Road as border in Pudong section, covering 7 kilometers.
• Only transportation vehicles with Expo permit, Expo-designated taxis, and public buses are allowed to enter the controlled area.
• The parking lots in the controlled area are for reserved Tourist Group buses and Expo special bus lines.
• Normal taxis are allowed to enter the traffic controlled area during 21:00 to 07:00 the next day only.
• There are 4,000 Expo-designated taxis, which can enter the controlled area during the 24 hours.The taxis are in green, with paintings of China pavilion, Oriental Pearl, and Nanpu Bridge. The tires are yellow. The taxi calling number is on both sides: 96822. Press 1 for reservation, press 3 for consulting and complaining. They have English-speaking staff.
• Taxi fares: Daytime: The flag-down fare is at RMB12 for every 3 km; for the drive above 3km, RMB2.4 per kilometre; for the drive above 10km, price is RMB3.6 per kilometer. Night time (23:00-5:00): The flag-down fare is at RMB16 for every 3 km;   for the drive above 3km, RMB3.1 per kilometre; for the drive above 10km, price is RMB4.7 per kilometer. For waiting or speed lower than 12km/hour, the extra charge is: every 5 minutes equals 1km drive.

3. If You Go By Ferry

Four boarding areas, or “water gates,” on the Huangpu River enable visitors to take water vessels to the Expo. Three docks (Pudong’s Qichangzhan area, Puxi’s Shiliupu area, and Qinhuangdao Road) handle group tours. The fourth, on Pudong’s Dongchang Road, handle individual travelers.

They can serve at most 18,000 visitors per day.

The address of the four “water gates” are as follows:1 Qinhuangdao Rd
1 Qiancang Rd
1 Dongchang Rd
(serve individual travelers)

Ferry to and from Expo (click image to enlarge)

4. If You Go By Bus

Transport hubs, including the city’s two airports, two railway stations, and the international circuit, have dispatched 16 direct bus lines to the Site, to carry 15 percent of the visitor volume.Another 10 percent of visitors are expected to take 20 regular bus routes, which will provide extra services for the Expo.Authorities have also set up six shuttle bus routes, 105 runs a day, taking people in suburban areas to outlying stations of three subways: Lines 7, 8 and 9.

In neighboring cities in the Yangtze River Delta, direct bus routes set off from 19 tourism bus centers. An estimated 3,800 tourism groups will arrive per day.

Bus Lines (click images to enlarge)

• 16 direct special Expo bus lines are operated in external transport hubs and main public transport hubs, all of which directly arrive at the exlusive parking lot surrounding the entrances/exits of the Expo Pudong section.
• Except No.13 bus which sets a stop nearby Expo Avenue station, all the other bus lines head to the Expo site without stop.
• All the destination stops are within 100 meters to the Expo Entrance/Exit Gates.

• The 20 Expo bus lines (17 to 36) are based on the regular public bus lines, but adjusted to only 1-3 stops. Most of the lines have the destination stops within 100-200 meters to the Expo entrance/exit gate.

5. If You Go By Metro

Five Metro lines arrive near the Expo Site, with Line 13 taking passengers to three stations within the site: two on the Puxi side and one in Pudong. Line 13, which has three stations, runs at six-minute intervals and about three-minute intervals during peak periods.Expo ticket holders can take the trains free after security checks at the Madang Road Station, where it connects with Line 9 in Puxi. The six-carriage trains can carry 40,000 passengers per hour.Lines 4, 6, 7, 8, and 9 are expected to carry 100,000 riders per hour to nine stations near the Site during peak times. The lines run until midnight. Free shuttle buses take people between the stations and Site.

Shanghai Metro Map With Expo Entrances Overlap (click images to enlarge)

• Stations with * are transfer stations.
• There may be more free shuttle buses from stations to entrance gates later.
• There is no set fares for the metro lines. It varies according to the lines and distance, from RMB3 to RMB9 for a one-way metro trip.
• Since 24 April 2010, you can buy the one-day pass for the metro ride, which enables you to travel by metro in 24 hours unlimitedly.
• Please try to avoid the rush hours for Expo: 9:00-10:00, 17:00-19:00.
• Most metro lines operate from around 5:30 till 22:30. Please check the timetable when you are at the metro station.   The metro lines 4, 6, 7, 8, and 9 will lead directly to the 2010 Expo Garden.
• Metro Line 13 (World Expo Special Line) is for Shanghai Expo only. There are 3 stations: Madang Road, Lupu Bridge, Expo Avenue. Madang Road Station is outside Expo Garden and is a transfer station with Line 9; Lupu Bridge station is in Puxi Section and Expo.

Special lanes only for bus with Expo pass

• For buses bigger than 17-22 seaters, and/or groups of 15 pax or more, travel agencies will reserve the parking lot and entrance gates in advance; the groups should enter the site and go through the security check together, through Group Gates.

• For cars and mini-buses, individual booking of 1-14 pax, they are not allowed to enter the traffic-controlled area. If a private transfer is requested, passenger can be dropped off at Madang Road Metro station, Gate 9. You can take the Line 13 (special expo line) to enter the site. You go though the security check here, and it is free of charge with your Expo ticket.

Travel Inside The Park

Expo Site Transportation Map (click image to enlarge)

• On most occasions, visitors can get to pavilions on foot in the Expo Site.
• Since the Expo Site is divided by the Huangpu River and there is quite a distance between the zones, there is a public transport system inside the Expo which includes the metro line, bus, and cross-river ferry.

Free Bus

Visitors are able to find a shuttle bus station every 250 meters within the Expo Site, and buses roll by every minute. A total of 120 buses roll by every three minutes to take about 220,000 visitors between the Pudong and Puxi Expo sections.Another 42 shuttle buses stop along Expo Avenue on the Pudong side.On the Puxi side, there are also buses running along Longhua Road E.

Paid Bus

Besides free shuttle buses, visitors are also able to tour the grounds for a fee on eight-seat, golf cart-like vehicles. They run on the elevated pedestrian roads and have capacity to take about 10,000 visitors every day.

Ferry

Twenty-two ferry boats and 13 tour ships take visitors across the river. The boats run about 600 times per day to take 240,000 visitors.

Metro

Metro Line 13, which has three stations in the Site, runs at six-minute intervals and about three-minute intervals during peak periods.

How To Avoid Rush Hour

The following tips are given by the traffic authorities:

1. Delay your visits to the Expo site until after 10am to avoid rushhour traffic.
2. Enter the site from the five entrances in Pudong rather than the three in Puxi. This is because about 75 percent of the ticket machines are located on the Pudong side.
3. Organizers will inform the visitors which entrances have fewest people by sending short messages and displaying the information on large screens at the entrances to the site.
4. All group visitors will enter the site from Pudong.

Downloadable Expo Maps

Click on the images below to download PDF copies of the following maps:

Get a copy of the Expo Site Plan here.

SOURCES:

EXPO Shanghai Newsletter, Official EXPO map, Shanghai Metro map, and a bunch of miscellaneous facts and finds compiled.

Although there are many ways to get to the Expo site, Feng Feng, Steve, and I got on Line 9 through Madang Road.

Upon arriving at Line 9, an Expo information booth can immediately be seen from Exit 1.

Signs are all over the place pointing out where we need to proceed going to Line 13 which is the special Expo subway line.

But what we saw when we turned left surprised us.

It was not your typical metro entrance. Throngs of people in snaking lines welcomed us in the compound going to Line 13.

Remember the free tickets per local household I mentioned before? Surprise, surprise, they were made available that day too! Good thing we got out of the lines alive after half an hour WHICH was an improvement as compared to the estimated 2 hours that the volunteers suggested.

At the end of the long, snakish line, another barrier awaited us. It was time for SECURITY.

Until now, I really can’t explain what happened. I was anticipating rain, and because I don’t want it to dampen my happiness, I brought along my few-days-old umbrella. And then…it got confiscated!

Let’s start from the beginning. There are x-ray machines (like those newly installed ones in the metro) waiting for you inside the tent. I was confident of the fact that I read the do’s and don’ts for visitors entering the Expo site never expecting that Murphy’s Law will befall on me.

So we had to put all our little things inside those plastic baskets. My umbrella also was not forgiven.

And then, they just said…”Sorry but you can’t take this inside the Expo site.” HHHHUUUWHAT??? I had to console myself that my umbrella was uber cheap. Actually, only RMB 10. So, ok. Charge it to additional knowledge gained.

IMPORTANT LESSON LEARNED: If you plan to bring an umbrella to the Expo, make sure it is foldable and inside your bag. Otherwise, it is a threat to society and will be confiscated in the end.

After that ordeal (it really was a traumatizing experience), we inserted our Expo tickets in the ticket slots just after the x-ray machines.

…and went down a set of stairs leading to Line 13.

ANOTHER IMPORTANT LESSON LEARNED: Going to the Expo is an exciting thing. However, don’t forget your belongings in the plastic basket. Anyway, just a reminder.

Line 13 is FREE for holders of the Expo ticket. It connects Lupu Bridge and Expo Avenue. It’s so pink, I love it!

We got off at Lupu Bridge Exit 1 and a long set of stairs appeared in front of us. Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the World Expo.

We arrived there a little late in the morning, so apparently, all the maps ran out. Even the volunteers in their really, cool uniforms weren’t able to help us with this one. Sad.

I love the jacket. It has a hood at the back, so you don't need to lug along an ahem...umbrella. And look! They have matching Expo sling bags too! I want.

And because it really was just 11 days to go before the Expo (10 days now), lots of the pavilions weren’t completely operational yet. So we would line up to enter one, only to find out that it’s not yet open.

English is included in the instructional signs. If you don’t understand a teeny bit of Mandarin, you still won’t get lost. In due fairness to China, it wasn’t in Chinglish.

Something funny happened while we were lining up to enter the Cisco pavilion (yes, there are company pavilions in the Expo too). A visitor fainted inside the pavilion (I wonder why? Of the heat? Or because of the long lines?), and so we were shooed away by the people manning the place. And then, an ambulance arrived.

The Expo site has all the facilities you could think of. They have first aid, an ample number of toilets…

…and cute water drinking fountains all over the place!

See, I told you it’s cute. Even Little Sister can take a refreshing sip!

I think there’s WiFi too (not sure about it). Because I saw a man bringing along his laptop checking out a map like his life depended on it. Or it might just be an offline map, and he just wanted to use his laptop instead of printing out a piece of paper which is lighter and more convenient. Or maybe he’s an environmentalist.

Which reminds me of this ad I saw in the girl’s bathroom.

And then I had a realization.

Now that we’re talking about bathrooms, I forgot to mention that the toilets are Chinese toilets meaning they’re on the ground. If you want Western toilets, you’re better off using the ones for the disabled and with special needs.

Up next: More of the things to look forward to and be aware of when you go to the Expo on May 1.

Spread the word:

]]> http://cnreviews.com/life/travel-tourism/shanghai-world-expo-preview_20100421.html/feed 7 http://cnreviews.com/life/living-in-china/how-to-go-expo-site-subway_20100412.html http://cnreviews.com/life/living-in-china/how-to-go-expo-site-subway_20100412.html#comments Mon, 12 Apr 2010 14:08:42 +0000 Baoru http://cnreviews.com/?p=4994 If you like exploring the fancy shopping and dining spots in Shanghai, you’re going to love Line 10! It’s going to pass by Yuyuan Garden, Xintiandi, and East Nanjing Road. So, in the words of a friend, “Help yourself in the ridiculously expensive shops.” Haha.

Anyway, when I heard my classmate gushing about the trial operation of Line 10, I thought–what about the World Expo? How do I get there using the subway?! [See, that's how my mind connects stuff.]

Now Line 13 will be the special World Expo subway line. The stops are (from north to south) Danshui Road Station, Madang Road Station, Lupu Bridge Station, World Expo Park Station, and Changqing Road Station. It links Line 10, 9, and 7 at Danshui Road, Madang Road, and Changqing Road. While Lupu Bridge Station only allows passengers to get off after passing the park area.

The best part is–IT IS FREE OF CHARGE FOR PEOPLE WITH THE EXPO ADMISSION TICKETS!!! [If you still don't have a ticket, well, go get one!]

However, I heard that Line 13 will close after the Expo is done with and will officially open when the line is completed by 2011.

THE ULTIMATE QUESTION IS: Other than Line 13, how do you go to the Expo site using the Shanghai Metro?!

I collated the following information in hopes of making life easier for you guys:

Line 2–Jing’an Temple Station–Line 7–Yun Tai Road Station (Pudong Gaoke Xi Road Entrance)

Line 2–Jing’an Temple Station–Line 7–Yao Hua Road Station (Pudong Shang Nan Road Entrance)

Line 2–Jing’an Temple Station–Line 7–Chang Qing Road Station (Pudong Chang Qing Bei Road Entrance)

Line 2–Jing’an Temple Station–Line 7–Hou Tan Road Station (Pudong Hou Tan Entrance)

Line 2–Zhong Shan Park Station–Line 4–Lu Ban Road Station (Puxi Lu Ban Road Entrance)

Line 2–Zhong Shan Park Station–Line 4–Xi Zang Nan Road Station (Puxi Xi Zang Nan Road Entrance)

Line 1–Shanghai Stadium Station–Line 4–Lu Ban Road Station (Puxi Lu Ban Road Entrance)

Line 1–Shanghai Stadium Station–Line 4–Xi Zang Nan Road Station (Puxi Xi Zang Nan Road Entrance)

Line 1–People’s Square Station–Line 8–Xi Zang Nan Road (Puxi Xi Zang Nan Road Entrance)

Line 1–People’s Square Staion–Line 8–Yao Hua Road Station (Pudong Shang Nan Road Entrance)

Line 1–Chang Shu Road Station–Line 7–Yun Tai Road Station (Pudong Gaoke Xi Road Entrance)

Line 1–Chang Shu Road Station–Line 7–Yao Hua Road Station (Pudong Shang Nan Road Entrance)

Line 1–Chang Shu Road Station–Line 7–Chang Qing Road Station (Pudong Chang Qing Bei Road Entrance)

Line 1–Chang Shu Road Station–Line 7–Hou Tan Road Station (Pudong Hou Tan Entrance)

Do you think you’ll still get lost? Post your questions here!

First off, I’ve heard a lot about the infamous pollution in Beijing. And because of last month’s sandstorm in the northern capital, I was really itching to see for myself the yellow skies of Beijing. Of course that’s another exagerration. The yellow skies, I mean. Because the dusts have cleared away already. And nothing but sunny Beijing welcomed us when we stepped out of the Beijing Railway Station.

This would have been us if the skies have not cleared up soon.

Oh, but the skies do look a bit yellow in this picture. Or probably because I'm just using a cheap camera.

According to our tour guide, because she is a tour guide after all and tour guides are supposed to share information like these, there are 3 things a laowai (or any other foreign person visiting Beijing for the first time so that includes any non-native Beijinger 中国人 as well) should do while in Beijing.

1. Eat Peking duck.

2. Climb the Great Wall of China.

3. Watch Beijing acrobatics and/or opera.

So tourist-y, don’t you think so? However, when further prodded, our tour guide finally broke down and admitted that there’s only one thing you should do in order to experience Beijing. That is to visit the 胡同 (hutong) or alleys in the area. This is an integral part of local life. Because, as so they say (or just me in fact), this is where a Beijinger’s life begins.

I was able to take pictures of old Beijing while walking to our restaurant. But I also see these images in Shanghai all the time.

This is Beijing after all.

I wanted to visit genuine hutongs. Maybe I’ll do that when I go back on my own.

The whole time I was in the city, I was straining my ears trying to hear glimpses of the cute Beijinghua accent which I am trying to replicate in my little universe. Sad to say, many of the people in Beijing (even our tour guide for crying out loud!!!) is not really from Beijing. How did I know? Well, my journalistic instincts got the best of me.

But I still got our tour guide to teach me a few of the terms only Beijingers use. Hehe. So points for her. Thank you, 小胡!

I can’t really say how it is to be a true blue Beijinger by just staying in Beijing for a few days. Except maybe you know, fake a Beijinghua accent. Just splash some 儿’s here and there. And an untrained ear will never know. Hehe. Try that and let me know what happens!

Another thing I like about Beijing is how extremely cheap their public transport is. Just 1RMB for one bus ride–no matter what the distance is! Just how extremely cheap can you get?!

And the metro is ONLY 2RMB!!! Are you dying of cheapness already??? Shanghai’s metro fares are so darn expensive that my fresh top up disappeared in just a few days.

I could live in Beijng, you know. The lifestyle is pretty much laidback. It’s so suburbia that all the time I was thinking, “This is China’s capital?!”

The Peking duck is good too, by the way. Though the fanfare behind it is more for the laowai as roast duck is actually a common thing (at least where I come from). Still, I’m always for oily, succulent duck dishes.

Why do you think the chef needs to come out of his place in the kitchen?

Up next: Climbing the Great Wall.

7.30pm Assembly time on paper for Fudan students going to Beijing.

7.48pm Real assembly time for Fudan students going to Beijing.

8.30pm Arrived at the Shanghai Railway Station.

8.57pm Blur, blur, blur.

Upon arriving at the Shanghai Railway Station, everyone needs to pass through the x-ray machines before proceeding. Then long stretch of elevators will greet you after your bags have been checked. So we go up.

Lots of people are travelling at this time of hour. And so we had to scavenge for seats. If you want to be comfortable during this waiting period, you have to keep your eyes sharp and be on the look out for empty chairs that disappear as quickly as they appear.

While I chose to sleep, reading materials are being sold at the entrance; so you could scan some of the day’s news while waiting for your boarding time.

They are being sold. They are not free even if they look like they are being freely distributed.

9.30pm Boarding time! Our train leaves 9.58pm.

The train is not bad, to say the least. The T104 is a hard sleeper train. And according to the figure written on its side, its maximum speed is 140kph.

Each car is divided into 11 bays with each bay compartmentalized into 6 bunks. Of course I wanted a soft sleeper train to begin with; but despite the name, the hard sleeper isn’t really that hard. The berths are padded. Come to think of it, it’s just like our bed in the dorm! Surprise, surprise. I almost forgot to mention that clean bed sheets, blankets, and pillows are provided too.

There’s a not-so broad aisle on one side, and everything is quite open. So if you’re next door neighbor is snoring, you can very well hear him!

The beds are stacked into 3 tiers with the most bottom layer as the best (and more expensive) choice. Come to think of it, “best” is a relative term. Since privacy is not really an option, the top bunk is the “safest” for your belongings. But then, you are squished against the ceiling. There’s only something like a-foot-and-a-half height space (or make that 2 feet) for you until your nose hits the ceiling. If you’re a big guy or a toss-and-turn kind of person, it’s advisable to get the bottom bunk most definitely.

I was able to try the 2nd bunk in a sleeper train before, and I didn’t had the most pleasant sleep. So I was secretly hoping and praying that I get the bottom bunk ticket. And I got it! Wee!!!

Bottom bunks are priced at 327RMB. Middle bunks are 317RMB. While the top bunk tickets are priced at 306RMB.  How would you know your bunk placement, besides looking at the price? Look at the upper right of the ticket for these characters: 上 (top), 中 (middle), and 下 (bottom).

There’s a mini table between the beds. Below the mini table, guests are provided with hot water in thermos bottles throughout the trip. When I say mini table, I mean mini table. Knees are able to touch each other. If you are travelling alone, you might as well chat up your bunk buddies, so you won’t feel harassed by some random stranger.

Because we are inside an enclosed space, obviously, smoking is not allowed. But there were still some naughty people who clearly did not understood what no smoking means. The awful thing was, the train staff seemed powerless to stop those naughty lawbreakers. There were 2 instances I felt my life flashed before my eyes. One was when our train would slow down to give way to the coming faster train. Second was when I saw those smoke swirls moving towards me. [Ok, I'm being overdramatic here.]

Just tell me if this sign isn’t that obvious.

By the way, you could put your luggage in the overhead compartments. You just have to do some major acrobatics to put them there.

I’m iffy with the idea of my stuff out in the open, so I placed mine below my bed. And made sure it stays there!

11pm Mandatory lights out. And they just left us all in darkness until the next morning.

There are facilities in the train to make your stay as comfortable as possible. There’s a restaurant car in the end. A food cart man. An initially clean WC. And my favorite–the hot water tank!

For the restaurant car, only 3 kinds of meals are sold. You could have a 10RMB noodle soup with fried egg for breakfast. Or you could have the 16RMB buffet breakfast. For dinner, there’s the 30RMB beef noodle soup which includes 4 plates of appetizers and a glass of soy milk. If you want something different, you can consult the menu. Picture-taking is not allowed inside the restaurant car. The kitchen, too, I believe; because the cook slammed the door infront of my face when he saw my camera.

But because I’m being el cheapo here, I brought bread for my breakfast. Another thing is, if you are travelling alone, you wouldn’t want to go elsewhere lugging around your stuff. So better bring along your own food.

The Shanghai-Beijing timetable is as follows:

Beijing to Shanghai is 1,463 km (914 miles).  All trains shown here are daily. VERY IMPORTANT!!! D31 and D32 arrive and depart at the Beijing South station, not main station.

So what’s my conclusion after arrving in Beijing? If you want to save on money, hard sleeper T trains are actually good enough. You won’t die riding them. Also, it is best to reserve tickets 5 to 10 days before departure. The English-speaking window is located at Window 10.

Do you have questions? Shoot away!

Up next: What to do in Beijing if you just have a few days?

For the weekend, I took the train to Suzhou from Shanghai with a group of friends. Besides that people are saying that the best time to visit Suzhou is during the spring season, Suzhou is relatively near Shanghai (only 100km away).  That is why we decided on the place as our out-of-town day trip.

First off–we bought our tickets in advance for fear that as first-time travellers to Suzhou, we might not be able to stick to the itinerary due to time constraints. There are actually a lot of trains going back and forth Shanghai and Suzhou; but since we were going on a weekend, it was advised that the tickets (both going and returning) be bought in advance. Another reason is that we wanted to get on the D train (which is new, modern, fast and well, just the most comfortable). Short-distance train tickets are available 10 days in advance.

I have not tried the Maglev, but they say that the D train looks similar to it. Our ticket from Shanghai to Suzhou costed 31RMB, while the return ticket costed 26RMB.

For the train time tables and price (and if you can read Chinese), HuoChePiao.com is a very good website to check out. It lists all the trains going to the place together with the departure and arrival time.

For English-language websites, TripAdvisor.com and ShanghaiHighlights.com are useful.

VERY IMPORTANT: Take note that the trains leave on the main Shanghai station. NOT on the South train station.

We got on the earliest D train going to Suzhou. The train departs 6.06am using the D402. The trip is short only–around 41 minutes. Too short in fact if you really want to enjoy the ride, in my opinion.

I have been on a sleeper train in Xiamen before. It was really old, run-down, and just downright ugly. So the D train is a nice, welcome surprise.

The seats are plush and the aisles are wonderfully spacious.

Overhead compartments are available if you simply must bring along luggage and other stuff.

According to my friend, she remembers the 2004 Hollywood movie “Before Sunset” starring Ethan Hawke during the entire trip. The experience was that poetic. The 31RMB was actually worth it!

My friend (this is a candid shot!)

In any establishment, I always make it a point to check out the washroom facilities. The D5402 was ok–not the best–but it was also not the most disappointing. Though there was that weird smell, it was clean and usable.

You can also refill your water bottles inside the train! I especially liked this as I am a heavy water drinker.

Just like planes, there are magazines for reading. But if you do not read Chinese (O_O), the pictures are nice anyway!

Overall, the train ride to Suzhou was fun; and for the experience, I would do it all over again!

I thought Beijing would look like this...

So the hard sleeper train ride on my way here was just fine…

Beijing’s Accent, Pollution, and Subway Welcomes Me

At a farmer-friendly 7:00am, the announcer declared day and soon the flat-screen television in our cabin turned on and video entertainment programming began, none of which I paid any attention to as I hoped to catch a few more winks before arriving in Beijing. It wasn’t until later that I realized there were two switches in each cabin that could turn the lights and speaker (which, again, was right by my head in the top bunk) off and on.

Argh.

We pulled into Beijing…without me really knowing it was Beijing. Other than the time telling me we should be arriving, I couldn’t see shit out the window. Visibility was awful, as fog obscured the Beijing cityscape leading up to the Beijing Railway Station. Coming from Shanghai, I had the expectation that Beijing, like other Chinese mega-metropolises, would greet me with plenty of high-rises. Where were they? Or was the fog simply hiding them all away from me? Frankly, I thought I was still in the countryside.

...but it looked more like this, except with 2x more smog and 2x less visibility. What's that? That's Tiananmen Square in the distance? You sure its not a field of crops or something?

So this is Beijing, eh?

The temperature for Beijing during my brief stay was forecasted to range from an ass-freezing 6 degrees down to a nut-shriveling -3 degrees Celsius. Oh sure, this is nothing compared to many places in the world, usually places where vodka or baijiu is the normal source of hydration, but I’m someone who thinks Southern California winters are damn cold. Being on the top bunk, I reasoned I had to let everyone get off the train first before I could hop down and reattach my winter body-armor. A conductor, in his quaint Beijing accent was already telling people to get ready to disembark before the train had even stopped, so imagine his bemused impatience when he came around finding me alone in the train car hurriedly bundling myself up: “哥们儿，你怎么儿还没儿下儿车儿啊儿儿儿？” (Bro, how come you haven’t gotten off yet?). There were probably a lot more retroflex “Rs” than that, but wow, a real Beijing accent!

How cute!

As veritably the last passenger to get off the train, I made my way through the Beijing Railway Station and out to the Line 2 Metro Subway, which I opted to take instead of a taxi to meet up with Elliott. First thing I noticed as I walked out of the station was that, sure enough, Beijing has much fewer tall building density than Shanghai. Whereas towering structures with small footprints squeeze themselves into downtown Shanghai to block out the sky, Beijing greeted me with large tracts of low-rises and hutongs. Of course, to be an ass about it, one of the first things I would utter would be: “Hm, quaint place. Needs more skyscrapers and Shanghainese though.”

Not me, do you see any winter body armor on this guy?

But speaking of quaint, Beijing’s subway is flat-rate. That means going anywhere on the subway, no matter how close or how far, will only cost 2 RMB. While this is much more than what it used to be even just recently, compared to the 3-7 RMB fares in Shanghai, this is a freaking bargain.

I love Beijing!

Continuing comparing everything to Shanghai (hoping to annoy some Beijingers or so), the subway reminds me of a mix between the Shanghai Metro and the Hong Kong MTR. I suppose this isn’t unexpected, given that this is all “China”, but I do think Beijing’s subway hardware might be a bit better than Shanghai’s at this point. At first glance, the older Line 2 stations in Beijing are a bit more run-down compared to the World Expo renovated stations in Shanghai and the unpainted brushed aluminum subway cars simply look older (like Hong Kong or New York) than the glossy-white subway cars of Shanghai. But, Beijing has cheaper flat-rate fares, upholstered subway seating, native English speaking announcers (for the American English announcements), and horribly nifty advertising in the subway tunnels that (I’m trying to figure out how to explain this) “follow” the train as it moves. They’re essentially flashing LEDs that are coordinated with the train. It’s probably a clear sign that our daily lives are indeed being bombarded and intruded upon by advertising but it was hella nifty nonetheless…and not seen in Shanghai, which is obviously and indisputably the benchmark of mainland China cities, right?

Right, so Beijing, so far, doesn’t have as many tall buildings as Shanghai, has a better subway, and I can’t see shit because of the fog. That fog, of course, isn’t just low-hanging water vapor, but a nice low-hanging mixture of polluted water-vapor and carcinogenic particulates. You can tell, because it doesn’t smell like normal fog, and it’s worrisome when you can even “taste” it. That said, I was already familiar with Beijing’s reputation for air pollution, so it wasn’t too shocking. A day of this wouldn’t kill me. It was just a stark contrast to the stunningly beautiful blue-skies days we recently had in Shanghai.

And then Elliott said I “need” to get a cab because where we’d be staying is “a bit ghetto”…

Next: Nanluoguxiang, Sanlitun Village, Johnny Cash Hot Pot, and Spicy Scotch

Honestly, I can't figure out from where or what angle this photo was taken, but it looks great.

So I decided to take the overnight train to Beijing…

Shanghai Railway Station, the New Trains, and their Amenities

Shanghai Railway Station has gotten a lot nicer than I remember it, with some semblance of attempted order now compared to the chaos of before. There’s a dedicated taxi queue and entrance to the station grounds now, and the station itself is undergoing major renovations. It still won’t be as nice as the newer Shanghai South Railway Station (or, I imagine, the many newer train hubs developing throughout Shanghai), but it will be nice.

Sample image of a hard sleeper cabin, minus the curtains, sheets, pillows, blankets, and a privacy wall.

T110 was, also, nice. I opted for the overnight T train instead of the overnight D train because it was much cheaper and I didn’t really care to get into Beijing by 7-8am in the morning. Might as well take my time and sleep longer on the train, right? As hard as the “hard sleeper” ticket sounds, it’s actually not that bad. There are six beds (or berths) per “cabin” in a row of “cabins” per train car. In each “cabin”, there are three bunk beds/berths on each side with a small fold-out table in the middle. Directly outside and in front of the cabin are two additional fold-out chairs with a small table, for those moments when you can’t suffer staying in your bunk and want to sip some tea watching the countryside pan by through the windows.

The lower bunk is the most convenient for several reasons. One, you don’t need to climb up. Two, you pretty much own the fold-out table in the cabin. Three, you can sit up comfortably in your bed without hitting the ceiling or the bunk above you. The flipside is that people have to pass by you to climb up to their beds and for that, there’s a measure of lost privacy and inconvenience.

The top bunk is close enough to the ceiling that you definitely cannot sit up. This doesn’t matter when you’re sleeping, but does mean you’ll end up climbing down to walk around and stretch. Climbing is okay, as there are plenty of sturdy handles and fold-out foot pegs. One of the benefits of the top bunk, at least on the “T” train, is that there’s a recess/shelf for your luggage up there, where it remains mostly out of sight and thus safer from would-be thieves, a common concern with train travel in China. The top bunk also arguably has the most privacy so if you wanted to get your mack on with a new train buddy (or one you brought on the train with you) it’s possible, provided you’re shameless enough to not care what your berth-mates might think.

Ho ho ho.

A “hard sleeper” bed isn’t that hard, as it is padded with a thin mattress, covered with a sheet, and accompanied with a good blanket and pillow. “Soft sleepers” are, obviously, “softer” with a thicker mattress and, depending on the train, less berth-mates (usually only 4 per cabin). Personally, I think a hard-sleeper is good enough for overnight trains. A cheaper hard seat or soft seat ticket just isn’t worth the pain and suffering of sleeping upright.

As my overnight T110 train departed Shanghai, the announcer explained that the train would provide musical entertainment until about 11pm when “night” would be officially declared and the lights would go out throughout the train, like throwing a sheet of cloth over a birdcage. Such announcements were made in Chinese, then repeated in an annoyingly Chinese-accented British English. Not accustomed to sleeping so early, being the strapping young night-owl lad that I am, it took me a long time to fall asleep, trying as I might with Joe Hisaishi’s “Summer” playing on repeat in my iPod. I get really hot (and sweaty, oh baby) when I fall asleep, so I ended up stripping out of all my clothes and Beijing-winter ready long-underwear (yeah baby), trying to doze off comfortably in only my boxers and undershirt.

Oh yeah.

Tomorrow: Beijing’s Accent, Pollution, and Subway Welcomes Me