Scaling Shanghai

Everyone who comes to Shanghai’s Pudong area goes up a tall building of sorts to look down on this massive city – hopefully on a relatively smog less day. We decided to go one better and hang off the side of a building 340m above ground. Basically we enjoy dangling off a terrifyingly high ledge with nothing but a safety rope to stop us from plunging to our deaths! We were strapped into harnesses and given a basic safety check i.e. tug on your straps, it is China after all! We were then led out onto a glass ledge less than a metre wide to circumvent the highest fenceless, transparent walkway outside a high-rise building in the world.

The first 60 seconds the view could quite frankly go to buggery! It was enough to look where your feet were going, preferably not too close to the edge! With heart rates settling, our guide thought it would be a great idea to step off the building or even sit on the edge. The skywalk offers amazing views of Shanghai’s economic hub and beyond, even on a smoggy day.

Having survived our experience, it was back underground for the Shanghai A.P. Xinyang Fashion & Gifts Market – Pudong’s biggest “fake market”. The kids were in seventh heaven spotting all their must haves, and Robin was scuttling for cover, afraid I was going to be pummelled, as I started bargaining at 10% of the original asking price.

There are many places to go shopping in Shanghai, mostly in shopping malls. Leaving Robin resting, I took the kids shopping to all the shops they rarely visit. Imagine 5 floors of Forever 21 and a building filled with sporting brands – you get the idea!

Don’t believe the hype about Visa and MasterCard now being widely accepted, cash is still very much the currency of choice. Even places who advertise that they accept them only do so on the days they feel like it. We have luckily found that the Bank of China and China Construction Bank readily take cards using Cirrus or Maestro, most others don’t. Shanghai is a little easier in this respect than other places in China.Read more