About
About ShanghaiGuide
ShanghaiGuide is an independent travel guide built by people who know Shanghai intimately. Jamie Chen has lived in Shanghai for over a decade, first as a journalist covering China's urban transformation, then as a food and travel writer for publications across Asia. Every recommendation on this site comes from firsthand experience — meals eaten, neighborhoods walked, rooftop bars tested at sunset.
Meet the writer
Jamie Chen moved to Shanghai in 2014 intending to stay for one year. More than a decade later, she is still here — still discovering new noodle shops in the French Concession, still finding hidden rooftop bars in Jing'an, still getting lost in the Old City's alleyways. Before ShanghaiGuide, Jamie wrote for Time Out Shanghai, Lonely Planet, and various food and travel magazines. She has eaten at every restaurant recommended on this site (often multiple times), visited every attraction during both peak and off-peak hours, and personally tested every itinerary to make sure the timing works and the transport connections make sense.
Why we built this
Most Shanghai travel content online is either written by people who spent 48 hours here and regurgitated the same 10 tourist spots, or it is produced by large travel media companies whose business model is affiliate commissions, not honest recommendations.
We wanted something different: a guide that reflects the Shanghai we actually live in and love. The one where the best soup dumpling joint is an unmarked door on a side street, where the most beautiful walk is through a neighborhood with no English signage, and where the most memorable night might start in a hidden speakeasy and end with street-side jianbing at 3 AM.
Our approach
Firsthand only
We do not write about places we have not been to. Every restaurant, bar, attraction, and hotel in this guide has been personally visited and verified.
No sponsored content
We do not accept payment for listings or reviews. Our recommendations are based on quality alone. If something changes and a place goes downhill, we update or remove it.
Regularly updated
Shanghai changes fast. Restaurants close, new bars open, Metro lines extend. We revisit and update our content continuously to keep it accurate.
Contact
Have a tip, correction, or just want to say hello? We would love to hear from you. Reach us at [email protected].