Ni Hao China!

“This is the first time that you have been to Shanghai?!” Yep, that’s right… Clients and candidates were genuinely shocked that I had not stepped foot in the mainland since opening up shop in 2016 in Hong Kong. To be honest, so was I. 

MCG& has been proud to have serviced our partner clients in Shanghai and Beijing through our key strategic hubs in Hong Kong and Singapore. It’s been a successful model that has allowed us to have 25% of our revenue generated from the mainland in 2017/2018. We have however realised that if we are to grow this revenue in 2019 and beyond, we need to make an investment into China. Not only by planning more regular visits (something we did regularly in the leadup to opening in Singapore) but also by looking at having a physical entity in China.  

Here is my ‘Top 10’ tips as a first-time traveler to Shanghai; 

1. Getting in was easy. The Visa process was simple. I paid around 1400 HKD for a 2x entry Visa (twice the cost of most other countries as I have a UK Passport) I later found out that this is due to the ‘special relationship’ that China and the UK have. We charge them double, so they return the favour. Fair enough.
2. China Eastern. I was genuinely impressed by one of China’s main carriers. The flight is only 2.5 hrs from Hong Kong to Shanghai and it flew by (excuse the pun). We left on time, landed on time and food and drink was included. Download some Netflix for the journey and you are set.  
3. Entry into Shanghai was a breeze. As I landed and went through customs, I found myself nervously looking over my shoulder for someone to want to interrogate or frisk me. It never came. I was in and out in minutes.
4. Hotels are great value, compared to HK at least. I was upgraded to a suite (that was bigger that my apartment in HK) for a total cost of 1000 HKD per night. Impressed? Very.
5. Getting around. I didn’t use the buses or the underground as taxis are so cheap. Travelling for 30 minutes cost me around 30 HKD, however, make sure that you have your destination written in Chinese or have the ability to speak Mandarin. I had neither but I did have a colleague who spoke Mandarin (BIG shout out and thanks to Cody Roberts). Failing this get a +86 SIM when you land and download local taxi apps like DiDi. Oh, and WhatsApp, Google etc. will work if you have a foreign SIM and switch on data-roaming.
6. Shanghai is BIG. I stayed in a district that is a small city in itself, you could quite literally spend years here and not see all that Shanghai has to offer.
7. Rules are rules. Don’t forget that you are a stranger in someone’s else’s home and there are some rather odd rules that I learnt you should follow at all times as a tourist (carrying your passport at all times is one). However, if you are sensible, don’t make an idiot of yourself and remain on the good side of the law then you will be fine.
8. It’s really quite pretty. I stayed in Jing’an District (mainly as the majority of my clients are in this district). It has a number of foreign concession areas so as a result wandering the streets you could be forgiven for feeling you are in Paris, Madrid, or Bangkok. A real melting pot of styles, sights and smells. 
9. Shanghai is cool. Known as the ‘Fashion Capital of Asia’ I can see why. Boutiques and pop up art shops, trendy bars and coffee shops, and a young vibrant culture that is trying to stand against the perceived regime of China has created a cool, modern and artistic city that feels very welcoming. 
10. Enjoy the local delicacies. Eating well and eating cheap is something Shanghai does very well. Like any big multi-cultural international city going to a trendy restaurant will set you back a bit (dinner for two, bottle of wine, starter, main and a dessert is around 1000 RMB). However, if you want a delicious wonton soup or noodles, you can fill your belly (and have change) from 20 RMB – a bargain!

So, if you are thinking of going to China embrace Shanghai. A great city in a great country.