Shanghai Trip

[daredevil123]

Bro, you mean winter clothes are also cheap over there? I am thinking of getting from ColdWear or WinterTimes before my trip. I will be closer to Pudong.

Can you share how's the pricing like for adidas, nike etc like? Can we still bargain (or the price is very cheap already and it's not advisable to bargain further for fear of angering them?)? Just so I won't like a "Carrot" there if I roughly know the market price..... Fitting room for ladies? Safe to use? :think:

Bro Nov is not that cold. 10-15. all you need is a thin jacket. Yes clothing is cheap in China. I buy all my clothing in China and bring them to SG. But remember to bargin. Don't get your carrot head chopped. ShiJiQing is the cheapest, but it is a wholesale area, with more than 300 shops. You need to find those willing to sell you piece by piece. And yes, bargin too. I managed to get Ecko unltd sweaters with hood for around 100 RMB a piece (big sized one since I am very big sized). These are the good quality ones, really thick, with embroidery and all. Down feather winter jacket for super cold weather, those go for around 200-300 RMB.

The factory outlets there are all fixed price. Prices are not as cheap as the factory outlets in the USA. All real stuff there so no worries. Thing is, since they are factory outlet stores, a lot of sizes sometimes not there one. Esp converse shoes, bigger sizes all gone. Yes all very safe. Real nice mall. Brands there I remember Adidas, Nike, Puma, Reebok, Northface, Colombia, Converse.. the rest I cannot remember. I think there is one store selling Levis jeans but they are not run by Levis.

 

[Shen siung]

What about warranty? International? The "cheaper" sense apply to 3rd party (as in China made) or OEM (as in Canon) or both? :think:

I mean Both 3rd party (like Tamron or Tokina) and original lens.

As ZZ and TL are nearer to Suzhou, I am considering a trip to all 3 places in 1 day, possible or too ambitious? I can speak and understand mandarin well enough so should have no problem talking to them (I hope, keeping fingers X). Hehe.

IIRC, there are trips involve either 2 cities in one day, offer by the 旅游集散中心

 

[muzikbug]

I wish for this too but due to tight time constrainst, I seriously doubt it. Sigh.

Still, I will endeavour to visit all the main attractions (as you stated above) and utilise my time to the fullest.

My plans include Suzhou + Tong Li + Zhou Zhuang. What's the 2 places you mentioned above? Is it near Suzhou? Scenic as well? What's the hanyu pinying? Wu Zhen and Xi Tang?

I am looking forward to this trip and hope to have a fabulous time there as well. :thumbsup:

Actually I prefer Hangzhou over Suzhou... West Lake is my favourite.
Yes, Wuzhen and Xitang. Both are along the way to Hangzhou. They are less crowded than Zhouzhuang but less famous also. 上海旅客集散中心has day trips to all these destinatiuons. Even the nearest 朱家角 (Zhujiajiao)but I don't quite recommend it, unless you are really short of time.
Most of the water villages are between Shanghai and Suzhou or Hangzhou. If you plan for Suzhou, it will be good to stop by one of those along the way. Can save time.

 

[daredevil123]

Actually I prefer Hangzhou over Suzhou... West Lake is my favourite.
Yes, Wuzhen and Xitang. Both are along the way to Hangzhou. They are less crowded than Zhouzhuang but less famous also. 上海旅客集散中心has day trips to all these destinatiuons. Even the nearest 朱家角 (Zhujiajiao)but I don't quite recommend it, unless you are really short of time.
Most of the water villages are between Shanghai and Suzhou or Hangzhou. If you plan for Suzhou, it will be good to stop by one of those along the way. Can save time.

Actually for Zhujiajiao, you take the tour route bus No.4 (旅游4号&#32447 from 上海旅客集散中心. Ticket is 12 RMB each way. If you take the package thing, it is not worth the money. Location wise, it is midway between Shanghai and Suzhou. It is right before Kunshan city.

Here is the bus route. http://wenda.tianya.cn/wenda/thread?tid=0c597def2354e64c

I love to hang out at Zhujiajiao actually. I've been there many times. It is a lot quieter than the other watertowns. Zhujiajiao is the least commercialized watertown but at the same time it is also the newest looking one. It does not look as "nice" or old as the others but I like it for its more relaxed feel. Here are some pics I took there.

Zhouzhuang in comparison, is heavily commercialized with tons of shops. But the thing is, it still retains its ancient charm and the waterways are much tighter. You do have to go there early to see it best. And here are some pics for you to compare.

I love watertowns. But my wife is already sick of it. LOL.

 

[daredevil123]

And if you are really rushed for time, there is a "mini" watertown in Shanghai city itself called Qibao Guzhen (七宝古&#38215 located on the west side of Shanghai. It is very near Hongqiao Airport and you can reach it easily by taxi. Here are is a pic of Qibaoguzhen. I have more but those were not uploaded.

 

[muzikbug]

Actually for Zhujiajiao, you take the tour route bus No.4 (旅游4号&#32447 from 上海旅客集散中心. Ticket is 12 RMB each way. If you take the package thing, it is not worth the money. Location wise, it is midway between Shanghai and Suzhou. It is right before Kunshan city.

I love to hang out at Zhujiajiao actually. I've been there many times. It is a lot quieter than the other watertowns. Zhujiajiao is the least commercialized watertown but at the same time it is also the newest looking one. It does not look as "nice" or old as the others but I like it for its more relaxed feel. Here are some pics I took there.

Zhouzhuang in comparison, is heavily commercialized with tons of shops. But the thing is, it still retains its ancient charm and the waterways are much tighter. You do have to go there early to see it best. And here are some pics for you to compare.

I love watertowns. But my wife is already sick of it. LOL.

I took the tour bus No 4, and was there free and easy.

Agree that Zhujiajiao is newer, and seemed to have more residences within the water village. Others liked Zhouzhuang and Wuzhen has a centralised tourist area which has many attractions concentrated, so more commercialised. The whole Zhouzhuang is selling 万三蹄, and the boat ladies charge you for every song they sing...

I have yet to visit 同里、甪直、南浔 etc. Any good recommendation so that I can plan it in my next visit? Thanks in advance!

 

[daredevil123]

I took the tour bus No 4, and was there free and easy.

Agree that Zhujiajiao is newer, and seemed to have more residences within the water village. Others liked Zhouzhuang and Wuzhen has a centralised tourist area which has many attractions concentrated, so more commercialised. The whole Zhouzhuang is selling 万三蹄, and the boat ladies charge you for every song they sing...

I have yet to visit 同里、甪直、南浔 etc. Any good recommendation so that I can plan it in my next visit? Thanks in advance!

Actually, in Zhujiajiao I always go for a specific boat lady with er-hu and singer combo. They charge one rate. Rate was around 80 RMB total but I gave them 100 because I had so much fun listening to them. Nowadays. the boat people are licensed and have to wear uniform. This is implemented since Q3 last year. The 3 combo is unlicensed, but I still look for them when my parents visited me. They are the only singing boat combo in Zhujiajiao. All the other tourists were pointing and looking at us, saying why they didn't get a performance on their boat.

Here is a video I shot of the singing folk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Keo4BfPqBp0

 

[daredevil123]

muzikbug, This is some info I posted in another thread. Just a cut and paste here.

Zhouzhuang - in Suzhou area. Most well known, commercialized and crowded by tourists.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhouzhuang

Wu Zhen - in Zhejiang province. The most unspoilt watertown of all (may have changed over the last 3 years...)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuzhen

Tong Li - 10KM from Zhouzhuang. Quite small.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongli,_Suzhou

Xi Tang - in Jiashan (close to Jiaxing), Zhejiang province. 1 hour from Shanghai. Small.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xitang
By the way, just in case some of you are wondering. The movie Mi:3 is filmed in the XiTang watertown.

Zhu Jia Jiao - in Shanghai countryside between Zhouzhuang and Shanghai. Very new. Too new in fact. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhujiajiao

Fengjing - in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province on the border of Shanghai. This is not as well preserved but nice too.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ullrich/2245782142/

Hope this helps. Another one I recommend is actually in Hunan called Fenghuang (Phoenix) ancient town http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fenghuang_County

 

[muzikbug]

muzikbug, This is some info I posted in another thread. Just a cut and paste here.

Zhouzhuang - in Suzhou area. Most well known, commercialized and crowded by tourists.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhouzhuang

Wu Zhen - in Zhejiang province. The most unspoilt watertown of all (may have changed over the last 3 years...)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuzhen

Tong Li - 10KM from Zhouzhuang. Quite small.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongli,_Suzhou

Xi Tang - in Jiashan (close to Jiaxing), Zhejiang province. 1 hour from Shanghai. Small.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xitang
By the way, just in case some of you are wondering. The movie Mi:3 is filmed in the XiTang watertown.

Zhu Jia Jiao - in Shanghai countryside between Zhouzhuang and Shanghai. Very new. Too new in fact. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhujiajiao

Fengjing - in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province on the border of Shanghai. This is not as well preserved but nice too.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ullrich/2245782142/

Hope this helps. Another one I recommend is actually in Hunan called Fenghuang (Phoenix) ancient town http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fenghuang_County

Thanks for the links!
I heard abt Fenghuang too and would love to visit (there are so many ancient towns in China), but seemed to have become very commercialised too. Whats new right

 

[enginecadet]

I just came back from Shanghai on Sunday.
Day temp 25 deg and night temp slightly below 20 deg.
Not cold. I wore short sleeve shirt.
Mid Nov will be slightly colder but you won't need winter gear. Wind breaker jacket plus pullover should be OK.

My advice same as daredevil, buy your winter gear in China if you going to places below 10 deg. They are nice and cheap. Older (last year) model around RMB 300 plus. This year new model may be RMB 600 and above. There are cotton fill type (heavy and not for the cold weather) which are cheaper. The high percentage down feather type are for cold weather use. It is also lighter. But they are not needed in Nov. The colder months in China is towards end Dec to whole month of January.

Night scenery is nice in Shanghai. You should not miss the Orient Pearl Tower looking from Puxi bunk side.

Word of caution if you are walking alone or with guy friends along Nanjing pedestrian mall.
Young girls will come up to befriend you. Don't fall for it. Don't talk to them. Don't believe what they say. They are up to not good.

Enjoy.

 

[daredevil123]

enginecadet is right. Use common sense for everything. There is no free lunch in China. Do not follow people who offer you to cut queue at the taxi line telling you got cheap taxi. Do not follow people who tell you got nice bar/ktv with nice girls and cheap. Do not follow people that tell you their fake branded stuff is cheap. Do not follow girls who tell you the are hungry and no money to eat (or no money to take bus home). These are all scams. On Nanjing Rd (南京步行&#34903, there are a lot of pickpockets. More than one occasions I've seen these thieves at work, and most of them are children. Watch your stuff. Make sure your stuff and your pockets are secure. If someone approach you ask you something, immediately be on the defense of your stuff. If there is more than 1 person in your party, watch each other's stuff. When people stop me, I listen to their 1st sentence. As soon as I hear some BS or asking for money or asking me to buy something, I do not even respond, I just look away and walk away.

I am so tempted to post pictures too... hahahaha.

Anyway, if you want to shoot night scene or sunrise, you need to be on the "Puxi" side of the bund. In chinese it is called WaiTan (外&#25674. point your camera to the East on the Pearl of the orient (that ugly tower with balls thingy). This is a night shot on a foggy night.

If you want to shoot sunset, you need to be on the other side, at BinJiangDaDao (滨江大&#36947, pointing your camera towards the west at the bund.

You can also go up the Pearl of the Orient to take photos. Do not buy the ticket to go all the way to the top. Buy the ticket to 2nd highest platform can already. At that platform with glass all over, descend one level using the stairs to the canteen area (one level down), and you get a platform there with no glass. just a very wide wire fence. Take your your long lenses and fire away

And don't forget the famous Nanjing road (南京步行&#34903 and Yu Gardens (豫&#22253.

 

[infinity]

For lenses, the prices will be similar to HK prices. And since many lens brands do offer international warranty, you should alright. Just make sure to check the serial number with the warranty card. Ask to be sure and then check.

As for credit cards, most places in China do not accept Foreign issued credit cards. Hotels and big famous restaurants are usually ok. Smaller establishments most of the time do not. Make sure you bring more cash with you. Yes, I know it is troublesome, but no choice. Unless you have bank account in china so you can use the yinglian (china's version of netts). Sorry bro, this is how china is.

You will not be able to cover ZZ, TL and Suzhou in one day. I recommend you drop Suzhou. But it is up to you.

Yes, lou wai lou, if you cannot wait do not try. Small restaurants along Westlake also have the same dishes, just that not as nice (but still good). There are some cheaper restaurants along Xueshi Road (across the street from Hyatt), at the junction of Baifu Road. This is very close to the edge of Westlake near HuBin Road. Also if you go to Lingyin temple, You can take number K4 at the bus terminal and drop at Hyatt and walk to the restaurants. Bus fare should be around 2-3 RMB. Prepare some 1RMB coins for you and your party.

One thing is, if you get GPS, you need to load the maps if you want to use it in Singapore. Tons there but prices should be close to SG. I do not recommend you buy memory cards there, a lot of fake ones. You can get hacked PSP there if you want. There is also a Nikon dealer there in the basement. Quoted me 7000 RMB for a D90 kit with 18-105.

Will do so on the serial number check and also to bring sufficient cash.

I also don't think I can cover ZZ, TL and Suzhou in 1 day, might consider this - travel from Shanghai to Suzhou, skip Suzhou and head to ZZ immediately and spend 1/2 day there and from there if possible, head to TL and spend 1/2 day there. Is it possible to do so? Worst scenario will be to come back from ZZ to Suzhou and travel to TL in the afternoon then but precious time will be wasted on travelling. :think:

Will check out Lou Wai Lou if I have the time else no choice, have to go for alternate choice.

 

[infinity]

Bro Nov is not that cold. 10-15. all you need is a thin jacket. Yes clothing is cheap in China. I buy all my clothing in China and bring them to SG. But remember to bargin. Don't get your carrot head chopped. ShiJiQing is the cheapest, but it is a wholesale area, with more than 300 shops. You need to find those willing to sell you piece by piece. And yes, bargin too. I managed to get Ecko unltd sweaters with hood for around 100 RMB a piece (big sized one since I am very big sized). These are the good quality ones, really thick, with embroidery and all. Down feather winter jacket for super cold weather, those go for around 200-300 RMB.

The factory outlets there are all fixed price. Prices are not as cheap as the factory outlets in the USA. All real stuff there so no worries. Thing is, since they are factory outlet stores, a lot of sizes sometimes not there one. Esp converse shoes, bigger sizes all gone. Yes all very safe. Real nice mall. Brands there I remember Adidas, Nike, Puma, Reebok, Northface, Colombia, Converse.. the rest I cannot remember. I think there is one store selling Levis jeans but they are not run by Levis.

Noted, I prefer travelling in cold weather too. Will probably bring along a jacket and if required, get thicker clothes there then.

My group are all rather small built, hope to be able to find the correct size there then. :think:

 

[infinity]

I mean Both 3rd party (like Tamron or Tokina) and original lens.



IIRC, there are trips involve either 2 cities in one day, offer by the 旅游集散中心

Great news then, might consider getting some lens there if really affordable. Hehe....
I will check out the place then. Thanks!

 

[infinity]

Actually I prefer Hangzhou over Suzhou... West Lake is my favourite.
Yes, Wuzhen and Xitang. Both are along the way to Hangzhou. They are less crowded than Zhouzhuang but less famous also. 上海旅客集散中心has day trips to all these destinatiuons. Even the nearest 朱家角 (Zhujiajiao)but I don't quite recommend it, unless you are really short of time.
Most of the water villages are between Shanghai and Suzhou or Hangzhou. If you plan for Suzhou, it will be good to stop by one of those along the way. Can save time.

Thanks for the info! Now really overwhelmed with thoughts of going so many places! :bsmilie:
Must really plan my itinerary well. :think:

 

[infinity]

Actually for Zhujiajiao, you take the tour route bus No.4 (旅游4号&#32447 from 上海旅客集散中心. Ticket is 12 RMB each way. If you take the package thing, it is not worth the money. Location wise, it is midway between Shanghai and Suzhou. It is right before Kunshan city.

Here is the bus route. http://wenda.tianya.cn/wenda/thread?tid=0c597def2354e64c

I love to hang out at Zhujiajiao actually. I've been there many times. It is a lot quieter than the other watertowns. Zhujiajiao is the least commercialized watertown but at the same time it is also the newest looking one. It does not look as "nice" or old as the others but I like it for its more relaxed feel. Here are some pics I took there.

Zhouzhuang in comparison, is heavily commercialized with tons of shops. But the thing is, it still retains its ancient charm and the waterways are much tighter. You do have to go there early to see it best. And here are some pics for you to compare.

I love watertowns. But my wife is already sick of it. LOL.

Both places look great! I hope I will be able to capture such nice pics too!
I hope to visit both places if I can. Must really plan well.....

 

[daredevil123]

Will do so on the serial number check and also to bring sufficient cash.

I also don't think I can cover ZZ, TL and Suzhou in 1 day, might consider this - travel from Shanghai to Suzhou, skip Suzhou and head to ZZ immediately and spend 1/2 day there and from there if possible, head to TL and spend 1/2 day there. Is it possible to do so? Worst scenario will be to come back from ZZ to Suzhou and travel to TL in the afternoon then but precious time will be wasted on travelling. :think:

Will check out Lou Wai Lou if I have the time else no choice, have to go for alternate choice.

Bro, if you are skipping Suzhou, there is no need to go to Suzhou then to ZZ. Because ZZ is on the border of Shanghai and Suzhou. If you go to Suzhou den to ZZ, you are travelling extra. Same goes for TL. One thing you can do is to book a driver/car for a full day to bring you from Shanghai to ZZ to TL and back to your hotel. Depending on how many people in your party, it may be worth it. I have a driver I use all the time and his vehicle is an iveco that can sit eight passengers. It runs on diesel so the fuel cost is also a lot lower.He cost around 400-500 rmb a day plus you pay for gasoline and toll charges. As I do not drive in Shanghai, when I have customers or family over, I will book him. Cheaper than taking cab all over the place. Let me know if you are interested. You can also find other smaller vehicles to book/rent cheaper. When you take the taxi cab from the airport or anyway, you can ask the cab driver if they allow baoche (包&#36710. Many of them will do it.

Noted, I prefer travelling in cold weather too. Will probably bring along a jacket and if required, get thicker clothes there then.

My group are all rather small built, hope to be able to find the correct size there then. :think:

Don't worry. People in china are also mostly small built. Only big sized people like me have trouble finding clothing. Especially shoes, it is almost impossible for me to find shoes in china. Talking about shoes, if you are looking to buy good and cheap leather shoes, go to the ShanXi Road (陕西&#36335 at the junction of HuaiHai Road (淮海&#36335, you can there via Metro Line 1 shanxi lu station (地铁一号线,陕西路&#31449. Walk north along Shanxi Road and you will start to see lots of small shoe shops. Cheap!

If you are interested to make tailored clothing or suits, jackets... You need to go to No.399 LuJiaBang (陆家浜&#36335 Road at the junction of Nanchang Lu(南仓&#36335, this is the 上海南外滩轻纺面料市场. This is where I get my suits, leather jackets and china WongFeiHong style clothing made. They also make cashmere jackets/coats there. Remember to bargin. A full business suit (jacket and pants) should cost around 550 RMB there (labor and cloth included). Cashmere wool coats cost around 600-800 custom made. Prices fluctuate sometimes. I have a regular tailor there. So PM me if you are interested in his contact.

If you are looking for antiques, you have to visit Dongtai Road antiques street (东台路古玩&#34903. A lot of good photo opps there too since it is a little like our Sungei road setting but much more older and antique style. Just tell any cab driver you want to go to Dongtai Lu Antiques market they will know. CHeck out some pics here

 

[infinity]

I just came back from Shanghai on Sunday.
Day temp 25 deg and night temp slightly below 20 deg.
Not cold. I wore short sleeve shirt.
Mid Nov will be slightly colder but you won't need winter gear. Wind breaker jacket plus pullover should be OK.

My advice same as daredevil, buy your winter gear in China if you going to places below 10 deg. They are nice and cheap. Older (last year) model around RMB 300 plus. This year new model may be RMB 600 and above. There are cotton fill type (heavy and not for the cold weather) which are cheaper. The high percentage down feather type are for cold weather use. It is also lighter. But they are not needed in Nov. The colder months in China is towards end Dec to whole month of January.

Night scenery is nice in Shanghai. You should not miss the Orient Pearl Tower looking from Puxi bunk side.

Word of caution if you are walking alone or with guy friends along Nanjing pedestrian mall.
Young girls will come up to befriend you. Don't fall for it. Don't talk to them. Don't believe what they say. They are up to not good.

Enjoy.

hi, thanks for the info, will definitely not miss the Orient Pearl Tower but is the viewing gallery enclosed (glass dome)? Do we need a CPL for photoshoot then? I will be going with my gf and her sis, with 2 ladies around, I should be "safe". Haha..... :bsmilie:

 

[enginecadet]

If you have girls with you then those girls will not approach you.
But you can try ask your girl friends to walk some distance behind you and see anything happen.
But you must be separated before entering the mall because they can detect you as one group pretty easily.
Some time a guy will approach you tell he can bring you to a place to find young pretty Uni girls.
Just ignore them. They can be quite persistant.

Shanghai air is really suck. Hazy all the time.
Can't get a clear day shot of the Pearl Tower from the bunk. CPL maybe can help and when the angle of sunlight is correct.
If I remember correctly there is glass window on the Tower's domes. They charge separately for the two levels. Higher more expensive.
But is is going to be hazy from the top.
There is a SUBWAY fasr food at the base of the tower, so you can get a quick bite a t reasonable price (safe time).

Also the is some renovation work going on the bunk and you need to find a good spot to take photo across the river.

Be warned - VERY CROWDED on walking mall and MRT on the weekend. Taxi ride is not expensive but also hard to get on weekend.

The Shanghai Science Centre is also interesting. If you have time can go there too. But maybe close on Mon. Please check before going.
There is MRT to the Science Centre, Line 2.

Daredevil knows Shanghai very well. Can ask him what MRT to take to verious spots.
There is a Camera shopping centre is at Xin Guan. Take Line 2 directly to Lua shan guan lu station. Then take lift to 2nd or 3rd floor.
Daredevil, kindly correct me if I remmeber wrongly.

Cheers.

 

[daredevil123]

If you have girls with you then those girls will not approach you.
But you can try ask your girl friends to walk some distance behind you and see anything happen.
But you must be separated before entering the mall because they can detect you as one group pretty easily.
Some time a guy will approach you tell he can bring you to a place to find young pretty Uni girls.
Just ignore them. They can be quite persistant.

Shanghai air is really suck. Hazy all the time.
Can't get a clear day shot of the Pearl Tower from the bunk. CPL maybe can help and when the angle of sunlight is correct.
If I remember correctly there is glass window on the Tower's domes. They charge separately for the two levels. Higher more expensive.
But is is going to be hazy from the top.
There is a SUBWAY fasr food at the base of the tower, so you can get a quick bite a t reasonable price (safe time).

Also the is some renovation work going on the bunk and you need to find a good spot to take photo across the river.

Be warned - VERY CROWDED on walking mall and MRT on the weekend. Taxi ride is not expensive but also hard to get on weekend.

The Shanghai Science Centre is also interesting. If you have time can go there too. But maybe close on Mon. Please check before going.
There is MRT to the Science Centre, Line 2.

Daredevil knows Shanghai very well. Can ask him what MRT to take to verious spots.
There is a Camera shopping centre is at Xin Guan. Take Line 2 directly to Lua shan guan lu station. Then take lift to 2nd or 3rd floor.
Daredevil, kindly correct me if I remmeber wrongly.

Cheers.

My knowledge of Shanghai is only ok only. Not that great considering I lived in Shanghai 4 years.

The 2 biggest camera malls are:

星光摄影器材城 (Starlight (Xing Guang) Camera Equipment Mall)
鲁班路288号(近斜土&#36335 (No.288, LuBan Road, near XieTu Road)
This is close to XuJiaHui area. Take a cab there is best.

and

环龙照相器材城 (Huan Long Camera equipment mall)
秣陵路3号 上海火车站对面 (across the street from Shanghai Railway station)
Take metro line 1 alight at Shanghai Railway station stop (地铁一号线,上海火车&#31449
Orient Photo's HQ is in HuanLong and it is quite big there. You can ask any one in OP in SimLimSq for the exact unit number in the mall.

I already mentioned in one of my previous posts on th Pearl of the Orient:

You can also go up the Pearl of the Orient to take photos. Do not buy the ticket to go all the way to the top. Buy the ticket to 2nd highest platform can already. At that platform with glass all over, descend one level using the stairs to the canteen area (one level down), and you get a platform there with no glass. just a very wide wire fence. Take your your long lenses and fire away

Yes, trying to get a taxi at the bund is very very tough on a weekend. Go on a weekday. Avoid taking a taxi there. Just walk towards Nanjing road and try your luck there. In fact, during peak hours, it is extremely hard to get a taxi cab in the crowded areas. I take the metro subway most of the time. And even that gets super packed during peak hours. If I have to bring people around during that time, I will usually bao a driver/car for the day.

If I going myself or with my wife, my usual route if going to see night scene at the bund will be:
Take Metro subway line 2 to LuJiaZui station. Then walk to BinJiangDaDao watch sunset. Then take Metro subway line 2 to People's square (RenMinGuangChang), go makan at food court (level 6 or 7) at Raffles City (yes yes yes, built by Captial Land thats why sound so singapore). Then walk along Nanjing walking street till the end. From there, walk to the bund. After that walk back to Nanjing walking street makan supper at one of the small Dongbei style BBQ stores (cheap!!!) and drink beer (cheaper still!!). Then take subway back from Nanjing Lu (east) station or from People's sq station (underneath Raffles city). That is quite a walk too. So if you walk the same, you can go foot massage after. If you want to know where to get good foot massage, just ask here.