Living in Shanghai
Geography and climate
- Shanghai has four distinct seasons, with hot and humid summers (reaching 38 degrees
Celsius) and cold winters with temperatures falling to around zero. Spring commences in March and the rainy season in May to June. - Shanghai is mostly flat, and is located across the Huangpu River, with the city east of the river called Pudong (east of the Huangpu) and Puxi (west of the Huangpu).
- Pudong is known as the New Shanghai with many industrial plants and economic trade zones on the outskirts of the city. The new financial district for Shanghai is also based in the New Pudong area.
- Puxi is recognized as the old part of town, with the Bund, which lies on the Huangpu River, Nanjing Xi Road which is the central business district and the French concession quarters. Continuing south east of this is Hong Qiao, a key area dominated by more offices and residential areas.
Food
- In terms of food, there is a wide range of choice, from western style sandwiches to Chinese lunchboxes, through to fancy fine dining restaurants. There is cuisine to suit every budget and palate particularly if you are adventurous to try the local fare.
- Along with the pace of change, it is now possible to buy almost all western produce that you are familiar with overseas, but be prepared to pay for it.
Nightlife
Shanghai has a varied and active nightlife - from world-class super clubs on the Bund to smaller student bars and live music venues, dotted across the city. A new venue seems to open every week to cater for the progressive tastes of both expatriates and locals.
Schooling
Schools and education for expatriate families are also improving, with an increasing range of good local schools as well as international schools. In the international schools, children are taught both English and Mandarin and quickly become bilingual.
Domestic Helpers
It is common practice to hire domestic helpers for the home, they are usually women and are referred to as ‘Ayi’ meaning the Chinese word for Auntie. Ayi’s do all the household chores to grocery shopping and looking after children. You can hire them for part time work or as full time live-ins. Salaries vary but generally for a part time maid, you can expect to pay approx. RMB10-12 per hour. They can be recruited via an agency, but generally word of mouth or referrals are the most reliable
Holidays and festivals
There are three official holidays in China:
- Chinese New Year Spring Festival (changes each year due to the lunar calendar but generally falls between the end of January and the beginning of February)
- International Labour Day is on 1st May each year and National Day falls on 1st October. For each official holiday employees generally enjoy 3 days of paid leave, and unofficially for a whole week.
