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In June 2007 I traveled to Shanghai China for two weeks. This was my second trip to Shanghai; I spent one week in Shanghai in September 2006.

I recommend if you are thinking of going to China you go for 2 weeks; especially if you are going on business. My company’s office is located outside the city in an office park about 25 miles from downtown. After spending my day at the office there was very little time left to explore the city during my first trip.

I am gluten intolerant (Celiac Disease), so I also had to have meals especially prepared to meet my needs. The Hilton hotel in Shanghai was able to accommodate my needs. I had excellent gluten free breads and other delicious gluten free foods every day. The Hilton was able to provide a take-out lunch every day to eat at the office.  This saved me from having to spend a lot of time figuring out what I could eat in the local cafeteria.

When you visit China you will find that your Chinese business associates will want to take you to dinner often. Since I am a technical person; I got a lot less pressure to go out to eat. If you are in sales and need to spend time connecting with people there you will no doubt get a lot more pressure to eat out. With the language barrier I would fully expect to get food that isn’t 100% gluten free. You need to be extra cautious and stick to things that are going to be gluten free. Avoid think sauces and soy sauce.

Should you be traveling to Shanghai and needing to stay in a hotel that offers gluten free food, I recommend the Hilton Hotel in Shanghai. It is very near the JinAn Temple and has easy access to subway line #2. In the evenings to stretch my legs I walked over to the JinAn temple and then return to the hotel. This was a nice way to relax and walk off the large meal at the end of the day.

Me at Yu Yuang gardens

I spent much time wandering about city by foot on the weekend. I took a taxi down to the old section of the city and visited Yu Yuang gardens, the historic shopping area, the Bund and then walked at least 15 blocks up Nanjing Road. Other than being constantly asked if I would like to buy something; most people didn’t give me a second look.

I thought the best place that I visited in the city was the old market and Yu Yuang gardens. Both of these are in the same area of the old city. It cost 80rmb to get in to the Yu Yuang Gardens, which has lots of classical Chinese architecture, carved figurines on the roofs of the buildings, high thresholds, and Koi Ponds. The historic market is of course free unless you buy something; the merchants there are a little less likely to bargain with you.

View from the Bund

The Bund is about a 20 minute walk from the old market.   This is the old foreign section of town; in the late 19th century most of the western powers had established a presence in the city for trading with the locals.  There is a walkway park along the banks of the Huangpu River; which has a constant stream of boats coming and going. It is a nice place to just sit and watch all the river traffic.

Overall it was an excellent experience to visit Shanghai. I would recommend it to anyone; however it is a really long trip from the US and it is difficult to eat food from the local market if you have Celiac Disease. If you are planning to go to China; most western hotels probably can accommodate your needs.