On a China vacation, should I spend more time in Shanghai or Hong Kong?
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August 24th, 2010
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Question by Dave: On a China vacation, should I spend more time in Shanghai or Hong Kong?
Will be vacationing in China in September. Have only a few days to divide between Shanghai and Hong Kong. Will need to spend more time in one location than the other in order to accommodate other aspects of my schedule. Which location would you spend more time in, and why? (This will be my first visit to China.)
Best answer:
Answer by KEVIN T
Hard one. They are both very interesting and historic cities. Both have great shopping and fantastic sights to see. If I had to choose I would choose Hong Kong. This is the more relaxed city, you are a little less likely to be constantly bothered by hawkers selling fake goods than in Shanghai where this is constant.
While The Bund is great to walk along it cannot compare with Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong and the sheer excitement of the hustle and bustle. No view in Shanghai can compare with the view from Victoria Peak in Hong Kong.
Just a personal perspective only though I have to admit.
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
Aug 24th, 2010 at 6:42 pm
shanghai is the largest city in china and a tourist destination it had the best restaurants known in china its great for shopping
A night cruise on the Huangpu River is highly recommended
seeking relaxation, the ideal choice should be Hengshan Road and Xin Tian Di which are thronged with a variety of nightclubs, discos, bars, coffee houses and teashops.
hong kong has blends of Eastern and Western traditions there is always somthing to do in hong kong it is very collorful they have fun malls just like shanghai
Hong Kong’s most popular attractionThe peak offers spectacular views over the city harbour and mountains beyond
Lantau Island features the worlds tallest outdoor seated bronze Buddha with the Po Lin, Monastery, Tai O village on stilts, Ngong Ping 360 and Hong Kong Disneyland
shanghai will be pretty crowded if u want to relax then go to hongkong i wud choose shanghai just becas i like the city and how it really big and nice but hong kong is also really beautfiul
both are rlly great !!!!!
good luck and have fun !!! ! !! ! ! !! ! !
Aug 24th, 2010 at 6:53 pm
Kevin above is right, HK’s Victoria Harbour and the Peak have just been rated as Asia’s No.1 skyline by a Japanese TV station. A recent CNN poll also confirmed that HK is a must-visit in Asia. HK is probably the most foreigner-friendly city in Asia, particularly feel so once you step out of Mainland China. It’s not recommended to shop in Shanghai, not only fakes and counterfeits are everywhere, it’s the strenuous efforts to waste on bargainings and yet still get ripped-off. HK’s prices are pretty much fixed and reasonable as it’s the only zero tariff and zero sales tax city in Asia. Check http://www.discoverhongkong.com and enjoy your stay!
Aug 24th, 2010 at 7:35 pm
Hong Kong…
because it’s your first visit to China…
Aug 24th, 2010 at 7:49 pm
Difficult one. I visited both last November, and I must say that I was very impressed by Shanghai and liked it. It is huge and the most international city of mainland China (if you don’t count Hongkong). It’s also a bit cheaper to travel around, eat, sleept etc.
Hongkong definately wins when it comes down on beautiful setting and the views from the Victoria Peak and Kowloon Harbor are just fantastic (especially at night).
Both cities can be combined with other places, for example Shanghai with Suzhou and Hongkong with Macau.
Tough choice, but I would say Hongkong is number one.
Our family was very much pleased by the services from china travel agents, china-guides.com
Aug 24th, 2010 at 8:42 pm
Dave, if I were you, I would spend at least three days in Shanghai and the remainder of your trip in Hong Kong. Three days in Shanghai should be plenty of time to see all the great sites. Have a wonderful trip!
Aug 24th, 2010 at 9:26 pm
Both location has limited sightseeing spots because they are more city oriented then beijing or other parts of China, you don’t get to see a lot of historical buildings. However if your motive is to shop then i will recommend Hong Kong, the most important reasons is that it is cheaper as the import tax there is lower than China. Unless you are buying China produce goods or else foriegn brands like Esprit are much more expensive in Shanghai than Hong Kong. If you want to buy China produce goods, there is a building call qi pu lu that sells goods cheaply and the quality is not bad.
Aug 24th, 2010 at 10:18 pm
Shanghai is a really huge city and it might be hard for you to find your way around. I’d choose HK–most people speak English, it isn’t that large (but there are lots of things to see), it’s easy to get around, the people are nice, it’s fun. . .it’s just my preference.
Aug 24th, 2010 at 10:54 pm
you should come to hong kong. Did you know that Hong Kong has the world’s best view. it is because the are alot of buildings so it is beutiful. I live in Hong Kong. If you come. You have to go to Ocean Park
Aug 24th, 2010 at 11:44 pm
Hong Kong is the place where east meet west, spend more time in Hong Kong as it is a cosmopolitan city