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Jinshan Shanghai

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Compsnake

Squeeker

Joined: July 28, 2008
Posts: 17

Status: Offline

Posted: Nov 07, 2009 - 11:10 PM
Post subject: Jinshan Shanghai

Anyone been to Jinshan Shanghai?

I'm planning on going there to see the Leonids or at least find a place for fresh air and something different from a city's night sky. Probably will go there for two days and a night... any suggestions for a place to stay, fun, place to watch the night sky, shops, etc?

binky

Reacher

Joined: June 06, 2009
Posts: 284
Location: JinShan, Shanghai
Status: Offline

Posted: Nov 08, 2009 - 12:04 AM

We live in JinShan.

The mean attraction is probably city beach, which is a 2 kilometer man-made sandy beach, with a little wooden promenade, some nice landscaping and a few rides. You can even rent boats. They've got food, but I have to admit its not wonderful. The water is probably too cold for swimming, of course.

There a few pretty good hotels, two of which I'd recommend as they are just near the ocean. One is called the Sunrise Hotel, I think (I'll check tomorrow). The other is on the far right end of the beach (facing the water), and it is just new: we watched them build it! Supposed to be very nice, but I don't know the name. I don't know the prices of either place, but I can check for you tomorrow if you like. There is also a hotel 168 a couple of kilometers away from the Sunrise, which has a very nice buffet (sushi and everything!) The Sunrise does food, but its pricey and not wonderful...

Just behind the beach is a nice park with a little lake and even a zoo. I think its undergoing renovations, so its not as tranquil and lovely as it normally was.

Near the right side of the beach, about 1 kilometer in, is the main city center. There are quite a selection of shops and department stores, and an area filled will all kinds of restaurants which we call "eat street." If you don't find something you fancy there, there are also a few pretty good places here and there, especially in the area near the 3 main department stores: the NGS, Tesco and Lotus. In particular, the area immediately near the Tesco has some swankier newer places (and there is a big KTV place, too.)

JinShan is small, so if you tell the taxi driver "Tesco", chances are he'll get you there...

If you want to try some real local food, there are some pretty good fish restaurants a couple of kilometers down the road from the left end of the beach, past the yachting club (which is, by the way, pretty silly and pretentious!) You would take the main road just next to the ocean, out past the Sunrise and four large new buildings on your left, and a couple of big blocks later you will see 2 multistory seafood restaurants also on your left side. The seafood is delicious, fresh and cheap: they're like aquariums where you get to eat the exhibits. I can get you the exact name and address tomorrow.

Oh, and you can also take a tour of the chemical factories outside of town, if you like that sort of thing. Laughing

Hope that helps. Let me know if you've got other questions.

Oh, if you want to do stargazing, the beach is probably a good place for it...

Compsnake

Squeeker

Joined: July 28, 2008
Posts: 17

Status: Offline

Posted: Nov 08, 2009 - 12:42 AM

Ah, thanks a lot for the input!

Actually, I think I want to take my girlfriend to see the Leonids. She's a local and haven't seen any meteor showers. O_O. crazy. So that's the main part of the trip, finding somewhere to stargaze. However, isn't the beach closed at night? I heard it was closed after 8 or so?

Also, I'm still a student, so probably will be considering cheaper restaurants and probably motel 168.

Oh, and sorry but.. do you know any places with like local food but aren't completely seafood (my girlfriend can't eat any seafood)?

binky

Reacher

Joined: June 06, 2009
Posts: 284
Location: JinShan, Shanghai
Status: Offline

Posted: Nov 08, 2009 - 07:21 AM

Compsnake wrote:

I used to visit the beach pretty late at night. The gates should stay open until 10PM. Is that late enough?

In fact, I've heard that they will actually allow you to bring a tent, and sleep there overnight. Even if they lock the gates, they won't drive you away. I can check this, if you like: if you don't mind the cold, it might be a good option for you two.

If you prefer someplace else, you can try either a big parking lot, like at NGS or the yachting club. Or a park with a large grassy area like the one at the corner of Huhang Lu and HangZhouWan DaDao, which is not far from the yachting club. That park has no gates at all, so you can just go there and stay as late as you like.

YuanShan Hotel on FuChan Lu and HuHang Lu is about 120/night. Is is just near the beach.

As for food, I don't know your price range. But this is JinShan! Food is very affordable here, and if you go to the areas I mentioned, you must find something you will like.

However, if you tell me specifically what you are looking for, I can give you specific suggestions.

Do you want hotpot? Saw a nice new place near HuHang Lu and WeiLing Lu.

Roast Duck? Nice new place on WeiLing Lu near the cinema with barbecue meats hanging in the window.

Nice fresh baked bread? Cafe 85 Degrees on WeiLing Lu (this area also has McDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut, Pappa Johns, DQ, etc. Lots of shops, too.)

"Eat Street" is SuiTangHe Lu, just near WeiLing Lu. Vast assortment there.

Fresh made ShengJian or JianBing? LongAn Lu near the MeiZhou Vegetable market.

Fancy a Steak? Plzen just across from Tesco. It will be about 50 per person or more, depending on what you order.

Oh, and you can shop for artwork at 16 Booths shopping area ShiLiuPu, its near ShiErCun. That's kind of fun.

This should be enough to get you started. Have fun!

Compsnake

Squeeker

Joined: July 28, 2008
Posts: 17

Status: Offline

Posted: Nov 09, 2009 - 12:41 AM

Ahah, you are awesome. Thank you so much for the help. And that is more than enough to get me started ahah! I'm already looking up on google maps of the streets you mentioned and getting familiar with the area.

Beach is great! I would love to bring a tent or something to the beach and stay at night. Ahah, if it's not too much trouble it would be so great if you could check that up for me. Also, do you know if it would be safe to stay on the beach for the night or the parking lot?

I enjoy following meteor showers, it was something I did since junior high. So, the Leonids are supposed to peak at around 5:30am this year (hope it won't be too bright already at 5..) and so I definitely plan staying up all night.

I'm very interested in the "Eat Street" as I have been to a lot of eat streets in Shanghai and loved it.

So I guess it'd be better for me to tell you my plan:

I'm thinking about going leaving the city around noon (or maybe sleep in a little more since the plan is to be up all night anyway), but it will take around 2 hours to get to Jinshan.

2:00-4:00 Beach/Snack - Probably stay for 2 hours depending..

4:00-8:00 Haven't thought of anything yet, but probably might want to visit and see the city

8:00-10:00 Dinner, Food and what not.. all of your previous suggestions are so tempting and mouthwatering (I love food! aha). But probably either "Eat Street", steak, or hotpot.

10:00-12:00 I don't know if there are any places this late at night to buy like handicrafts or little souvenir items, but if there is that would be ideal! And then maybe a bar for a drink.

After 12 would be stargazing time! But.. would we be able to get into the beach area at that time if we wanted to go there to watch? You mentioned locked gates and so.. I didn't know if that would be possible..

Anyway! That's my plan and maybe put stuff down at hotel and rest at hotel inbetween the times. Not sure how it's going to work out tho...

Any comments/suggestions?

binky

Reacher

Joined: June 06, 2009
Posts: 284
Location: JinShan, Shanghai
Status: Offline

Posted: Nov 09, 2009 - 08:38 PM

Bad news. We asked the guard at one of the beach entrances, and apparently the beach officially closes at 10PM, and you are not officially allowed to be inside there after that time.

Of course, this being China and all, you may unofficially be able to weasel your way inside whenever you like, and its entirely possible nobody will do anything about it. But...maybe they will stop and/or catch you, so don't plan on watching the stars from the beach!

Now, that means you need to have a fallback. Like I said, there is a wide-open grassy park not far from the beach. It is between QiJiaDun Lu and HangZhouWan Lu and between Long'An Lu and HuHang DaDao. Since they put the canal there, you have to enter on the Long'An Lu side near to QiJiaDun Lu.

I can pretty much guarantee you that you will be able to hang out there all night long without anyone bugging you. You might even be able to pitch a tent there. And, as I said, you can probably hang out in the NGS parking lot, which is also pretty big.

Yeah, I recommend eat street. We know of some other good places here and there, but you are more likely to find one you like with so many in one place. And its not far from the beach and the main shopping area. There used to have an outstanding restaurant which brewed its own beer, but the owner skipped town owing a bunch of money, and that place is closed now. cry

I think the little art stands close at like 5 or 6PM, so try to get there earlier in the day.

Souvenir items??? Laughing

In JinShan?? Well, you might find some ticky tacky stuff at the beach...

If you get bored, you can kill time at the Cinema or the arcade (which, as I recall, is in the same building as the Cinema), or a KTV place. I know there is a big KTV place across from Tesco (WeiQing Lu and MengShan Lu.) I think there is also one near NGS (I think they share the same parking lot, also on MengShan Lu.)

Anyway, good luck and I hope the rain washes away all the smoke so you can actually see the stars!