5 must-sees in Shanghai

Don't miss this for anything else in Shanghai. After seeing the glass and aluminium architecture in the new part of Shanghai-Pudong, you'll wonder what happened to the good old pagoda.

You'll find enough pagodas to complete your preconceived notions about old China at the Old Street. It's a delightfully colourful and buzzing place "" charming and fascinating at the same time with little shops selling anything from paper kites, wooden masks, lanterns, jade jewellery, silk blouses and choengsams (the traditional dress).

The people are friendly and love to ask where you're from and all they want you to do is have a look at their wares. Take your time browsing because there is loads to see.

Towards the inner courtyard there are mobile stalls where artisans demonstrate their skills so you can watch beautiful masks and kites being made out of sheets of paper.

HUXINTING TEA HOUSE

While at the inner courtyard, don't miss trying out chrysanthemum tea at the tea house in the middle of a man-made lake. Also called the Middle Lake Pavilion , the wooden structured tea house was built in 1855 and is an interesting experience.

The hostess serves a variety of teas, brewed in front of you. So for instance, jasmine tea isn't a flavoured tea but a little bulb of jasmine place at the bottom of a clear glass kettle, topped with boiling water.

Sit back and watch the bulb unfurl to reveal a jasmine flower and wait for the aroma and flavour to brew.

Enjoy a quiet cuppa of extremely light yet aromatic tea with an on-the-house snack of quail's eggs, green tea dumplings and prunesin the tea house that overlooks the bustling courtyard of Shanghai Old Street.

MAGLEV TRAIN

On the other side of town, don't miss this attraction. It's faster than the bullet train and quite an experience. The Maglev "" magnetic levitation "" connects Pudong International Airport to Longyang Station.

The 30 km run takes 40 minutes by road, but seven minutes one way by the Maglev. Travelling at 430 km/hr is an extremely thrilling experience and most of the city flies by you before you can say Maglev.

Its worth every penny of the 80 RMB that you pay for it and leaves you with a story to tell.

XINTIANDI

If you're curious about what Shanghai's young, urban crowd does to unwind, get out your evening best to visit this newly built multi-cuisine food district.

Shikumen styled buildings, typical of old Shanghai, have been restored to house posh restaurants, pubs, live music jazz bars, tea houses, art and curio shops.