'Shanghai looked more like Manhattan on a Sunday' He was obviously didn't know where to find the jackpot. To experience the real culture of Shanghai you need

'Shanghai looked more like Manhattan on a Sunday' He was obviously didn't know where to find the jackpot. To experience the real culture of Shanghai you need to live life closer to the 'locals', not in some hotel in Pudong(east), all you'll find there is tall buildings. Hell I haven't even seen half of the places in those pictures. If you took a moment to observe the locals that would be culture, the people in Shanghai are distinct to other parts of China, with traits such as quick wit and hard work, indeed they speak their own dialect. If he is trying to find old buildings as evidence of culture, Shanghai is not the best place, although there are quite a few around, including the famous tourist attraction Cheng Huang Miao: http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/1108224679049820088RZkVRy http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/1108224679049820088RZkVRy