My office mates and I went to Shanghai last week. It was the annual budget meeting cum staff retreat, and this time, they decided to go to China! I was thrilled because I had never set foot in China before.
It was Monday, 24 November 2025. We flew with Shanghai Air, and the flight took five hours. Once we landed at Pudong Airport, a huge tour bus took us on a one-hour ride to the city center and dropped us off at the Broadway Mansions Hotel.
The hotel was a really old building, but the upkeep made it look modern while retaining some of its historic charm. The doormen and bellmen wore Al Capone-style uniforms with trench coats and hats, keeping the old-time vibe alive. We checked in on the fifth floor, which had an okay view, but once we settled in, Aliff and I immediately went out to explore.
While the board members and MCs proceeded with the budget meeting, it was free and easy for most of the secretariat. Aliff and I set out with the sole goal of finding a new SIM card for him. We found a mall that mostly sold clothes, and to my surprise, none of the people I asked were familiar with SIM cards. Despite the language barrier, we conveyed our request clearly, but SIM cards seemed completely alien to them. I wondered what they use instead. Perhaps in a modern city like Shanghai, everyone exclusively uses eSIMs?
Our SIM card mission ultimately failed. By 5pm, the sky was already dark, so we rushed back to the hotel for our 6pm dinner.
Halal restaurants are hard to find in Shanghai, as there isn’t a significant Muslim population. For visiting Muslims, the only options are Chinese-Arabic fusion joints, of which there are a few. I didn’t manage to identify exactly what type of Arabic fusion it was, but the food was delicious. They had Chinese seafood dishes alongside mutton skewers and Arabic bread. A weird combination that somehow worked beautifully. There were also flat, pasta-like noodles that appeared repeatedly throughout the trip. Apparently, that’s a Shanghai specialty, just like xiaolongbao.
After dinner, we went on a sightseeing cruise tour. We sailed along the Huangpu River enjoying the breathtaking view of the cityscape. Shanghai is famous for its futuristic neon-lit skyscrapers making it look like something out of a Bladerunner movie.
After the cruise tour, the bus took us back to the hotel. We immediately went out to explore the city. One thing I noticed about Shanghai is that pedestrians never cross the road when the traffic light is red. Even when no vehicles are around, they patiently wait. That level of discipline is impressive. In Malaysia, pedestrians would have lost their patience and simply crossed the road regardless.
We roamed the streets, admiring the city’s beauty and enjoying the cold weather, which I loved. 16-19°C during the day and 6-9°C at night in winter. Eventually, I broke off from the group for my usual solo venture. The city felt safe, with police outposts scattered around. These outposts looked very futuristic. Blue rectangular boxes with red and blue lights blinking on top. I spent time snapping photos and chilling before finally heading back to the hotel.
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| A part of Shanghai's cityscape |
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| Posing in front of the Enchanted Storybook Castle |
The next day was Disneyland day! The bus took us on an hour-long ride to Shanghai Disneyland. Some of the bosses joined, while the rest went on a city tour. Upon entering, we split into groups for our individual missions. Ammar and I skipped the roller coasters since we were both overweight. Aliff’s mission was solely to hit the coasters and he was accompanied by Hazimah and Afrin. I stayed with Ammar and Zura for a while before setting out to complete my own mission.
My mission was the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, which, according to my online research, is the second-best ride after the Tron Legacy roller coaster. It’s not a thrill ride but a tracked boat ride featuring a stunning combination of large LED visuals, cleverly placed animatronics, and lights. The final act blew me away. The boat seemingly went underwater and resurfaced in the middle of two life-sized pirate ships firing cannons at each other. The audience is placed smack in the middle of a pirate battle with hyper-realistic visuals and explosions. I was so overwhelmed that I almost teared up. It was THAT impressive. At least for me.
I explored more of the park and rode a few other attractions until it was time to reunite with my friends. By 6pm, it was already dark. Every major ride had a 1-2 hour wait, even on a weekday, so most of the day was spent in queues.
When we reunited, we caught the finale fireworks show. At 9:15pm sharp, the Enchanted Storybook Castle lit up with colors, and the fireworks began. I wondered how the castle could glow and behave like a screen. Projectors? LED panels? I have no idea. What was clear, though, was the combination of castle colors, fireworks, spotlights, and lasers, resulting in this spectacular show called Illuminate. The night ended with a bang, literally. We went back to the hotel exhausted but fulfilled.
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| The castle at night |
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| Suzhou, the Venice of China |
The next day, we traveled to Suzhou, a city three hours from Shanghai. Known as the “Venice of China,” it’s filled with canals reminiscent of Europe. The city was breathtaking. Emerald-green water, red-leaved trees at the end of autumn, and European-style boats. After a 30-minute ride, we took photos before leaving. We enjoyed another fantastic seafood-Arabic lunch, which included the famous and pricey Chinese mitten crab, also known as the hairy crab. It was marvelous!
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| Chinese Mitten Crab |
We then dropped off the board members and bosses at a hotel for their meetings before heading back to Shanghai. We did some souvenir shopping in a building basement and visited the Jin Mao Tower, going up to the 88th-floor observation deck for photos. The cityscape at sunset was gorgeous. By 6pm, it was dark again, and we went for dinner at another Arab-themed restaurant. The meal was excellent, as usual.
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| View from the Jin Mao tower |
Next, we explored Nanjing Road, Shanghai’s high-end shopping district. Walking around alone was entertaining enough. Neon lights, huge screens, beautiful buildings, crowds, and the massive empty square were mesmerizing. People here are crazy about Labubu, a popular designer toy character from Pop Mart. Created by a Hong Kong artist, these cute-but-scary collectibles fetch high prices. I took photos and videos before calling it a night.
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| A building with a wide-angle lens |
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| The busy atmosphere of Nanjing Road |
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| Love the lights and signboards |
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| This building glows gold which was gorgeous |
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| Love the ambience |
The following day, we packed our bags and took a 1pm flight back to Malaysia. We landed safely at KLIA at 7pm (Alhamdulillah), and I took a Grab home. It was my first Shanghai experience, and I have to say, four days is far too short. One day, God willing, I shall return to fully do this amazing city justice.
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