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FIRST TIME in China 🇨🇳 (American family in Shanghai)
First Time in Shanghai: American Family's China Adventure
WE MADE IT TO CHINA!!!!
We'll see you in the next one, Love you all!
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WE MADE IT TO CHINA!!!! We'll see you in the next one, Love you all! If you're new here, we're a family of five traveling full-time since May 2022. Worldschooling, destination guides, family travel logistics, and the real numbers behind how it all works.
An American family of five finally sets foot in China! Adam and Linds share their raw excitement about arriving in Shanghai, capturing the thrill of worldschooling on the road. Watch as they navigate a new culture with their kids, offering an authentic glimpse into family travel. This is just the beginning of their China adventure!
WE MADE IT TO CHINA!!!! We'll see you in the next one, Love you all! If you're new here, we're a family of five traveling full-time since May 2022. Worldschooling, destination guides, family travel logistics, and the real numbers behind how it all works.
China might be the most warned-about country Adam And Linds had ever visited, and nearly every warning came from someone who had never actually been there. So when they landed in Shanghai with their three kids on a 240-hour transit visa, they were running on almost no sleep and an open mind. By 3:30 in the morning they finally collapsed into bed, and a few hours later they were already out the door with Jenny's Tours, ready to see the city for themselves.
Their first stop was the Jade Buddha Temple, a place so intricate that the family could barely capture it on camera. Their guide explained that the famous jade Buddha is actually much smaller than the marble Buddha most visitors mistake for it—even TripAdvisor had confused the two for years. From there they discovered a city full of small surprises: QR-code vending machines with no buttons, comfort food from McDonald's across the street, and a free observatory at the Park Hyatt on the 87th floor, a clever hack for taking in the skyline without paying for a pricey tower ticket.
At the Bund, they wandered through the former HSBC Bank, where mosaics had been covered with plaster and forgotten until the plaster began to fall years later. Then came lunch: steaming soup dumplings with a ritual all their own. Turn it over, put it in the spoon, drink the soup first, blow on it, then eat the whole thing. Between bites, the kids made friends with their guide Peggy, and the conversation turned to how the rain was drenching everything but somehow making the city feel cooler.
The downpour didn't stop them from reaching Yu Garden. With umbrellas up, they took in the classical pavilions, carved details, and the market outside, which felt refreshingly touristy without being full of duplicate souvenir shops. They even found a local market where restaurant owners hand out toys with every meal, a custom that delighted the kids.
By evening, the clouds parted for a boat cruise. With the upper deck almost empty, Adam And Linds grabbed Tsingtao beers, learned that ganbei means bottom up in Chinese, and watched the lights of Shanghai's three tallest buildings glow as sunset settled over the river. It was a moment he had dreamed about for years. He admitted that the media hype about China had felt overblown: the streets felt safe enough to walk around at 3 a.m., and the city was far more welcoming than he had been led to believe.
Before the night ended, they were already planning more—an ancient water town, Lost Plate food tours, Shanghai Disney, and maybe a return trip to Beijing for the Great Wall and the Terracotta Soldiers. For a family of five on a first stop in Shanghai, it was a first impression that shattered expectations and left them counting days until they could come back.
Shanghai was the destination Adam And Linds had been dying to visit, and their first day delivered surprises at every turn. From the ornate Jade Buddha Temple and a free 87th-floor skyline view to soup dumplings, a soaking rainstorm at Yu Garden, and a golden-hour boat cruise with Tsingtao, this family of five discovered a city far friendlier and safer than the warnings suggested. They're already planning their next trip.
An American family's first Shanghai day: Jade Buddha Temple, The Bund, Yu Garden, soup dumplings, and a sunset boat cruise unlike the warnings.
Shanghai First-Timer: Temple, Bund, Yu Garden & Boat Tour
5:32 Skip expensive observation deck tickets and head to the Park Hyatt Shanghai's 87th-floor bar and observatory. It offers a free, sweeping view of the skyline, including the Shanghai Tower, making it a smart budget-friendly vantage point in the city.
8:34 When eating Shanghai soup dumplings, place one in a spoon, flip it over, and blow on it first. Drink the soup from the top, then eat the whole dumpling. Take small bites because the filling is extremely hot and delicious.
12:55 Visit Yu Garden with an umbrella even in summer. The classical architecture, stone lions, and layered roofs look moody and atmospheric under cloud cover, and the cooler air makes walking through the historic garden much more comfortable.
18:25 Take an evening boat cruise along the river in Shanghai. The upper deck can be nearly empty, giving you a private feel with beers in hand. Watch the city lights come up around the world's tallest buildings as the sun sets.
19:02 If a Chinese friend toasts you, listen for the word ganbei. It means bottom up, not just cheers, so be ready to finish your drink. It is a fun cultural moment, especially on a sightseeing cruise.
20:45 Travelers can enter China on a 240-hour transit visa and stay for about ten days. It works well for a first visit, but if you want to explore Beijing and Xi'an too, consider applying for a full 10-year visa before your trip.
5:32 Skip expensive observation deck tickets and head to the Park Hyatt Shanghai's 87th-floor bar and observatory. It offers a free, sweeping view of the skyline, including the Shanghai Tower, making it a smart budget-friendly vantage point in the city.
8:34 When eating Shanghai soup dumplings, place one in a spoon, flip it over, and blow on it first. Drink the soup from the top, then eat the whole dumpling. Take small bites because the filling is extremely hot and delicious.
12:55 Visit Yu Garden with an umbrella even in summer. The classical architecture, stone lions, and layered roofs look moody and atmospheric under cloud cover, and the cooler air makes walking through the historic garden much more comfortable.
18:25 Take an evening boat cruise along the river in Shanghai. The upper deck can be nearly empty, giving you a private feel with beers in hand. Watch the city lights come up around the world's tallest buildings as the sun sets.
19:02 If a Chinese friend toasts you, listen for the word ganbei. It means bottom up, not just cheers, so be ready to finish your drink. It is a fun cultural moment, especially on a sightseeing cruise.
20:45 Travelers can enter China on a 240-hour transit visa and stay for about ten days. It works well for a first visit, but if you want to explore Beijing and Xi'an too, consider applying for a full 10-year visa before your trip.
0:00 Arriving in Shanghai despite warnings
3:09 Jade Buddha Temple and golden statues
5:32 Free observatory at Park Hyatt
6:48 Exploring the Bund and HSBC
8:34 Soup dumpling lunch in Shanghai
12:55 Rainy walk through Yu Garden
18:25 Sunset boat cruise on the river
20:45 Reflecting on safety and future plans
0:00 Arriving in Shanghai despite warnings
3:09 Jade Buddha Temple and golden statues
5:32 Free observatory at Park Hyatt
6:48 Exploring the Bund and HSBC
8:34 Soup dumpling lunch in Shanghai
12:55 Rainy walk through Yu Garden
18:25 Sunset boat cruise on the river
20:45 Reflecting on safety and future plans
chinashanghaifamily travelchina traveltravel with kidssoup dumplingsjade buddha templeyu gardenboat cruiseworldschoolingWas China really as unsafe as everyone warned?
We walked around at 3 a.m. after landing and never felt unsafe once. The warnings mostly came from people who had never been here, and after our first day in Shanghai, we already felt the city was awesome.
How do you eat soup dumplings without burning yourself?
You flip one into your spoon, blow on it, drink the soup first from the top, then eat the whole dumpling in one bite. The soup is incredibly hot, so don't skip the blowing part.
Do you need to pay to see the Shanghai skyline?
No, we went to the Park Hyatt Shanghai on the 87th floor and enjoyed a free observatory bar. It was a clever hack to see the Shanghai Tower and the other skyscrapers without spending a lot of money.
What was the most surprising part of your first day in Shanghai?
Honestly, how safe, cool, and welcoming it felt. I've wanted to come to China forever, and by the end of the boat cruise I was already planning a trip back to see Beijing and the Terracotta Soldiers.
