Beijing and Shanghai

by Peter Neville-Hadley

The updated and expanded "DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Beijing & Shanghai" will lead you straight to the best attractions these great cities have to offer, from the Great Wall of China to the Forbidden City. With the help of full-color photography and illustrated cutaways, floor plans, and reconstructions of the stunning architecture of both cities, "DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Beijing & Shanghai" allows you to visualize your destinations. Insider travel tips and DK's indispensable maps and street views of key areas will ensure that you can find your way through the hustle and bustle of these cultural hubs with ease.

Detailed listings include the best hotels, restaurants, bars, and shops for all budgets.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, China, Asia

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 15, 2007

About the author

Former China resident Peter Neville-Hadley is the author of multiple guides and reference works on China, and writes on Chinese culture and on cultural travel in general for assorted periodicals.

Reviews

[Leroy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Shanghai section is somewhat out of date, even though the title pages reads that it was updated in 2016. The section on the old walled city cites markets and buildings that are no longer there. Much of this neighborhood has been razed and it waits for re-building. Stores and markets noted in the French Concession are often no longer there. I would advise travelers to Shanghai to find a different publisher for accurate information on Shanghai and Suzhou.

[Mojca · Rating 4 out of 5]

3½ - 4 stars

[Kevin Yee]

Nice little guide

[Diane Broussard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eyewitness is always my favorite go-to for travel books and this one is no exception. Bought in preparation for living in Beijing for a year.

[Grace*dnfing books since 2022* · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can't speak for the part regarding Beijing, since we used a really awesome local guidebook given by...somebody, but the part on Shanghai was TERRIBLE. Note: I have been to Shanghai and surroundings areas before, so I can attest firsthand at the beauty of the area. However, the photos of Shanghai and the watertowns nearby were so craptastic as to make us NOT want to visit them. Seriously, could there have been worse pictures of Hangzhou? Or Suzhou?

Not the mention the places to eat were really terrible.

Oh, right, and the French Concession area? Ask any local there and you'll get...a blank stare. NOBODY knows what the French Concession area is, because it's not even called that.

What a terrible guidebook. Pick up a local book for better tips on local eats. The ones included here included the worst food I've ever had on a trip abroad.

[Sannie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I found most helpful in this guide in comparison to others is that the sites were written in simplified Chinese. This was especially handy when I was in Beijing trying to figure out how to get around on public transportation and asking people things. I haven't been to Shanghai yet, but the Beijing part was great.

[Susanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

my edition has a different ISBN 978-1-4053-1737-5

Good guidebook. Identical to the sections on Beijing and Shanghai in the China guidebook, but more portable than the big book if you only need these sections.

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is more a background book than a guide to navigate a country. The photos are beautiful and the information on the history and context of the places is great. I would use this to prep for the trip rather than as a guide to navigate day to day.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The history section was a bit dry, but the guide included excellent street maps of both cities in a convenient pull-out section that also had the maps for both subway systems. Very handy! Great suggestions for walking tours and activities too.

[Cassandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bejing was magical. Xiamen was also a part of this trip - there is not a special book for Xiamen - but I loved the quaintness of this city. Asia is by far my most favorite culture to visit.

[Andrew Kosztyo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yet another great Eyewitness travel guide!

[Ed · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good site selection, and maps, but very bad directions to key sites such as the Summer Palace and Great Wall

[Tanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good preparation for my China trip - I particularly relied on the Beijing section.