The Shanghai Etiquette & Hairy Crab Manual: 10 Unwritten Rules for Moving Like a Local
Why the ¥2 commuter ferry beats a ¥150 tourist boat, why Shanghai restaurants don’t take tips, how to order pre-peeled hairy crab roe in October and November, and why to ignore overly friendly strangers near People’s Square.
حكم هيئة التحرير · THE VERDICT
1) Take the ¥2 public ferry (Jinling East Rd to Dongchang Rd) at sunset using Alipay Transport QR; 2) Show your same-day boarding pass at Pudong Maglev to pay ¥40 instead of ¥50; 3) Never tip in restaurants or taxis; 4) Carry pocket tissues for street noodle shops; 5) For Hairy Crab (mid-Oct to early Dec), order pre-peeled crab roe over rice (Xiefen Laofan) with warm Shaoxing wine and ginger tea; 6) Politely walk away from unsolicited “tea ceremony or art student” invitations on East Nanjing Road.Shanghai is a city governed by brisk pragmatism and quiet poise. Have your Alipay QR ready before stepping to the turnstile, order your crab roe already picked from the shell, and cross the Huangpu on the two-yuan ferry at dusk.