Is Shanghai Safe in January 2026?

Well-dressed locals posing as art students or young professionals approach tourists near the Bund or Nanjing Road, striking up friendly conversation and eventually inviting them to a nearby tea house or bar for a cultural experience. The bill at the end runs into hundreds of dollars for basic tea, and staff can be intimidating when tourists object.

How to avoid: Decline invitations from strangers who approach you unprompted in tourist areas. If you want to visit a tea house, choose one independently from a map app, walk in yourself, and verify prices on the menu before ordering anything.

Young people claiming to be art students at a nearby university approach tourists on the Bund or near Yu Garden, inviting them to a gallery showing. Visitors are pressured to buy overpriced, mass-produced prints as "original art."

How to avoid: Any unsolicited approach from "art students" near tourist areas in China is a known scam. Politely decline and keep walking. Genuine art galleries do not recruit customers from the street.

Touts near the Bund or in shopping districts whisper offers to take tourists to underground markets selling counterfeit luxury goods — handbags, watches, clothing. Beyond the legal risk of buying counterfeits, tourists are often overcharged significantly, and some venues have been reported to use pressure tactics to prevent leaving without purchasing.

How to avoid: Purchasing counterfeit goods is illegal in China and can result in fines or confiscation at customs. Avoid following strangers to unmarked locations. If you want affordable fashion, stick to legitimate retail markets like Qipu Road clothing market.

Some taxi drivers at Pudong International Airport quote a flat rate to the city centre rather than using the meter, claiming traffic or tolls justify the fixed price. The flat rate is almost always higher than the metered fare, sometimes by 50% or more.

How to avoid: Insist on using the meter for all taxi journeys. The official taxi queue at Pudong Airport has licensed drivers who are obligated to use the meter. Alternatively, use the Maglev train or Metro Line 2 for a fixed, cheaper fare into the city.

Unlicensed drivers solicit passengers in the arrivals hall and exterior ramp of Pudong International Airport before travelers reach the official taxi queue. They offer fixed-price rides that sound competitive but frequently end in demands for additional fees upon arrival, citing tolls, luggage, or late-night surcharges not mentioned upfront. Some drivers take significantly longer routes to inflate time-based charges.

How to avoid: Exit the arrivals hall and follow signs to the official taxi queue, which is staffed and monitored. Only board taxis through the formal queue. The Airport Maglev train to Longyang Road Station is a reliable, fixed-price alternative. Never accept rides from anyone who approaches you inside the terminal building.