Au pair in Shanghai: your local guide
Shanghai is our home city. Here's how to get around, where to go on your days off and how to make friends while you learn Mandarin.
Why Shanghai is a great first city in China
Shanghai is China's biggest and most international city, and one of the easiest places to start your exchange. Signs on the metro are in English, food from every corner of China is on your doorstep, and the streets feel lively and safe late into the evening. You'll find historic water towns and classical gardens just a train ride from some of the tallest skyscrapers on earth.
It's also where our team is based, and one of our four main host cities. If your host family lives in Shanghai, our office is never more than a metro ride away, and you can drop by to meet us in person.
Getting around: the Shanghai Metro
With around 20 lines, the Shanghai Metro is one of the largest in the world, and the fastest way to cross the city. These are the lines you'll use most:
- Line 1
Xinzhuang (our office, above TODTOWN mall), Xujiahui, South Shaanxi Road and People’s Square.
- Line 2
The east–west line: Pudong Airport, Lujiazui, Nanjing Road, Jing’an Temple and Hongqiao Airport and Railway Station.
- Line 5
From Xinzhuang south through Minhang, where many of our host families live.
- Line 9
Qibao Ancient Town, Xujiahui and Dapuqiao for the lanes of Tianzifang.
- Line 10
Xintiandi, Yuyuan Garden and Nanjing Road East, plus Hongqiao Airport.
- Line 17
West to Zhujiajiao, a canal town with stone bridges and boat rides.
Paying for the metro
Fares start at 3 yuan. Scan in with a metro QR code in Alipay or WeChat, or buy a reloadable Shanghai Public Transportation Card, which also works on buses and ferries. Trains run from early morning until around 11pm. For airport runs, the Maglev whisks you from Pudong Airport to Longyang Road station in about 8 minutes, and DiDi taxis are cheap for late nights home.
Free and affordable culture
You don't need a big budget to explore Shanghai. Some of the best places cost nothing at all.
Shanghai Museum
People’s Square · Lines 1, 2, 8Bronzes, ceramics, calligraphy and jade from 5,000 years of Chinese history. Free entry: bring your passport.
Shanghai Museum East
PudongThe museum’s big new branch, opened in 2024, with free entry to its permanent galleries.
China Art Museum
Line 8, China Art Museum stationThe huge red former China Pavilion from Expo 2010, with modern Chinese art across several floors.
Qibao Ancient Town
Minhang · Line 9Canals, snack streets and old teahouses, a short ride from our office. Free to walk around.
Yu Garden and the old town
Line 10, Yuyuan GardenA classical Ming dynasty garden with a small entrance fee. The bazaar around it is free to explore.
Tianzifang and Wukang Road
Lines 9 and 10Shikumen lanes full of cafés and studios, and tree-lined streets of 1930s villas. Free, and best on foot.
Opening times and booking rules change around public holidays, so check before you go.
Parks and green spaces
Shanghai's parks are where local life happens: grandparents doing tai chi at sunrise, families flying kites and friends playing cards. They're great places to take the children, too.
- Fuxing Park: morning tai chi, ballroom dancing and mahjong under the plane trees. Free.
- People’s Park: in the city centre, with its famous weekend “marriage market”. Free.
- The Bund and the riverside paths of Xuhui and the West Bund: walks, cycling and skyline views. Free.
- Century Park in Pudong: lakes, lawns and bike rental for a small entrance fee.
- Gongqing Forest Park: woods, picnics and space to breathe in the city’s northeast, for a small fee.
Language exchange meetups in Shanghai
Your classmates at language school will be your first friends, but Shanghai also has a lively language exchange scene where locals practise English and you practise Mandarin.
- Language Exchangers Shanghai runs regular social language evenings, often in Jing'an, that are popular with students and young professionals.
- Language Mix has hosted weekly exchanges in Shanghai since 2015, mixing many languages and nationalities.
- University language corners around Fudan and Tongji universities in Yangpu bring international and Chinese students together.
Most groups announce events on Meetup or WeChat, and times and venues change, so check the latest details before you go. Ask us for tips once you arrive.
Our office in Shanghai
TODTOWN Skyline (天荟悦麟), No. 6333-2 & 6333-4, Hu Min Road, Minhang District, Shanghai 201199, ChinaRight above TODTOWN mall and Xinzhuang metro station (Lines 1 and 5). WhatsApp +1 617-306-6125 or email apply@waupairchina.com before you come.
Shanghai au pair questions
Is there an au pair program based in Shanghai?
Yes. Waupair China is a language and cultural exchange au pair program headquartered in Shanghai, at TODTOWN Skyline in Minhang District. Our host families live across Shanghai, including Minhang, Changning, Xuhui and Pudong, and in other cities across mainland China.
Where is the Waupair China office in Shanghai?
Our office is at TODTOWN Skyline (天荟悦麟), No. 6333-2 & 6333-4, Hu Min Road, Minhang District, Shanghai 201199, China, right above TODTOWN mall. Message us on WhatsApp (+1 617-306-6125) or email apply@waupairchina.com before you visit.
How do I get to the Waupair China office by metro?
Take Line 1 or Line 5 to Xinzhuang station. TODTOWN mall and our building sit directly above the station. Line 1 runs straight from People’s Square and Xujiahui, and from Pudong Airport you can take Line 2 to People’s Square and change to Line 1.
Ready for your Shanghai adventure?
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