Shanghai vocabulary comes alive when you follow the river, look closely at a stone gateway and ask what is inside a small dumpling. This Top 100 Vocabulary for Visiting and Touring China guide brings together English meanings, simplified Chinese writing and Hanyu Pinyin for the Bund, lane neighbourhoods, museums and meals. There is plenty to enjoy; begin with the scene that makes you curious.
The list is selected for learning, not ranked by search frequency or everyday usage. It combines destinations with descriptive expressions you can use while observing a city. The translations fit the stated context. Keep the shared Mandarin essentials for general travel needs; this page gives Shanghai its own vocabulary job.
China Learning Hub → Shanghai → choose a scene → ask a question → write a short account. For general needs, open shared Mandarin essentials.
Choose your reading route
Jump to the 100-entry vocabulary list, pronunciation, five practical questions, places and history or English writing practice.
The list uses simplified Chinese. Most pinyin entries show dictionary tones; connected speech may change them. Descriptive phrases are learning expressions, not promises that the same wording appears on every sign. Confirm a destination with its full address and an official map.
1–10: Riverfront names and orientation
Place Pudong and Puxi on a map before choosing a riverfront destination. The two names distinguish areas on opposite sides of the Huangpu, rather than two versions of the same street address.
| No. | English word / expression | Chinese writing | Hanyu Pinyin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Bund | 外滩 | Wàitān |
| 2 | Huangpu River | 黄浦江 | Huángpǔ Jiāng |
| 3 | Pudong | 浦东 | Pǔdōng |
| 4 | Puxi | 浦西 | Pǔxī |
| 5 | Lujiazui | 陆家嘴 | Lùjiāzuǐ |
| 6 | Waibaidu Bridge | 外白渡桥 | Wàibáidù Qiáo |
| 7 | Suzhou Creek | 苏州河 | Sūzhōu Hé |
| 8 | Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street | 南京路步行街 | Nánjīng Lù Bùxíngjiē |
| 9 | People's Square | 人民广场 | Rénmín Guǎngchǎng |
| 10 | Oriental Pearl Tower | 东方明珠塔 | Dōngfāng Míngzhū Tǎ |
11–20: Watching the river closely
Describe what you can actually see from a permitted public viewing place. A boat wake is an observable movement of water; the vessel’s destination requires another source.
| No. | English word / expression | Chinese writing | Hanyu Pinyin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Riverside promenade | 滨江步道 | bīnjiāng bùdào |
| 12 | River ferry crossing | 轮渡过江 | lúndù guòjiāng |
| 13 | Passenger ferry landing stage | 客运轮渡码头 | kèyùn lúndù mǎtóu |
| 14 | Pudong bank of the Huangpu | 黄浦江浦东岸 | Huángpǔ Jiāng Pǔdōng àn |
| 15 | Riverfront embankment | 滨江堤岸 | bīnjiāng dī'àn |
| 16 | Tower observation floor | 高楼观景层 | gāolóu guānjǐng céng |
| 17 | High-rise reflection | 高楼倒影 | gāolóu dàoyǐng |
| 18 | Illuminated riverfront | 灯火映照的江岸 | dēnghuǒ yìngzhào de jiāng'àn |
| 19 | Suzhou–Huangpu confluence | 苏州河与黄浦江交汇处 | Sūzhōu Hé yǔ Huángpǔ Jiāng jiāohuìchù |
| 20 | Boat wake | 船行尾波 | chuánxíng wěibō |
21–30: Lane houses and lived-in space
Match the gateway, the lane and the home. Do not treat a row of occupied houses as an open museum simply because its architecture is interesting.
| No. | English word / expression | Chinese writing | Hanyu Pinyin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Shikumen stone gateway | 石库门 | shíkùmén |
| 22 | Lilong lane neighbourhood | 里弄 | lǐlòng |
| 23 | Lane-house row | 弄堂排屋 | lòngtáng páiwū |
| 24 | Shared lane passage | 公共弄堂 | gōnggòng lòngtáng |
| 25 | Stone door surround | 石门框 | shí ménkuàng |
| 26 | Brick lane-house facade | 砖砌排屋立面 | zhuānqì páiwū lìmiàn |
| 27 | Lane nameplate | 弄堂铭牌 | lòngtáng míngpái |
| 28 | Laundry above a lane | 弄堂晾衣 | lòngtáng liàngyī |
| 29 | Shared domestic space | 共用生活空间 | gòngyòng shēnghuó kōngjiān |
| 30 | Occupied historic home | 有人居住的老房子 | yǒu rén jūzhù de lǎo fángzi |
31–40: Reading a building frontage
Compare a visible detail with a reliable label. Recognising a column does not by itself establish a building’s architectural style or original use.
| No. | English word / expression | Chinese writing | Hanyu Pinyin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | Neoclassical frontage | 新古典主义立面 | xīn gǔdiǎn zhǔyì lìmiàn |
| 32 | Art Deco detailing | 装饰艺术细部 | zhuāngshì yìshù xìbù |
| 33 | Customs clock tower | 海关钟楼 | hǎiguān zhōnglóu |
| 34 | Former trading house | 旧洋行 | jiù yángháng |
| 35 | Banking hall interior | 银行营业大厅内部 | yínháng yíngyè dàtīng nèibù |
| 36 | River-facing colonnade | 面江柱廊 | miàn jiāng zhùláng |
| 37 | Steel bridge truss | 钢桥桁架 | gāngqiáo héngjià |
| 38 | Decorative cornice | 装饰檐口 | zhuāngshì yánkǒu |
| 39 | Street-corner building | 街角建筑 | jiējiǎo jiànzhù |
| 40 | Building reuse | 建筑再利用 | jiànzhù zài lìyòng |
41–50: Yu Garden and the old city
Yu Garden and the surrounding commercial streets are related parts of an area, but they are not the same space. Check the boundary and entry arrangements for the attraction you intend to visit.
| No. | English word / expression | Chinese writing | Hanyu Pinyin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | Yu Garden | 豫园 | Yùyuán |
| 42 | City God Temple | 城隍庙 | Chénghuáng Miào |
| 43 | Nine-Bend Bridge | 九曲桥 | Jiǔqū Qiáo |
| 44 | Huxinting Teahouse | 湖心亭 | Húxīn Tíng |
| 45 | Old city quarter | 老城厢 | lǎochéngxiāng |
| 46 | Garden dragon wall | 园林龙墙 | yuánlín lóngqiáng |
| 47 | Rockery grotto | 假山洞穴 | jiǎshān dòngxué |
| 48 | Pond-side pavilion | 池畔亭阁 | chípàn tínggé |
| 49 | Framed garden vista | 园林框景 | yuánlín kuàngjǐng |
| 50 | Garden–bazaar boundary | 园林与商街边界 | yuánlín yǔ shāngjiē biānjiè |
51–60: Museums, towers and city streets
Save the full destination, including the museum branch or building. A tower name does not identify every ticketed experience offered inside it.
| No. | English word / expression | Chinese writing | Hanyu Pinyin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 51 | Shanghai Museum | 上海博物馆 | Shànghǎi Bówùguǎn |
| 52 | Shanghai History Museum | 上海市历史博物馆 | Shànghǎi Shì Lìshǐ Bówùguǎn |
| 53 | Shanghai Tower | 上海中心大厦 | Shànghǎi Zhōngxīn Dàshà |
| 54 | Shanghai World Financial Center | 上海环球金融中心 | Shànghǎi Huánqiú Jīnróng Zhōngxīn |
| 55 | Jin Mao Tower | 金茂大厦 | Jīnmào Dàshà |
| 56 | Xintiandi | 新天地 | Xīntiāndì |
| 57 | Tianzifang | 田子坊 | Tiánzǐfāng |
| 58 | Wukang Road | 武康路 | Wǔkāng Lù |
| 59 | Former French Concession | 原法租界 | yuán Fǎ Zūjiè |
| 60 | Plane-tree avenue | 悬铃木林荫道 | xuánlíngmù línyīndào |
61–70: Shanghai food and cooking details
Name the dish, then describe its filling, base or sauce separately. A regional label does not establish the ingredients used by a particular restaurant.
| No. | English word / expression | Chinese writing | Hanyu Pinyin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61 | Shanghai-style cuisine | 本帮菜 | běnbāngcài |
| 62 | Nanxiang soup dumpling | 南翔小笼包 | Nánxiáng xiǎolóngbāo |
| 63 | Pan-fried pork bun | 生煎包 | shēngjiānbāo |
| 64 | Scallion-oil noodles | 葱油拌面 | cōngyóu bànmiàn |
| 65 | Red-braised pork | 红烧肉 | hóngshāoròu |
| 66 | Rice-cake stir-fry | 炒年糕 | chǎo niángāo |
| 67 | Crab roe filling | 蟹黄馅 | xièhuáng xiàn |
| 68 | Soup inside a dumpling | 包内汤汁 | bāo nèi tāngzhī |
| 69 | Pan-fried bun base | 生煎底部 | shēngjiān dǐbù |
| 70 | Sweet-and-savoury sauce | 甜咸酱汁 | tiánxián jiàngzhī |
71–80: Airports, stations and connections
Check both the airport name and railway-station name. Hongqiao Airport and Shanghai Hongqiao Station are different facilities even though they share the Hongqiao name.
| No. | English word / expression | Chinese writing | Hanyu Pinyin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 71 | Hongqiao Airport | 虹桥机场 | Hóngqiáo Jīchǎng |
| 72 | Pudong Airport | 浦东机场 | Pǔdōng Jīchǎng |
| 73 | Shanghai Hongqiao Station | 上海虹桥站 | Shànghǎi Hóngqiáo Zhàn |
| 74 | Shanghai Railway Station | 上海站 | Shànghǎi Zhàn |
| 75 | Shanghai South Station | 上海南站 | Shànghǎi Nánzhàn |
| 76 | Maglev train | 磁悬浮列车 | cíxuánfú lièchē |
| 77 | Metro interchange concourse | 地铁换乘大厅 | dìtiě huànchéng dàtīng |
| 78 | Platform direction label | 站台方向标识 | zhàntái fāngxiàng biāozhì |
| 79 | Pedestrian subway passage | 地下人行通道 | dìxià rénxíng tōngdào |
| 80 | Ferry operating notice | 轮渡运营公告 | lúndù yùnyíng gōnggào |
81–90: Trade history and evidence
Use a photograph, a map and a dated source together. A building’s appearance cannot tell you the whole history of the people who worked there.
| No. | English word / expression | Chinese writing | Hanyu Pinyin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 81 | Port-city history | 港口城市史 | gǎngkǒu chéngshì shǐ |
| 82 | Treaty-port period | 通商口岸时期 | tōngshāng kǒu'àn shíqī |
| 83 | Commercial streetscape | 商业街景 | shāngyè jiējǐng |
| 84 | Shipping-route map | 航运路线图 | hángyùn lùxiàn tú |
| 85 | River trade | 江上贸易 | jiāngshàng màoyì |
| 86 | City planning model | 城市规划模型 | chéngshì guīhuà móxíng |
| 87 | Neighbourhood oral history | 街区口述史 | jiēqū kǒushù shǐ |
| 88 | Museum building date | 博物馆建筑年代 | bówùguǎn jiànzhù niándài |
| 89 | Old photograph comparison | 老照片对照 | lǎo zhàopiàn duìzhào |
| 90 | Changing river use | 江河用途变化 | jiānghé yòngtú biànhuà |
91–100: Language, privacy and useful questions
Practise asking which bank or museum branch is intended. Chinese writing and a complete address are useful when spoken instructions leave you uncertain.
| No. | English word / expression | Chinese writing | Hanyu Pinyin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 91 | Shanghainese speech | 上海话 | Shànghǎihuà |
| 92 | Standard Mandarin wording | 普通话说法 | pǔtōnghuà shuōfǎ |
| 93 | Chinese street address | 中文街道地址 | Zhōngwén jiēdào dìzhǐ |
| 94 | Which riverbank? | 哪一侧江岸？ | nǎ yí cè jiāng'àn? |
| 95 | Which museum branch? | 哪个博物馆馆区？ | nǎ ge bówùguǎn guǎnqū? |
| 96 | Historic residence privacy | 历史住宅隐私 | lìshǐ zhùzhái yǐnsī |
| 97 | Building detail sketch | 建筑细部速写 | jiànzhù xìbù sùxiě |
| 98 | Riverfront sound notes | 江边声音记录 | jiāngbiān shēngyīn jìlù |
| 99 | Verified object caption | 核实过的藏品说明 | héshí guo de cángpǐn shuōmíng |
| 100 | Source-backed city comparison | 有来源的城市比较 | yǒu láiyuán de chéngshì bǐjiào |
Pronunciation: listen to the whole expression
The Hanyu Pinyin here represents standard Mandarin, including Mandarin readings of Shanghai place names. It does not represent Shanghainese pronunciation. 上海话 and 普通话说法 are included so you can recognise that distinction. For 黄浦江, practise Huángpǔ Jiāng as a complete name; the river name is more useful than guessing one syllable at a time.
Tone marks show pitch: mā is high and level, má rises, mǎ is low and may dip then rise in isolation, and mà falls. An unmarked neutral syllable is lighter. In connected Mandarin, the first of two third tones usually rises; 不 commonly becomes bú before a fourth tone, and 一 changes according to the following tone. The ready-to-say questions below mark common changes. Listen and repeat a complete short phrase, then check that you can recognise the written name.
Five friendly questions to practise
| English question | Chinese writing | Hanyu Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Is the Bund on this side? | 外滩在这一侧吗？ | Wàitān zài zhè yí cè ma? |
| Does this ferry go to Pudong? | 这个轮渡去浦东吗？ | Zhège lúndù qù Pǔdōng ma? |
| Which museum branch is this? | 这是哪个博物馆馆区？ | Zhè shì nǎ ge bówùguǎn guǎnqū? |
| Is there soup inside this dumpling? | 这个小笼包里面有汤汁吗？ | Zhège xiǎolóngbāo lǐmiàn yǒu tāngzhī ma? |
| May we photograph this stone gateway? | 我们可以拍这个石库门吗？ | Wǒmen kěyǐ pāi zhège shíkùmén ma? |
Use a question when it fits the situation, listen to the answer and ask for clarification if needed. A written word list helps you communicate; it does not replace confirmation from the person or venue you are speaking with.
The Bund is a riverfront with a history
Shanghai’s official tourism website places the Bund along the Huangpu River, with former financial and trading institutions facing the waterfront. It connects the area’s development with Shanghai’s trading-port history and the former International Settlement. That gives your walk a useful question: what work did these buildings once support?
Choose a building visible from public space and sketch one feature. Then find a reliable account of its former use. ‘The frontage has columns’ describes what you saw. ‘The building housed a bank’ needs documentary support. The second sentence becomes more interesting when you know why you can trust it.
Look across the river, then check your side
Pudong and Puxi are useful orientation words because the Huangpu separates the scenes you may be looking at. A tower across the river can appear close in a photograph while requiring a separate journey. Start with a map, identify your present bank and confirm your intended destination before choosing a crossing.
An invented journal opening: ‘From the promenade, I watched a boat’s wake spread across the water. The towers on the other bank reflected the evening light.’ The passage works because the writer names two visible things and their actions. It does not claim to know the boat’s passengers, route or purpose.
A stone gateway leads to a neighbourhood story
石库门 identifies the stone-framed gateway associated with Shanghai lane housing; 里弄 names a lane neighbourhood. They help you see an arrangement of homes and shared passages rather than a collection of picturesque doors. Occupied houses deserve the same consideration as homes anywhere else.
Stay in public areas, respect signs and keep doorways clear. A domestic detail may suggest a question about daily life, but it is not permission to peer through windows or enter a house. For a classroom activity, compare a lane-house photograph with a familiar Singapore street and identify only the similarities the evidence supports.
Yu Garden asks you to slow your description
The official Shanghai tourism account traces Yu Garden’s beginnings to Pan Yunduan in 1559. It also distinguishes the heritage garden from a larger surrounding area that includes shopping streets and the City God Temple. That distinction is useful before you go: ‘the Yu Garden area’ can mean more than the garden itself.
Try describing a framed view. What is closest to you? What appears through the opening? What partly hides the next space? A garden dragon wall, a pond-side pavilion and a rockery grotto give you different nouns for different features. Check a guide or label before naming an unfamiliar structure with confidence.
Shanghai tourism: Yu Garden and its wider area
Give a small dumpling a precise description
The Shanghai government identifies Nanxiang xiaolongbao as a local soup-dumpling speciality. Learn 南翔小笼包 together with 包内汤汁, soup inside a dumpling. Then distinguish it from 生煎包, a pan-fried bun: a cooking method and a base texture are more helpful than calling both ‘Chinese buns’.
An ingredient name is not an assurance about a particular serving. Ask restaurant staff about what they prepare. In your journal, write one specific thing you noticed: the wrapper, the soup, the browned base or the way the dish was served. A friendly question can give the next sentence its content.
Shanghai government: local dishes and Nanxiang xiaolongbao
Museums give the city a second layer
A tower view helps you notice urban form; a museum can help you interpret an object or historical change. Choose one question before opening a long exhibition list. Perhaps you want to understand a trade route, compare an old photograph with a current streetscape, or learn why an object was kept.
Keep the object’s date separate from the museum building’s date. A photograph of a gallery cannot establish either on its own. Write the source beside a historical note and mark unanswered questions clearly. Good travel writing can end with curiosity rather than a sweeping statement about an entire city.
Plan by complete names, not familiar fragments
Shanghai has airports and stations whose names deserve careful reading. Save the complete Chinese destination together with the booking details. Check which museum branch, riverbank or tower experience you mean. A small naming check at the start can make the rest of the day much calmer.
Use the attraction or operator’s own information for the visit date. Confirm entry arrangements, current opening information, transport connections and any document requirements. The list teaches language; it does not promise operating hours, fares or access. Keep room in the day to rest, talk and write a few notes.
Turn a city moment into clearer English
Begin with ‘The wake spread.’ Add a location: ‘The wake spread across the river.’ Add a cause: ‘The wake spread across the river behind the ferry.’ These invented sentences build an observable relationship. Add a time or viewpoint only when it helps the reader picture the scene.
Use eduKate’s Fencing Method to check each addition: what did it clarify, and does the evidence support it?
Keep the scale clear: a stone door surround is a building detail, a shikumen gateway identifies an entrance type, and a lilong lane neighbourhood is a larger arrangement of homes and passages. The words are connected, but they do not all name the same thing. Explaining that difference in English is excellent vocabulary practice.
For a real journal, distinguish what you observed from what a source explained. For an imagined account, label it as imagined. Your reader should know which kind of scene you are writing. The Trip to China writing guide helps turn one incident into a connected account; the English 200-word bank supplies meanings and original examples for the writing itself.
Before, during and after: a small learning plan
Before: choose five riverfront entries and five lane-house entries. Match their writing and pronunciation, and locate one destination on a map. During: note a visible river action and one building detail without guessing its history. After: write a short comparison that separates observation from a sourced fact. Later, transfer the same method to a Singapore waterfront or street photograph.
For parents, ask what the child noticed before supplying a new word. For teachers, have pupils label one observation, one sourced explanation and one open question. At home, the same task works with an adult-selected photograph and a museum source. An overseas journey is not required.
Questions travellers often ask
Do I need all 100 entries?
No. Pick ten that fit your next scene. Use the shared essentials for everyday exchanges, and keep this list as a city reference. Being able to use three expressions accurately is a useful start.
Is this the local dialect?
The main pinyin represents standard Mandarin. Local speech can differ. The Shanghai note separates Mandarin readings from Shanghainese.
Are these all single words?
No. There are words, descriptive expressions and proper names. The list makes that visible because travellers need both an object word and the full name of the place they intend to find.
Can I learn from home?
Yes. Choose a reliable photograph or museum page, describe the evidence and practise a short conversation. Identify imagined scenes clearly rather than inventing a personal overseas experience.
Are the older Top 20 articles still useful?
The older article remains a separate short English reading resource. This guide supplies the expanded bilingual travel list and practical questions. Use the Shanghai Top 20 archive when you want that shorter route.
Sources and further reading
Shanghai tourism: Yu Garden and its wider area
Shanghai government: local dishes and Nanxiang xiaolongbao
Shanghai tourism: shikumen housing
Historical explanations use the sources above. Check the relevant attraction or operator directly for present-day visits; this learning guide does not fix ticket prices, opening hours or transport schedules.
Continue learning with eduKateSG
Return to the China city directory to choose a contrasting city scene. Use the Vocabulary Learning Hub for retrieval and transfer, or the English Learning Hub for the wider reading-to-writing route. Bring back one question and one short paragraph that sound like you.