Currency
The local currency is RMB. Most banks open at 9:00 and close at 17:00 (possibly closed on either Saturday or Sunday, but there is no hard and fast rule on this. All banks are equipped with ATMs to provide 24-hour service). Many 24-hour self-service banks (mostly Bank of China and China Merchants Bank) are located downtown, offering deposit and withdrawal services. Some even allow you to transfer funds.

Telecommunications
Telephone: GSM, GPRS , CA Internet accessing methods are provided in Shanghai. Local calls are RMB0.5/3 minute. Pay phone charge starts at RMB 1, for 5 minutes' talk.The rates for DDD and IDD calls, and calls to Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, are all RMB2.2 per 1 minute. 200-series and 300-series telephone cards can be used in all IC public phones in the city. Credit top-up cards for mobile phones and IC calling cards are available at various supermarkets, convenient stores and telecommunication stores in the city.

Useful Telephone Numbers
Police 110, Fire 119, Ambulance 120, Consumer Complaint 12315, Travel Complaint 64393615, Telephone Directory Service 114, International Dialing Code Inquiry 116, Time Telling 12117, Weather Forecast 12121.

Travel & Ticketing Telephone Numbers
Flight Inquiry (Hongqiao International Airport) 62688918, Flight Inquiry (Pudong International Airport) 68341000, Shanghai Passenger Port Inquiry 63260269, Bus Hotline 3175522 and Metro Inquiry 63189000。

Postal Service
Shanghai's postal service is cheap and reliable. Post offices are located in waiting halls of both airports. They are open every day of the year and the business hours are from 8:00 to 18:00. The telephone number for EMS is 11185.

Buses
There are 209 participating bus lines in the Transfer Discount Program, which offers a discount of RMB 1 for transfers within 90 minutes between air-conditioned buses and the metro paid for by the Transit Smart Card. After the cumulative monthly transport spending on the metro (including the Light Rail) paid for by the Transit Smart Card reaches RMB70, there is a 10% discount for the remainder of the month.

Taxis
The flagfall for a sedan car taxi is RMB11, while the figure for larger vehicle types is RMB 16. The flagfall covers a distance of 3 km. After the first 3 km, the fare is RMB2.1 per km, with a 50% surcharge from the 11th km onwards. From 23:00 (included) to 5:00 (excluded) on the following day, both the flagfall and the meter rate are 30% higher. The meter displays the final fare in RMB. If the decimal point is less than or equal to 0.50, it will be taken off, otherwise, it will be rounded up. The fare is calculated based on both time and meters. If the driving speed drops below 12km/hour due to the traffic or the passenger asks for the taxi to wait, every five minutes of waiting time count as 1 km. If the driver requests the stop, the driver must pause the meter.

The Metro
Shanghai has a strong transportation network. Presently, there are nine metro lines, most of which are opened and runs across the downtown. Modern shopping centers, Shanghai's famous sights, and city entertainments are located along Lines One and Two. The Bund, the People's Square, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Nanjing Road, Huaihai Road, Xintiandi, Hengshan Road, Jinjiang Amusement Park and other famous destinations are all located near Metro stations.

Time Zone and Time Difference
Shanghai is located near the east longitude 120', GMT +8 hours.

The Climate
Located at the middle latitude and close to the rivers and the sea, Shanghai enjoys a subtropical monsoon climate with four distinct seasons and is generally pleasant throughout the year. The average temperature in November is from 13.3 to 23.9 degrees Celsius while rainfall averages 49mms.

Voltage
Electrcity in China is 220 volts(50Hz) and a flat pin plug is used.