How to get around in April Shanghai? Mirrored to the Easter, there’s Qing Ming festival in April, where the families pay tributes to their deceased members, as called “sweeping the gravestones” by the locals. Traffic tends to gridlock on the way out to the outskirt for the weekends. People enjoy the traditional dim sum “Qing Tuan” (glutinous rice dumplings).

Drizzling April has its charm and it brings the hope that Spring is on the door step. In the school, Chinese kids learn the great poem of Tao Yuan Ming, which celebrates April’s idiosyncrasy: How to get around it drizzles endless during the rainy season / travellers along the road look gloomy and miserable / when I ask where I can find a tavern / a shepherd boy points a hamlet nestling amidst apricot blossoms in distance. (translation quoted and modified from the edition of XianYi Yang & NaiDi Dai).

Outdoor and nature are the prime choice in April, an exhibition of variety of flowers in Chong Ming runs from March to July. April seems a wise choice considering the temperature at the time, Go Chong Ming Island. This weekend comes with the first practice of Chinese F1 Grand Prix at Jia Ding district. Plenty going on to suit different tastes for culture and entertaining, including a Tibetan heritage show .

For a city which strives to be the best with never ending metro lines and sky scrappers, it has come around to preserve its celebrated unique culture: alleyways and backstreets where you discover the local living, those gems hidden behind the glittering shopping malls and office buildings, will get a makeover, How exciting. We recommend the tours, for the authentic local food  as well as with walk.

Expats in Shanghai form own sense of being a local, ask them where to go or what to do, follow TimeOut  to check on any seasoned tips.

Read more on our Blog Best time to visit Shanghai

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