Hongqiao

The Hongqiao Transportation Hub, opened in 2010 alongside Terminal 2 of Hongqiao Airport, was designed as one of the largest integrated transport interchanges in the world — a single building connecting two airport terminals, two metro lines, and the western terminus of Shanghai's high-speed rail network. The scale reflects Shanghai's role as the Yangtze Delta's hub: passengers arriving from Tokyo or Seoul can connect directly to trains to Nanjing, Hangzhou, Suzhou, or Wuhan without leaving the building.

For practical travel in the region, Hongqiao is more useful than Pudong: the high-speed rail connections put Suzhou (23 minutes), Nanjing (60 minutes), and Hangzhou (45 minutes) within day-trip range of Shanghai. This makes the surrounding hotels natural staging points for Yangtze Delta business and leisure itineraries.

The Gubei area, two to three kilometres east of the hub, is the residential centre of Shanghai's Japanese expat community — a significant population drawn by Japanese corporate operations in the city. Japanese-language signage, supermarkets stocking Japanese products, and a density of Japanese restaurants make this enclave self-sufficient in a way that resembles the Korean community in Beijing's Wudaokou. The area is quiet, well-maintained, and has a suburban rather than urban feel.

The Qingpu district further west of Hongqiao contains Zhujiajiao, one of the most-visited water towns in the Yangtze Delta — a viable half-day addition to a Hongqiao base.