| I've been to China twice now, first to Beijing then to Xiamen in Fujian province. I am white, and yeah, I did stand out. But it's OK because you will meet enough other non-Asian foreigners there from every country you can think of that it makes you feel kind of like a special group. Actually, if you are going to Shanghai, you will see lots of foreigners everywhere you go.
On that note, I spent a long weekend in Shanghai and it feels kind of like any big city: it's modern, it's crowded, it has its bars, etc, but it lacks any sort of cultural authenticity. I'd really recommend going to Beijing instead if you want to see what "real" modern Chinese city is all about. | 
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