What is a recommended place / accomodation / hotel / hostel in Shanghai, China?

I am sorry that I can only help you with #5..

We go to ShangHai a lot for business, but always stay on the company's dime, so I am only familiar with more expensive hotels.

As for must-sees:

Do NOT miss the Jade Buddah. It is a little out of the way.. a bit of a walk from the subway.. you could take a cab.. but toally worth it. Make sure and eat dumplings at hte vegetarian restaurant inside of the temple. (CHEAP and so good!) The reclining Buddah is stunning. Make sure and go upstairs to the tea house for a free demonstration of teas. (not a bad price if you want to buy either)

Yuyyuan Garden is nice but only if you can get in when tons of tour buses are NOT streaming crowd after crowd through the gate! The area outside of the garden is full of fun shops and restaurants.. fun to bargain.

SKIP Pearl Tower. Take a photo from teh outside. IT costs about $12 USD to go to the top and you will wait in REALLY long lines to get all teh way up there. At first, it seems quick, but at each of the levels, you will wait again. Instead, you can take the elevator up to the 54th floor of the Jin Mao Tower for free.. this is the start of the Grand Hyatt hotel. Just walk inside to the restaurant, past the reception desk, and have a look. MAybe budget for a coffee up there.. the view is worth it.

Get off the subway, Line 2 at Nanjing East stop and walk around.. especially on the weekend. Everyone is out and about. (shopping, eating, walking, etc)

Others had told me to see the ShangHai acrobats and to go through the Bund Tourist tunnnel.. each seemed touristy and garish to me, but to each his own.

If you like aquariums, ShangHai's is awesome. It has the longest underwater viewing tunnel in the world. (155 meters)

We were at hte one in Melbourne last december and I think they are the tops I have been to.

Have fun!

Shanghai is just a distinguished international town drawing more and more attention from all around the world; so see what that city provides with hotelbye . Shanghai is a well known vacation location for visitors. In Shanghai you can see the wonderful Yu Garden (Yù Yuán), also called the Garden of Happiness. This Garden addresses a location greater than 20,000 square meters and includes an external and an interior garden. The oldest area may be the Outer Garden with more improvements being produced in the 18th century when Sansui Tang, the park's major corridor, was added. The newer and much smaller Inner Garden days from 1709 and includes functions common of a conventional Chinese writer's Garden: attractive small pavilions, ornamental stones, and miniature hill ranges, separating walls and little ponds, and even a highly furnished theatrical stage.

1 & 2. Hostel:

Captain Hostel near the Bund. Very good rates, very clean, and lots of international backpackers stay there. You'll meet lots of cool people while not paying a lot!

http://www.captainhostel.com.cn/captainhostel/bund...

Hotels: You can find some decent local hotels that do not carry international brand names like the Ramada Inn or Holiday Inn for $40 a night. Look for hotels in Xuhui and Luwan districts, Huangpu district is ok too. Stay out of Gubei, Minhang, Putuo, and Pudong districts - they are out of the way from public transportation.

You can also look for serviced apartments, plenty of listings for those on sites like shanghai.craigslist.org and shanghaiexpat.com . They're usually cheaper and nicer than hotels.

3. After watching from Oct 5-7, I plan to tour Shanghai from Oct 8-9. What cheap hotel/hostel is ideal for touring (accessible and near tourist places)?

See above answer.

4. If I'm not Chinese, will it be hard to ride the trains and learn how to commute?

No problem at all, the metro (subway) system is very extensive and everything is labelled in English. If you want to ask for directions, most non-Chinese in Shanghai speak English, wherever they may be from. And if you can't spot a non-Chinese person, half of the people under the age of 30 have some understanding of English.

And DON'T be afraid of the buses!!! There are lots of places where you can't reach on the metro. The buses are not as well-labeled in English as the metro, but they use the same metro card. Ask a local about where you are trying to go, they are for the most part fond of "trying to help foreign friends".

5. What are must see or must do in Shanghai?

Agreed with previous answer - skip the Pearl Tower. It's a waste of money and a waste of time. Jade Temple is indeed very nice, and so is Longhua temple.

For "Shanghai night life", definitely check out Bar Rouge at Bund 13 and Cloud 9 at the Grand Hyatt. Skip Park 97, it's completely crowded and overpriced. Take a walking tour around Luwan district if you have the time, the heart of the French Concession is beautiful and away from the craziness that is Huaihai Rd. And if you pass by Yongfu Rd. and Hunan Rd., see if you're allowed to peek into the Yong Fu Elite club, a private restaurant/club that is some of the most beautiful architecture and decor I've seen in China.

http://www.smartshanghai.com/venue/1964/Yongfoo_El...

If you're interested in cheap shopping, Cheng Huang Miao (City Temple, where Yuyuan Garden is located) is THE greatest place on earth to find everything you'll ever need. For antiques and replicas, check out Cang Bao Lou ("Treasure House") at the end of Shanghai Old Street near Henan Rd, the 2nd and 3rd floors are where the good/cheap stuff are. Bargain like you mean it!! Don't be afraid to slash to 1/10, even 1/20 of the prices.

For other "random crap", check out the huge buildings at Fuyou Rd. also at the city temple. They look like in-door street fairs, inside you'll find gifts and souvenirs for everyone you know at fantastic prices. Again, bargain bargain bargain! Shanghainese merchants are known to bump up prices 10 or 20 times when they see a non-Chinese person.

If you know anyone who might like fake name-brand stuff, just follow any of the hundreds of hawkers on Huaihai Rd. They'll take you to their "warehouse" nearby and you can pick out anything from Fendi to Louis V to Prada to Rolexes. Don't pay more than 100rmb for a handbag and 200rmb for a men's watch. Sunglasses are a flat rate of 30rmb per pair. (might be even cheaper now, these are prices from last year).

Enjoy Shanghai, and don't hesitate to message me if you have any questions :).