Now for another activity that should probably include a little prayer: riding a bike. Some folks believe you can't truly do the city until you've pedaled among the masses. I'm not one of those people. But if you are, Cycle China organizes group and individual tours.

That, logically, brings me to my final tip. You can find great Chinese massages in Shanghai for around $5 per 45 minutes. Double Rainbow, where many of the professionally trained therapists happen to be blind, is reliable. Chinese massages can be intense, however, and afterward I often feel like . . . well, like I need a massage. So lately I've been splurging (about $25) for gentler hour-long oil massages. Dragonfly Therapeutic Retreat offers a tranquil setting for this heavenly experience.

(Ryan Pyle) [enlarge photo] SHANGHAI LISTINGS These names and addresses are all available in Chinese characters. If you don't already have it, you will need Adobe Acrobat, a free (and easy!) plug-in, to read the listings Download the listings Download Adobe Acrobat DAN WASHBURN'S SHANGHAI • Eat • Shop • Play • Dan answers your questions JULY/AUGUST 2006 ISSUE • Table of Contents: July/August 2006 • Secret Hotels of the Amalfi Coast • My Shanghai Is Better Than Yours • Four Walkable Cities • Road Trip: The Catskills • Tips for Traveling With Pets • 40 Best Vacations

Stay away from the "massage parlors" with the pink lights and girls in knee-high boots. They're brothels. Capitalism is alive and well in Communist China.

My first few years were pretty lean as far as live music goes. I like indie rock, while Shanghai preferred Filipino bar bands and "world-ranked" DJs. But a year ago, almost overnight, rock music arrived. Lately, two of the more reliable underground rock options have been Live Bar and Shuffle Bar. Live Bar, 20 minutes from downtown, is raw and divey. You can get a tall bottle of Tsingtao for less than $2, and you'll be sitting on plastic furniture (721 Kunming Lu, by Tongbei Lu, 011-86/21-2833-6764). Shuffle Bar has a slightly more refined warehouse feel. Prices are a little higher, but at least your feet don't stick to the floor (137 Xingfu Lu, by Fahuazhen Lu, 011-86/21-6283-2769, shufflebar.com). For current concert listings, visit Shanghaistreets.net or, of course, Shanghaiist.com.