No, I’m not moving to China but I am making my very first trip to Asia in 6 days! Mr. C and I will be visiting a friend who moved to Shanghai for work and will be joined by other friends from Paris to celebrate the New Year, modern metropolis style. We’ll also be spending a few days in Beijing à deux where we hope to pack in enough culture and sight-seeing to last us through 2012.

There will be one last Franco File Friday feature of the year at the end of this week and then you’ll see a New Year’s recap/resolution/tell-all post on the 31st, I hope you’ll stop back for that! In the meantime, I’m compiling recommendations.

I know a trip to China doesn’t really fall into the parameters of a blog about life in France but I’ve shared with you my trips to New York, Istanbul and London and the feedback has been positive. Shaking up Lost In Cheeseland a bit every now and again doesn’t hurt, right?

We’ve got our maps and our French Lonely Planet guides but I want your advice!  Do you have any Shanghai and Beijing tips (particularly good eats, things and neighborhoods to avoid, etc.) that might not be in the guide books?