How to survive a zombie apocalypse in Shanghai

Photograph: Priscilla Du Preez via Unsplash

While it may sometimes feel like you're surrounded by zombies while you battle your way through a busy metro station during your morning commute, or are standing at the bar at M1NT at 3am, have you ever thought what it'd actually be like if a zombie apocalypse hit Shanghai? We've thought about it, a bit too much if we're being honest. 

Yeah, so it's not Halloween for another four months, but that doesn't mean a zombie apocalypse can't happen on July 4, Independence Day. More like Independence-from-the-natural-laws-of-life-and-death-Day.

Shaun of the Dead via GIPHY

Here are the best places to take shelter and seek refuge should things in Shanghai go a bit 28 Days Later.

East Shanghai Shooting and Archery Club 

Photograph: Kenny Ong

They have guns, so it seems like a no-brainer (which will be how you'll be best described if the zombies get hold of you). The firearms on offer include Baikal rifles, Walthers and Pardini pistols, which should be more than good enough to put some holes in Shanghai's walking dead. However, the bullets will run out eventually and unlike in the Resident Evil video games you used to play, you won't find stocks of ammo just lying around, so there will come a point when you'll have to make use of the archery club's resources. Get ready to do your best Legolas impression...

663 Hongqiao Lu, near Panyu Lu (6280 0677).

Cages Bar and Sports

Photograph: courtesy Cages Bar and Sports

The perfect stronghold. It's three floors up, there's food and drinks, access to baseball bats and if the worst comes to the worst you can get inside one of the bubble football bubbles and curl up and hope for the best. Cages is pretty much zombie proof – a feature that should be in the business model of every self-respecting sports bar. Also, if the apocalypse happens on a Tuesday night, the Shanghai Comedy Club open mic will be on, where hopefully the only people dying will be comedians trying new material on stage...

Third Floor, 428 Jiangning Lu, near Wuding Lu (5299 5273).

Mr X

Photograph: courtesy Mr X

This one could go either way. Locking yourself in an escape room could prove to be a stroke of genius or apparent suicide depending on how adept zombies are at solving puzzles. If they get in and you're stuck trying to crack a code or find a key to in order to escape, the mission titles on offer such as 'Death Race' and 'Final Judgement' will prove to be far more telling than first imagined.

Bldg 1, 550 Jumen Lu, near Quxi Lu (3304 1233).

825 Dingxi Lu, near Yanan Xi Lu (6281 9019).

Shanghai Tower

Photograph: Kenny Ong

If The Walking Dead has taught us anything, it's that every ground level hideout will be breached in a flash. The Shanghai Tower is 128 above ground floors of potential refuge, plus the observation deck will give you a perfect view of which streets are flooded with undead Shanghai ren. However, it's also likely that the observation deck will be flooded with tourists and Instagrammers, which are arguably worse than zombies if you ask us...

501 Yincheng Zhong Lu, near Huayuanshiqiao Lu, Pudong.

Le Baron

Photograph: courtesy Le Baron

At times, it seems that it's near impossible to get into Le Baron when you're a well-dressed totally non-zombified fully functioning human. There's no chance the zombies will get past the doormen.

Seventh Floor, 20 Donghu Lu, near Huaihai Zhong Lu.

Perry's

Photograph: Yang Xiaozhe

While not the most secure hideout, the sheesha smoke in the air and the general undead-like demeanour of the Perry's clientele will trick the zombies into thinking everyone there is a zombie already.

Third Floor, 1139 Kaixuan Lu, near Anshun Lu (3255 8117).

Various locations across Shanghai.

Disney

Photograph: courtesy Disney via 247tickets

There's no way zombies will want to ride the metro all the way to the end of Line 11. And even if they do, they'll be too busy queuing for Tron to try and eat your flesh or whatever.

360 Shendi Xi Lu, near Tansuo Lu, Pudong.

Shanghai Community Sports Club

Photograph: Adam Hopkins

Way out in Pudong by Line 6's Wuzhou Avenue station, SCSC is the perfect place to set up a safe haven. Plus, you can you can arm yourself with cricket bats and it'll be a bit like Shaun of the Dead. Most of the characters survived in that movie...

2700 Zhang Yang Bei Lu, near Wuzhou Dadao, Pudong (6155 1921).

More from Time Out Shanghai

Click below for more from Time Out Shanghai