Cherry Chen and Rockid Hu (center) make new friends through their regular family dining events.

Migrant city

Shanghai, a global financial hub filled with iconic skyscrapers, plays home to people from all over the world.

Every day, hundreds or even thousands pour in looking for jobs and places to live. Those who settle and try to receive the coveted Shanghai hukou - a permanent residence permit that offers access to better healthcare and education - are known as "new Shanghainese". They frequently struggle to adapt to the local culture.

Since China embarked on the road of reform and opening up in the 1980s, the city's population has exploded. By the end of 2013 it had a residential population of over 24.15 million, according to figures released by the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Statistics.

It can take a long time for them to get established here professionally and socially, although that process seems to be getting easier.

Luo had to do it the hard way. But after eight years his views of the Shanghainese have changed.

"Local residents are far less annoying than how they are described in Chinese jokes, which usually mock them as being shrewd and arrogant," he said.

To help others vent their frustration and find friends he founded Me Library, a bookstore where young people can share their stories.

"I think the real Shanghainese are well-mannered, elegant and generous. They just long for a comfortable life," he said. "They love helping and offering advice to newcomers and are very open-minded."

Rockid Hu from nearby Zhejiang province and his girlfriend Cherry Chen from Southeastern Fujian province found a novel way to make friends. They organize a regular event called SweetSalt family dining room and invite strangers to taste the dishes they prepare.

Hu, a graphic designer, said he was overwhelmed with applicants when he posted a notice online. Many have since become his friends.

Jessie Jiang and her sister relocated to Shanghai from Chongqing over a decade ago. They now run a homely bar called C's in the former French Concession. Jessie met her husband there.

For some newcomers to the city, it is the closest thing they have to Sam's bar in the sitcom Cheers.

"We slept in a bunk bed in an 8-square-meter room when we first arrived," said Jiang. "I feel like we trekked around the whole city with that bed before we finally had our own families in this exciting city."