Shanghai Visa Doubt

Hello, I am from India.
We are planning to Visit Japan next month. We are looking for a flight like Mumbai-Shanghai-Tokyo which would have a halt of around 21 hours at Shanghai. We are purposely opting for such a flight as we want to roam in Shanghai and explore it. Do we need to apply for a Visa here itself in Mumbai or are we eligible to get one on arrival at Shanghai Airport.
The travel agents here in Mumbai say that I would require a Chinese tourist L but the friends who have already gone through the same route say that we can get it on arrival as the officials at Shanghai airport are quite linient.