Shanghai

17 to 21 April, 2019 - Shanghai - (China)



Some weeks ago, to get our visa for China, I had to present a hotel reservation. Under pressure, in the foyer, I booked a place online. Arriving in Shanghai fairly late, I must confess I was pleased to have accommodation to head to. It was a very disappointing place. I think I had a good price for the anticipated quality, but the service was somewhat, shall we say, underwhelming. The location was not great, and the poor service gave us the excuse we needed to move ourselves to a place that was way more in the thick of the action.

Temples and skyscrapers, glitzy shops and market stalls. We looked up at the skyscrapers, rabbited through the neighbourhoods, and admired it all from on top of the world. We saw the newest buildings and the old city walls.

We ate our way through Shanghai from sight to sight. We gnawed on frogs legs; dined on a few variations of duck; pork and fried rice and noodles; dozens of skewers for a couple of dollars; and so many dumplings, in soups and in steamers, on plastic chairs in establishments that care about food more than decor. We drank bubble tea in food courts; sipped sparkling at dizzying heights; drank happy hour beers in posh suburbs and a sly one on the Bund; teas and coffees punctuated our days.

Thank you, Shanghai, for four entertaining days on our way home.

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Jade Buddha Temple, Shanghai
Photographing the wonderfully presented Jade Buddha was not allowed. So, here is a shot of some activity just outside.


Crab and Pork Dumplings
Jia Jia Tang Bao was listed on one site as probably the best dumplings in Shanghai. There was a warning about the line of people waiting, so we thought we would hit it kind-of off peak, missing the meal times by a bit. We still had to queue for about 15 minutes and wait another 10 or so for our order to be filled. Definitely, definitely, definitely worth the effort of getting here and most definitely worth the wait. Fantastic dumplings.


Men Playing Xiangqi
We walked through People's Park. There was an area where people sat around permanent stone tables, playing various games. There were numerous games of Mahjong, some of Xiangqi, and various card games. The most interesting thing, though, was the variety of participants. Not just older men. There were women playing, too. And there were younger people. Small groups gathered around each table, calling out advice and bantering with the players. It was a beautiful scene.


Shanghai Silhouette
Late afternoon, walking through one of the city parks. There are many interesting buidings in Shanghai, but the silhouette of this was particularly striking.


Nanjing Road
Early evening on Shanghai's Nanjing Road.


Xintiandi, Shanghai
Xintiandi is an area which is a mixture of restored shikumen, stone houses, and some new and rebuilt ones. The zone is now dominanted by upmarket restaurants and boutiques.


Pudong Skyline
The very Shanghai skyline, the Pudong area. The distinctive and iconic Oriental Pearl Tower at the left end, and to the right, the second tallest building in the world, the Shanghai Tower. The Shanghai World Financial Centre is also visible, nicknamed the bottle opener.


Zhujiajiao Old Town
Practically a suburb of Shanghai, Zhujiajiao was a lovely day trip. The old town is set out along canals that join the rivers and the nearby lake, and these canals are crossed by numerous old atmospheric bridges. Sure, the weekend crowds were maddening, making the narrow bridges almost dangerous. Those hordes were the main reason we didn't stay longer, but we had a wonderful time there and it was a perfect contrast to days in downtown Shanghai.


Selfie in Zhujiajiao


Champagne in a Shanghai Skyscraper
We decided to skip the observation decks, and visit the bar of the Park Hyatt on the 87th floor of the Shanghai World Financial Centre. It was cheaper, we got two glasses of bubbles, and there were no queues.


Shanghai Big 3
The 3 tallest buildings in Shanghai. The Shanghai World Financial Center on the left, where we had drinks this evening. Enormous twisting Shanghai Tower in the middle, 2nd tallest building in the world. Finally, the Jin Mao Tower on the right, a modern twist on a pagoda theme.


Leaving Shanghai on Maglev
The world's first high speed magnetic levitation train. Running for a large part of the journey out to Pudong airport, covering 30 km or so in about 8 minutes, it was a lot more relaxing than the metro.

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