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Published: March 4th 2010
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Big Wild Goose Pagoda
This pagoda, quite different from the others I have visited, is over 1500 years old! I made the most of my remaining time stuck in Xi’an. I visited a number of attractions I had already seen just to keep my mind occupied, along with some new ones.
I took a bus with the British lads to the Big Goose Pagoda which was markedly different to the seemingly hundreds of other temples I have visited in China. We climbed 16 flights of stairs to the top, bloody knackered and saddened at the state of the fog. Afterward, we had a relaxing stroll around for a while and then hopped on another bus to find a museum.
Eventually after wandering around some quaint ‘Hutongs’ we found the Belin Museum of Stone Forests. It wasn’t amazing but I’m glad we went. The buildings were all covered in huge tablets of thick stone, with 1300 years old calligraphy etched into them. Some depicted the first known Christian writings in China, some detailed Confucius writings. But after we’d seen a few, we’d seen them all and after a brief walk around the grounds and gardens we went off to find some food.
After a gorgeous and cheap meal I took the others to visit the Muslim quarter (for
South Gate
The view from my second hostel my 6th visit!) and struggled to find the great mosque. Eventually after walking around the fragrant district we found the buildings’ entrance, tucked between an alley, very surprised to find such a large and peacefully quiet building, nestled amidst the bustling streets.
The mosque itself was not amazing but we were lucky enough to enter during the evening call to prayer. We hung around for half an hour or so watching and waiting in the eerie wailing and bowing. I spent the Friday night volunteering at a local soup kitchen for the homeless as I met an amazing man who runs the charity from his own pocket and I thought absorbing some of the locals’ problems would help take my mind off my own pathetic issues.
I whiled away the remaining evenings in Xi’an, apparently my home from home, drinking, watching films, playing cards, giving hair-cuts, fighting off Brazilians, clubbing and getting to know my new friends. I was very sad to see them go as their plans changed and I headed off to Shanghai. After packing up my bags and feeling my eyes well up about the prospect of trailing out of Xi’an for the last time,
umm?
Not sure about this guy but I think I met him in the student union last year?! only without Fenner, I got on my stupidly long train and left.
I arrived in Shanghai at 3am. After a few problems trying to find the hostel, and a few hours sleep, I took the tube to the Peoples Park (my fifth aptly named open space) and visited the Shanghai museum. Again I was struck with the subway system - even cleaner, more efficient, and busier than Beijing, although not as cheap (but still only 30p per trip!)
As soon as I stepped into the street I could not look in any direction without being faced by buildings scathed in clouds at their summits. It is very remarkable and nothing like anywhere else I have experienced in the rest of China. Everything appeared to scream ‘we have money’, and so is the spirit of the city. People are here to make money.
The museum itself was a very worthwhile experience; it was free and I was very impressed with it. I had been looking forward to admiring some ancient Chinese artefacts and I was not disappointed here. We visited bronze sculptures, statues of all kinds, calligraphy samples, gorgeous paintings on silk and rice paper, ceramics and porcelain samples
- some 8-10000 years old.
Legs tired and feeling hungry, I decided to head for the Old Town to see what grub I could find. I came across a number of gorgeous cafes and settled for a cheesy looking bun thing, took a few minutes rest and then spent the afternoon enjoyed strolling around the old style wooden buildings and admiring the tacky wire and fabric sculptures of tigers and the like dotted around the courtyards. However, if I ever hear "bagswatchesbagswatches" ever again it will be too soon!
When it began to get dark I started to head for the Bund. The Bund is normally a huge tourist attraction, but the waterfront park is set to be a big image of the Expo 2010 which kicks off in 60 days time and I had heard it was currently being renovated. 70 million extra visitors are expected to visit Shanghai during the 2 month expo in addition to the usual travellers and the 15 million residents. Everywhere you turn here there is construction going on, something old getting knocked down to make room for something new, so for now it's even dustier and louder than everything else in this
Finally!
I got the night-skyline photo I planned! dusty loud city. Construction workers in Shanghai don't look like other people here, they're stouter and darker skinned, and tend to sleep right on the site as they don't really live anywhere in the city but have been trucked in for the work.
I was correct to prepare for the worst as the whole of the water front was closed off, such that I couldn’t even get decent photos. Whilst I was standing around looking lost, a young Chinese lad from Beijing accosted me into his student art gallery. I knew a sales pitch wasn’t too far off but the pieces of work were utterly stunning, better than the classical works in the museum and some of the finest art I have ever seen - it would have been very tempting to buy one if not for carrying it around for a few years!
Taking the students advice I wandered towards the LED-strewn East Nanjing pedestrian road to find a metro station to the Pudong district, in amongst the skyscrapers themselves to see them up close and perhaps grab a photo from the other side of the river. The station exit brought me right underneath the Oriental Pearl
Oriental Pearl Tower
I'm in there somewhere! Tower which I feel is the most spectacular building I have ever witnessed.
I struggled for half an hour to find the riverside between all the financial city buildings, but in the end I got there, and with a great sense of satisfaction I finally got my photo! The view was incredible, akin to the New York seascape. I sat and watched the illuminated cruise boats float by for a few minutes and then strolled along the promenade, stopping every few minutes to take more photos.
The next day I ambled around to the French concession with my Dutch and Finnish roommates. Thunder and lightning accompanied us the whole way around.
Once the Japanese invaded and the Cultural Revolution hit Shanghai, these lovely old villas and neighbourhoods drastically changed their inhabitants and lost much of their character. As I wandered for hours, I was constantly amazed at the diversity of architecture. The area was very lovely and a starkly contrasting all the way with the European style apartment blocks and department stores against the skyscrapers looming in the misty distance. I kept reminding myself I was in China but it certainly does not feel like the China
When it rains it pours in the French Concession ...
...and my god did it rain! It has only rained on me 3 times in my 2 month trip, but it was one hell of a storm!! the previous two months has done! No spitting, no gawping, no rickshaws.
We trawled around the cafes and markets; I kept an eye out for jeans to replace my lovely dying pair with holes in the bum from the UK. Sadly, my ass is not fitting in Chinese trousers and it was an unsuccessful venture. We found a little cafe with an English menu. We all opted for the set lunch for 28 RMB which was perfect. I received a lovely hot chocolate, a plate with bread and butter, a sausage and scrambled egg and a bowl of beef fillets in a macaroni oily soup (?). Brilliant.
The miserable weather and high prices inspired me to keep moving around the East coast. Today I have travelled to Suzhou - the ‘Venice of the East’ - a quaint 5000 year old village criss-crossed with waterways, old stone bridges and pagoda gardens. It’s a very romantic spot which I am sad to be enjoying alone so if anyone feels like joining me, now is the time to get in touch 😉
Till next week my friends!
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Hi Sam, are you going to get in touch with Iris while your in Shanghai? - let us know if youv'e lost her contact details and we will send them to you. I'm sure she will be able to show you round the area some more if you like.