Walking in Shanghai's Enormous Carbon Footprints


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April 2nd 2007
Published: April 2nd 2007
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London to Shanghai


Shanghai's Pudong New AreaShanghai's Pudong New AreaShanghai's Pudong New Area

The kind of place that would make Al Gore weep

London to Shanghai
Matt and Ed
Matt:

I’m not sure where my desire to visit China really came from. It may have been images of Great Walls, Giant Pandas, Terrocotta Warriors or Communist Dictators. More likely though, it was probably just the opportunity to taste duck in any flavour that was the clincher. Either way, Ed and I now find ourselves travelling around this enormous country on our way back home to Australia.

Our flight from Heathrow to Shanghai was surprising comfortable. This was thanks in large part to my mother’s medicine cabinet which had supplied us with a stock of magic purple pills (it seems that while I’ve been away, mum has moved into dealing). I popped one somewhere over the Baltic and woke up seven hours later, having skipped the whole of Russia. It’s definitely the only way to fly!

After getting my passport stamped by a surly looking Chinese border guard who looked at me like I was Schapelle Corby without makeup, we proceeded into the arrivals hall where we had arranged to meet our guide for our time in Shanghai. Unfortunately it seemed there was no guide waiting for us; just an underdeveloped 12 year old boy carrying a
The BundThe BundThe Bund

Courtesy of the French and British opium smuggling colonialists
sign with our names on it. After a particularly awkward conversation, we discovered that the 12 year old was actually our 26 year old guide, Oma. Although he looked like he had skipped six years of high school to instead head straight to the airport to pick us up, Oma was apparently Shanghai tour guide extraordinaire.

After our uncomfortable first meeting, Oma ushered us out of the terminal to meet our driver, Mr Liang, and (presumably) the rest of our tour group. It was at this point that we discovered that although our driver existed and thankfully looked old enough to reach the brake, the rest of tour group did not. For the next three days it would just be Mr Liang, Gary Coleman (AKA Oma), Ed and me. How cosy!

According to Katie Melua, there are nine million bicycles in Beijing. From first impressions, it seemed that there are just as many cars in Shanghai. Mr Liang however is helpfully the Jedi Knight of Shanghai traffic and uses the Force to weave his minibus (which is not equipped with seatbelts) around, between and past all others at supersonic speeds. Thankfully, we had just enough magic purple pills
Yuyuan GardensYuyuan GardensYuyuan Gardens

A tranquil oasis from the coffee chains, burger restaurants and never ending neon of Shanghai
in our bloodstreams to make the experience a little less terrifying.

After dropping off our bags at our hotel (which was brand new and fabuloso), Mr Liang and Doogie Howser (AKA Oma) took us to the Old Town. Like most of Shanghai, the original Old Town was bulldozed a few years ago to make way for ‘progress’. Thankfully however, the city planners insisted that the McDonalds, KFC and Starbucks outlets that replaced the local noodle, rice and vegetable vendors (which had traded continuously through wars, famine and the odd revolution for 500 years) at least conformed to the same subtle traditional architectural principles inspired by movie set designers and casinos.

Fortunately however, progress has not yet made its may to the Yuyuan Gardens, a one hectare oasis of authenticity in the middle of the Disneyfied Old Town. Built in the 16th Century by a rich family of local traders, Yuyuan is a gorgeous example of Ming garden design and (although packed with shutter happy tourists) a welcome reprieve from the chaos of surrounding Shanghai.

After grabbing a bite to eat, Ed and I went to the Jade Buddha Temple, which Oma told us was one of the
Yuyuan GardensYuyuan GardensYuyuan Gardens

Even the walls are themed!
most religiously significant sites for Chinese Buddhists.

Although Oma didn’t quite put it this way, the story apparently went that in the early 20th century, a local monk had the urge to travel to Burma to do some sightseeing. While exploring the local attractions, the monk decided to do some souvenir shopping and (as was apparently all the rage in Rangoon at the time) acquired a two metre high statue of Buddha for a good price. Unfortunately, his newly acquired excess baggage made his journey home (via Mt Everest - go figure) a little more difficult which meant that upon arriving back home in Shanghai two years later, the intrepid monk was feeling a little tired. However to add insult to our hero’s painful injuries, Buddha had developed a demanding streak (as Gods often do) and insisted that his owner promptly build him a temple fitting his greatness. Not wanting to argue with Buddha’s imposing one tonne frame, the poor monk spent the next 20 years raising enough funds to build a palatial residence for his purchase. I think there’s a moral in that story for souvenir hungry travellers everywhere!

The temple itself was nice enough, with monks
Yuyuan GardensYuyuan GardensYuyuan Gardens

Sitting back and chilling by the lake
and chanting locals and incense. However with the entry fee, hawkers and souvenir shops we kind of got the impression that the Jade Buddha Temple was as authentically Buddhist as the Old Town was Old. The fact that the Communist Party still maintains strict controls and (often direct) influence over religions in China only served to confirm this feeling.

That night after having dinner at the Peace Hotel on the Bund, Oma dropped Ed and me off at a local theatre to see China’s answer to Cirque de Soleil. Bizarrely hosted by a monotone woman in a wedding dress, the performances were pretty amazing!

The following morning we were greeted by Mr Liang and Oma for the drive to the sleepy little village of Suzhou, around an hour and half north of the city.

One thing that had confused me up until this point was how one city could be home to population the size of the whole of Australia. Driving out of Shanghai, I found the answer: the entire city and its surrounds are completely covered in high rise apartment buildings. I guess this also explains why the locals do not understand the concept of personal
'Old' Town'Old' Town'Old' Town

(Sponsored by the Starbucks Coffee Co.)
space.

Mr Liang raced through Gotham-like Shanghai at a breakneck speed that made the unrestrained passengers sitting in the back (namely Ed and me) feel very nervous. Although totally manic, Mr Liang’s style of driving (in which his Toyota became merely an extension of his body) was pretty impressive. Unfortunately though, Mr Liang’s skills behind the wheel did not extend to reading a map. After passing the same roadside billboard four times and driving down the a freeway in the wrong direction, the one and a half hour journey to Suzhou turned into a three and a half hour marathon.

First stop in the ‘sleepy little village’ of Suzhou (which has a population the size of New South Wales) was a silk factory where we were shown how silk is manufactured and given the opportunity to make a few purchases. Much to Oma’s distress, we declined.

From there, we headed to the Garden of the Master of the Nets, a gorgeous little 900 year old walled sanctuary in the middle of a chaotic local market.

One of the best things about the garden was that although it was no bigger than a couple of average Sydney
'Old' Town'Old' Town'Old' Town

Recreating the China of yesterday; complete with decorative roofing and ornate lattice work (and complimented by the convenience of glass elevators)
blocks of land, the designers had managed to fit around six gorgeous buildings, an artificial mountain and a tranquil lake without it looking cluttered or cramped. The fact that Oma, Ed and I were pretty much the only tourists there, made wandering around all the more inspiring. So inspiring in fact that half way around the lake I decided to change my name to Master of Nets, buy a couple of blocks of land upon my return to Sydney and build me an artificial mountain!

From there, we headed to the Humble Administrator’s Garden. Although around ten times the size of the Master of Nets’, the lack of intimacy (and the hoards of tourists) meant that the thought of changing my name to the Humble Administrator didn’t even cross my mind.

That night, we returned to Shanghai in all its neon glory and walked along the Bund by night which was pretty awe inspiring.

We also took an underground train that takes passengers across the river to the new Pudong district. The railway was built according to the Shanghai principle of design; that is, take a good basic idea (eg. office block, restaurant, hospital) and add so
Jade Buddha TempleJade Buddha TempleJade Buddha Temple

(Sponsored by the Chinese Communist Party)
many lights that you need to build a nuclear power plant to power the thing. The futuristic glass pods travelled along a tunnel that was decorated with neon tubes, strobes, lasers, TVs and the odd blow up doll (I’m serious). It was surreal, but definitely the most entertaining train trip we have been on since Switzerland.

The Pudong New Area of Shanghai feels like it has been created by a science fiction writer on acid. Dominated by the enormous (not to mention obscene) Oriental Pearl Tower, the district is the sort of place that makes you question the point of using energy saving light bulbs at home. While there we went up the tower for a spectacular view of Shanghai’s night skyline before heading back for the trip (I use the word intentionally) back across the river.

Later that night we headed to a local bar to check out Shanghai’s nightlife which is apparently the best in China. We ended up hooking up with a group of English, Australian and French teachers that were living and working in Shanghai and had an awesome night. We ended up getting back to our hotel at around 5am (although, I’m still
Jade Buddha TempleJade Buddha TempleJade Buddha Temple

Pity the poor monk that had to lug this lazy thing over Mt Everest!
unsure how).

And so begins our Chinese adventure and the end of our time overseas (for the time being anyways). Ed and I are going to try to keep the blogs coming as regular as possible while here, so be sure to stay tuned!

Miss you all heaps and can’t wait to get back to Australia very very soon!


Additional photos below
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Jade Buddha TempleJade Buddha Temple
Jade Buddha Temple

The monks of the temple (AKA Party Comrades)
Jade Buddha TempleJade Buddha Temple
Jade Buddha Temple

Cool phoenix motif
Chinese Cirque de SoleilChinese Cirque de Soleil
Chinese Cirque de Soleil

Answering that age old question: How many Chinese can you fit on a bicycle...
Chinese Cirque de SoleilChinese Cirque de Soleil
Chinese Cirque de Soleil

...And that other age old question: How many chairs can you balance on a grand piano
Entry to the Garden of the Master of the NetsEntry to the Garden of the Master of the Nets
Entry to the Garden of the Master of the Nets

The text creatively reads 'Entry to the Garden of the Master of the Nets'
Garden of the Master of the NetsGarden of the Master of the Nets
Garden of the Master of the Nets

Soon to be recreated in a Sydney suburb near you!
Humble AdministratorHumble Administrator
Humble Administrator

Not as much bang for your buck (or acre)
Humble Administrator's GardenHumble Administrator's Garden
Humble Administrator's Garden

They could have built the bridge straight, but what would have been the fun in that?


7th April 2007

wow
A good read, tell me do they all really look-a -alike?. It does make a joke of our pathetic gesture of low energy light globes but with global warming being flavour of the month, politically we must try. Love N/G
9th April 2007

Hahaha
Oh you had me laughing out loud... building a fake mountain in Sydney sounds like a brilliant idea - I'll come over and we can meditate on it together. See you both soon!
10th April 2007

Bring on the Panda's
Wow what a place. Glad to hear that I was able to assist with the flight. Any time!!!!!!!!!! Love Mum xxxx

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