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Published: April 4th 2007
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The Bund
All that history in a row. Our first day in Shanghai was spent trying not to sleep. First a breakfast of meat and veg steamed buns. It was a trip down memory lane with every bite. The meat ones tasted just as I remember. I'm a lot more sentimental than I seem. The veg ones were filled with something green enough to be radioactive--let's switch the lights off and watch them glow. Jessica thought the buns were pretty good, which was a relief. I know not everyone can eat the things I can.
THE BUND - Shanghai's showpiece promenade is missing cafes and food stalls. They may be worried about mess, but it really is a perfect location to sip something and watch the world, and water, and billboards-on-ships go by. Everyone was taking pictures of the Oriental Pearl Tower (it's the must-take picture of Shanghai apparently, at least for the Chinese). It's a rather phallic building with way too many balls. When Pudong's skyline is closer to that of Victoria Harbour in HK, the Pearl Tower will be an interesting component, but right now it just sticks out like a really tall geek trying to be fashionable. The heritage buildings along the Bund
Watching the World Go By
Along with the billboard ads. And there's that phallus/tower/thingy! make an impressive line-up. You can almost forget that you're in China ... it could be anywhere in Europe. We took a peek into Custom House to see the painted ceilings, but visitors are not really allowed beyond the lobby. We also spotted the Thai Bank. We're being followed.
CHINA TOWN - Is there an England Town in London? Or a France Town in Paris? I suppose Shanghai is so international, multicultural, or whatever, that it has forgotten which country it's in. We walked there from the Bund and noticed how the buildings changed. We passed a church with an attached school. There were children outside playing with toys that I had thought were out of date when I was a child. Girls were playing with iron hoops that they roll with an iron rod. Boys were playing with wooden tops that spin when whipped. This was obviously keeping them enthralled. Who needs PSwhateveritisnow?
I had spotted a narrow residential lane, with laundry hanging between opposite buildings. I thought that would be most of Chinatown but, oh no. Disney woz ere. The main streets were flanked by overly grand teak-trimmed white buildings with tiled roofs. All terribly touristy
The Gateway to Chinatown
If you look closely you'll spot the Mickey Mouse stamp of approval... and contrived. We were accosted by dodgy-looking people offering designer gear at every corner. There's a whole street of hole-in-the-wall shops selling tourist tat. Who buys this stuff????
We went to Chinatown with the intention of having tea at an old teahouse - Huxin Tin. And tea we had. A bundle of tea leaves with a red-pink flower bloomed in a clear pot. The beverage was served with quail's eggs, pressed tofu and sweets. Unlimited refills of HOT water kept us at the teahouse for quite a while. Huxin Tin has been very well-preserved and is a good spot for tourist-watching. China's tourism industry is still largely geared towards local tourists. Unlike some other countries I've visited, the people of China actually travel around China to see all the sights. There are touristic districts were the Chinese take their vacations. Shanghai's Chinatown was evidently on this tourist map. We finally made a move to find some internet access.
Looking for internet revealed the first great disappointment with the Rough Guide. They got it wrong. We walked along Fuzhou Road to the book shop in the guide. It was an interesting sight, seeing so many Chinese people clamouring for
Chinese Catholic Church School
Can those actually go together here? Legally? books (the shop had six floors, and all were busy). What a contrast to Thailand. However, lots of books, lots of people, but no internet! We finally spotted a local library along Fuzhou Road and asked the guard - 7th floor, we were told. Lo and behold, lots of terminals and hardly a soul there. Cheaper than the price quoted in the guide book. Despite being a major city of the 21st century, Shanghai lags behind even minor cities in Southeast Asia when it comes to internet access.
REMIN SQUARE - a plume of green in this grey and silver metropolis. This scene is straight out of Singapore; there's even a Raffles shopping mall. The square holds a couple of museums and the entrance to the MRT. We spent around 5 hours in the Shanghai Museum on the second day. It was exhausting!. The audio guide was worth the price, giving much more detail than was written under the displays. They have evidently invested a huge amount in this museum and it was money well spent. I personally would have picked a different architect... but what do I know?
NANJING DONG LU - a neon-lit, pedestrianised strip that
History on Stilts.
600 years of tea sipping at this unassuming teahouse above a fish pond. mimicks HK. Very bright, very tacky, but amusing. The stores are actually selling pretty much everyday items and they are not particularly upmarket. THREE McDonalds within less than 100 meters of one another and probably as many KFCs! Nanjing Don Lu was full of families wandering around and taking pictures. It made for a pleasant stroll back to the hostel. I did notice the mix of old ways and new. Some of the mothers were wearing clothes from the 80's. Most people were toned down in their style of dress, yet a few gangs of Manga-haired boys with studded jackets and fasionable jeans provided a contrast. The weird and (sometimes) wonderful crazes of Japan will probably make it here one day, but not yet.
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