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Published: April 1st 2011
Tea House of the August Moon
President Clinton sipped here.We were quite happy to be heading south after leaving Beijing. But our first morning en route to Shanghai we woke up to ice on the decks. Given the situation in Japan---better ice than radiation! Actually traces of nuclear fallout have been reported in China but nothing on the scale of radiation levels in Japan. Everyone is still hoping and praying that a nuclear catastrophe can be averted both for the sake of Japan and the rest of the world.
Even though Beijing is the official capitol of China, Shanghai is quickly becoming the financial and cultural hub in the Peoples’ Republic of China. Shanghai has always been more westward looking due to easy access by foreign traders because of its location at the mouth of the mighty Yangtze River. By the 1930s this city was the busiest international port in Asia. When the foreigners arrived in Shanghai, the city was carved up into autonomous settlements free from Chinese laws. On this visit we explored the French, British and American concessions. Before the war Shanghai was the capital of cool as well as a den of iniquity. With the establishment of the PRC, Shanghai’s notorious nightlife, free swinging ways and
joie de vivre were essentially extinguished. Gone were the opium dens, the brothels and the gambling houses. Now there has been a rebirth and Shanghai is one of the prettiest and flashiest places in all of China. We cruised up the Huangpu River under a setting sun and watched as the river and waterfront came alive. The river is packed from shore to shore with anything and everything that will float. In the evenings scores of dinner and party boats add to the nautical fray. In the meantime practically every building on both sides of the river lights up. It is quite a spectacle. Even though it was pretty darn chilly, we bundled up and sat out on our balcony admiring the view.
The next morning we went with Sandra and Hank in their private car to have a look around the city. Shanghai had the world Expo in 2010 and in preparation for that the city had a complete makeover. The newly reopened Peace Hotel was our first stop. Once considered the most fashionable lodging in the Far East, this art-deco masterpiece is again the showplace of the Bund. The Gang of Four operated out of this hotel
during the Cultural Revolution. We went to the old town Yuyuan Bazaar with its dumpling shops and tea houses and curved roofs to ward off the evil spirits. The French Concession is now a ritzy shopping area but some of the old mansions remain along the tree lined boulevards. We also visited the Jewish Ghetto where thousands of Jews escaping Hitler’s scourge settled during WWII. There is a plaque honoring those “Stateless Refugees” and the people who helped them survive.
On our last day we went to some of our favorite shopping alleys and markets. I can’t pass up the silk bargains but it takes patience and fortitude to bargain with these skilled merchants. We met up with good friends Bob and Lucia for lunch. We have cruised with Lucia and Bob for many years and are happy to see them back on board. The Mei Long Zhen advertises itself as “the special most restaurant in China.” This 73 year old eatery is beautifully decorated and serves wonderful food. After a stop at the renowned Shanghai Museum we walked the length of Nanjing Pedestrian Street, along the Bund, past the gigantic Mao statue all the way back to the
ship on what turned out to be one of the prettiest days we have ever spent in Shanghai. The magnolia trees were just beginning to bloom, the sky was blue and the sun warmed our bones. Shanghai has done herself proud. She is a sophisticated and cosmopolitan city which can measure up to any metropolis in the world. We were sorry to cast-off from this “Paris of the East” as our ship pulled up the gangway, turned south on the river and headed back out to sea.
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