Exploring China - Cosmopolitan Shanghai

Shanghai Waterfront at Night!!! Oriental Pearl TV Tower is on left.

Imagine....

• 25 million people 
• approximately 3 million automobiles 
• an extensive, modern metro system 
• Maglev train (only three in the world- Shanghai, Japan, and South Korea) 
• people mover under the Huangpu River 
• futuristic skyscrapers with LED and laser light displays 
• bike lanes on just about all streets
• people dressed in high fashion/designer labels......

Shanghai is truly a world-class cosmopolitan city!  Real estate here makes Manhattan seem like a bargain!  There are large, multi-level shopping malls every few blocks- I’ve never seen so many Prada, Michael Kors, Coach, Tiffany, Cartier, Burberry, and Louis Vuitton shops- sometimes several within a single mall! There is big money here!

Daily Tai Chi

At the same time, there are small, beautifully maintained gardens everywhere, with locals gathering for community line dancing and Tai Chi in the mornings and evenings. Although enormous in size, it is walkable, and the metro is inexpensive (only thing not expensive here!). There are pedestrian overpasses or underpasses at major roadways, and all sidewalks are embossed for blind pedestrians......BUT motor scooters and bicycles drive on the sidewalks and on pedestrian-only streets (most scooters are electric so you don’t even hear them coming), and do not follow traffic light rules. It’s always an adventure when out and about sightseeing.

Old Quarter of Shanghai.....shopping!

We spent several extra unexpected days here in Shanghai due to a Japanese holiday (Golden Week) which we were trying to avoid, and we were so glad to have had the extra time.  Yuyuan Gardens (Garden Of Happiness) was a five-acre oasis in the middle of the historic quarter of Shanghai.  It consisted of a private residence built in 1559 during the Ming Dynasty and was an example of a typical Chinese wealthy residence for that period, with a series of individual structures each housing a separate room/hall- all situated within beautiful gardens, courtyards, caves, pools, bridges, and rock gardens.  The entire complex was enclosed within walls carved as a continuous dragon.

Entering Yuyuan Residence	Yuyuan Gardens	Guest Entertaining Room
Wood Carved Windows	Beautiful Water Features	Dragon Detail along Walls

View of Pudong - New Shanghai

We strolled The Bund, a waterfront promenade lined with buildings designed in various European architectural styles, as it was developed during the colonizations by foreign trade powers. We rode the ferry from The Bund across the Huangpu River to visit Pudong, or New Shanghai, where the newest and most dramatic skyscrapers and iconic Oriental Pearl TV Tower are located. At night, the waterfront is truly a spectacle as it is illuminated with laser and LED displays on all the skyscrapers. Standing there taking in the sight was mesmerizing.

Nighttime along the Bund

I had read somewhere on the internet that there was an Urban Planning Museum in Shanghai and knew this was a must-visit. It was located several blocks from our hotel and was beyond anything I could have imagined!  I have devoted a totally separate blog based upon this museum's "Transportation in Shanghai" exhibit (see "Exploring China - A Transportation Commercial Break").  

really old!

After the Planning Museum, we walked a few blocks over to the enormous Shanghai Museum, with exhibits on the history of Chinese sculptures, calligraphy, currency, art, furniture, clothing, jewelry, and ceramics.




The next morning, we rode the people mover under the Huangpu River to the Oriental Pearl TV Tower and visited the Shanghai History Museum just underneath it- a beautiful, interactive cultural museum on the history and development of Shanghai. 

People Mover

We experienced the ease of using the metro system to travel to the Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum. During World War II, Shanghai became “Eastern Noah’s Ark”  and received and protected 25,000 Jewish Refugees, welcoming them with 
no passports or legal documentation. 
They established a Synagogue, settlement house, and businesses within the neighborhood. U.S. Secretary of Treasury Michael Blumenthal lived here for many years, having escaped Europe when he was only ten years old.

Synagogue Settlement House Torah Ark Original Stained Glass

There was a visit to The French Concession, a neighborhood developed and occupied by the French during colonization of Shanghai, now a trendy area of restaurants, bars, and boutiques. We also took  another subway excursion to the suburbs of Shanghai, to Qibao, known as a “water town” due to the numerous canals flanked with walkways running through the historic neighborhood. The pedestrian-only alleyways were lined with food stalls selling everything from roasted chicken feet to the ever popular and modern bubble tea. Of course, the historic quarter of Qibao was surrounded by modern shopping malls.

Qibao- beautiful bridge over canal

Crossing dam gate along canal

Qibao Main Canal

Shanghai was more than we expected; it was truly a city of contrasts, and so pleased to have spent the extra days here.

They love McDonald's here!	Laundry hanging on a busy Shanghai Street	The Bund
Along the Bund	Fabulous Skyline	Floral Sculpture in front of Shanghai Museum