Shanghai

Shanghai City

It has taken us a while to get back to updating this. Shanghai was our last stop on our tour of China and, as many of you know, you could say that Jim and I had rather a shitty time there! (pun definitely intended) From there we returned to Bangkok for a few days and then on to New Zealand, where we are now renting a place in Blenheim (north end of the South Island) More about NZ later, but now a little about Shanghai.

When I say that Jim and I had a shitty time there, I am referring to the fact the law of averages finally caught up to both of us and after a long time of beating the odds, we both came down with a bug. And boy, did we make it a good bout of the trots as well as nausea! We were gratefully staying in a hotel in Shanghai when the worst of it hit us, as it could have been soooo much worse if we had been on a train (that much time in a squat toilet would have made it unbearable! not to mention very uncomfortable!)

A couple of days saw both of us feeling much better but unfortunately, it did limit how much of Shanghai we actually got to see. A shame for there is much to see and do in this cosmopolitan port that is the gateway to the mighty Yangtze River. Shanghai (which means on the sea) is a city of 16.7 million people, and has a fascinating history.
One of the amazing things about the city that we did notice though, was that just as in Beijing, growth and new development was everywhere. If anything, Shanghai appeared to be developing at an even faster pace. The contrast between the few remaining hutongs (small side streets) and the modern skyscrapers and apartments is somewhat evident in the photo that I have posted which was taken from our room.
When the British opened their first concession here after the first Opium War in 1842, it was little more than a small town supported by fishing and weaving. Change has been rapid. The French followed in 1847 and it wasn't long before an International Settlement was established. By the time the Japanese arrived in 1895, the city was being parceled up into settlements, all autonomous and immune from Chinese law, creating China's first fully-fledged Special Economic Zone. The world's greatest houses of finance and commerce descended on shanghai in the 1930's. The place had the tallest buildings in Asia and more motor vehicles on its streets than the rest of China put together. Shanghai became a byword for exploitation and vice in countless opium dens, gambling joints and a myriad of brothels. Guarding it all were the American, French and Italian marines, British Tommies and Japanese Blue Jackets. By the time the Communists said enough was enough in 1947, they had the huge task of eradicating slums, rehabilitating hundreds of thousands of opium addicts and stamping out child and slave labor. Interesting to learn the effects of the big-power progressive and enlightened countries!
But since the 1990's, invitations have gone out once again to capitalist business interests as the central government hunts foreign capital to help reinvent this whirlwind metropolis, and fuel the most modern stock exchange in the world, but this time with control remaining in the hands of the Chinese!

The Bund is probably the most famous location in Shanghai. Stretching 1 1/2 kms along the riverfront, its grand old buildings, with incredible facades and interiors, were once European, American and Japanese banks, trading houses, clubs, consulates and hotels. We took a walk down there at night to see the amazing lights that would not have been outdone by New York or anywhere! A few of us went up the tower of the Hyatt hotel (read posh) for cocktails and a fantastic view over the city. For about the same money as a drink at the hotel, we could have gone up the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, the upside down needle-like building in Pudon, across the river from the Bund to the viewing platform.
A ride back to the hotel on the very easy to use Metro took only a few minutes and for about $.50, you can get to pretty much anywhere on either of the two main lines.

Every conceivable culinary delight is available in Shanghai from the local specialties of Huntun or Wanton soup, to the offerings of the street stalls to fancy restaurants. Karaoke is still alive and well in Shanghai and our group made their marks as instant stars on our last night out together! I heard they were all very good, well, at least to their ears, but unfortunately, Jim had to represent us as he had recovered first and I was still guarding the porcelain in our room!

We have plans to return to China to visit the southern areas and will likely fly into Shanghai as a starting point, which is a good thing. We did not get to visit all of the many markets, the Jade Buddha Temple, museums, the old Jewish Quarter, where European Jews flocked during WWII, or the French Concession.
For now, it is "Zai Jian", goodbye from China

We will post some info on where we are now in New Zealand in a few days.
Be sure to check out our new posting of photo albums at: http://community.webshots.com/user/travellinglifestyle

Enjoy!