Shanghai Express

Or should I say express Shanghai? The truth is that China is so big and in our 2013 Summer Trip we wanted to see so many things, in different parts of the country, that 2 weeks weren’t enough and we end up doing some express sightseeing. Neither in Shanghai nor in Beijing, Zhangjiajie, Guilin, Feng Huang and Honk Kong we have spent more than 3 days, but it was enough to see the coolest things. To arrive to Shanghai coming from our flight from Tokyo we catch the Maglev, the bullet train that literally floats and takes passengers from the Pudong International Airport into the city center in only 5 minutes. For my engineer guy friends this was when the cool things started; for me the best was yet to come. That same afternoon we walked for hours along the Bund. The word Bund means embankment and this is exactly what this extensive waterfront area in central Shanghai is. And although it might look close and little in some maps, don’t let them fool you. Shanghai is one of the largest cities in the world, the largest in China and, of course, in here nothing is close or little. So, if you are heading to Shanghai prepare yourself to “lose” a whole afternoon in this area that is as photographed and enjoyed by tourists as it is photographed and enjoyed by locals (the first thing we saw when we put our feet in the Bund was professional photographs taking pictures of newlywed with the Pearl Tower in the horizon). And, to end this beautiful promenade with glory, I would suggest you take an early night boat along the river to have a closer look of some of the buildings that make Shanghai skyline the best skyline I’ve seen in my life. Or you can also cross the river, towards the financial district, and go to the Pearl Tower. From the windows (and floor) of the Transparent Observatory, 259 meters above the ground level, the view of the day setting on this huge city is unforgettable. 

But because part of Shanghai's charm is given by the fact of it being a city of contrasts, don’t forget to visit its most traditional side: the Yuyuan Gardens; the Flower, Bird, Fish & Insect Market; the French Concession and, why not, Zhujiajiao (the Venice of Shanghai). 

And leave the best for last! For the perfect closure, I advise you to visit Tianzifang, a former hutong transformed into a modern little village where every door is a cool and hip clothing or decoration shop, a bar or restaurant and where you can find several art galleries. But, if you are really an art freak like me, you definitely have to visit M50 Creative Park before you leave. This second place also resembles an old hutong, but this time it was turned into an art district where every warehouse is now an art gallery. It is a little bit out of the city center, but it totally deserves the extra minutes you spend going there with the metro and then walking from the metro station to the Creative Park. During my visit I felt in love with Hu Shunxiang work, that I came across in Suomei Art, and seeing my passion the lady from the gallery actually offered me the catalogue from the exhibition. A beautiful book with hard cover that I carried in my backpack for the following two weeks everywhere we went around China. 

So, as you can see, despite the short amount of time we had to spend in each city I think that we did a pretty good job discovering Shanghai.

 

And also to see more pictures (taken from me, but without the LOMO fish eye), please check here. 

And love

You gotta love this city. There's no way anyone would go to Tokyo and won’t fall in love with it, and its…

 Gardens, real lungs producing oxygen to all the inhabitants of the largest city in the world

All those tall and avant-garde buildings

 And the hip shops in the Ginza district (designed by some of the most renowned architects)

 The Mori Tower (and the energy of the Roppongi Hills in general) and its amazing views 

 The rainwbow bridges that connect the several parts of this city made of more than 200 islands, small or big, each one of them with an unique identity

 The lights and colors of the "Electronic" district

 And of Shinjuku, once the night falls!
 

Pray

In Tokyo praying is easy, because in every corner you can find a temple. The most famous is the Sensōji, also known as Asakusa Kannon Temple, but you can find them everywhere. In the corner of Shibuya and Dogenzaka districts, in the middle of all the enjo kosai, there is one of the most beautiful temples I saw while visiting the city. In the middle of Akihabara, the colorful electronic district, next to shops from well-known gadgets brands and posters of video games, there was another one. Seriously, no matter in which direction you walk the chances of finding a new temple are huge! Small or big, more or less colorful, they are always open, inviting you to pray… Even if you are a kid, at 7 a.m., and you are on your way to school! 

Next to the Fish Market there is, of course, another temple. I guess that it is there to serve the people that work in the several areas of the market, so they can pray before going to work, or even during (I don’t know much about the Shinto and Buddhism cult schedules), but on the morning we visited the market and found this temple the most enthusiastic prayer there was a little kid that literally dragged is mum there. Before going in I already saw both of them coming down the street. I noticed because the image of the energetic seven year old boy pulling is mum by the hand, while she could barely put up with his rhythm due to her high-hells, made me laugh. I couldn’t know, though, that some minutes later, the image of those two would make tears come to my eyes. So, I was already in the temple yard, in front of a red arch, a kind of door all the temples seem to have, just contemplating and enjoying the novelty of everything in there (at this point I have to explain that I’m a catholic and that was my first time in an Asian country, so it was the first time I ever visited a temple), without knowing very well what to do, when the kid and his mum came in. He was dressed with an uniform and had his backpack, but before going to school he wanted to pray for a bit. He came directly to the door, crossed it and went left, crossed it again and went right, came to the front of the arch, jumped several times and clapped his hands. And he did all that with such an innocence and enthusiasm, that I couldn’t help to shake. The entire scene was absolutely lovely. So full of joy, of energy, of childish simplicity and, from that moment on, I became a fan of the japanese openmindedness and freedom of cult! 

Eat

Can you believe that 10.758 kilometers away from home one of the hardest things on us was breakfast?! Well, it is true. On the other side of the world, where obviously everything is so different, breakfast was no exception. So in Japan (and afterwards in China) we had to get used to the heavy breakfasts. It was new to me because I hate breakfasts and rarely have them while I’m at home, but you know what they say, “when in Rome do as the Romans do”… The day we went to the Fish Market, the biggest in the world and a well-known market for its early fish actions, was the most difficult. Not much food option to start-off the day followed by fish and seafood sightseeing it’s not a good mix. Believe me! 

Hey, but don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. The early heavy breakfast, in a typical place near the market, full of locals that got in and out without saying a word and after having eat a tall bowl full of udon in only 10 minutes and the visit to the market were a lot of fun and two new perfect experiences (sociologically speaking) that allowed us to see how the Japaneses are incredible people; so respectful, so organized, such hard workers. Truly, one of a kind!