People keep asking me where else I went other than Shanghai as if I could see the expo and do a decent amount of travelling outside of the city in less than 8 days. Although I was initially unimpressed by a city that on the surface looks like any other international city, Shanghai itself offered plenty to see and do.
At first when seeing this photo large on my computer screen I wanted to photoshop it into brighter clearer skies, but the muggy feeling looking at this photo is exactly how it was. That day at the Bund, it took me a little while to remember that it was pollution and not just fog that was making everything into a blurry haze. In a future post there will be a traumatic story about why I am now thankful that I did not choose to work under the polluted skies of Shanghai.
The Bund is typical and yet atypical. A strip of land on the edge of water where pedestrians can walk and enjoy a city view is not uncommon, but the view is something else. One the opposite side of the river is Pudong, a land of huge shiny skyscrapers and new buildings still rapidly going up. Across the street, Neoclassical European architecture, each building unique.
On our walk around the Bund, we saw a ferry for 2 yuan. Neither of us being able to read chinese, we weren't too sure of where it was going, but we figured it wouldn't hurt. We joked about accidentally ending up in Japan (for two yuan). Unfortunately it was a short trip; we crossed the river and landed in Pudong.
This is the same building you see three pictures up in the background of the monument, The Shanghai World Financial Center. (The skyscraper with a hole in it). I found the interior to be glossy and nice, yet unexciting. Although, if we had been more lavish in our spending, I suppose the upper floors may have offered a little more. Yea yea okay, I can't say I really saw the building. If you have photos of interest on the interior, I would love to see them:
I believe this was on the way to the French Concession, a pleasant walk and a happy ending at TianZiFang. TianZiFang was more Venice-like than Suzhou (Venice of the East). Narrow-winding streets filled with small shops and traditional style buildings. This comparison, however, also makes me realize one way in which tight residential neighborhoods in the traditional chinese style differ from other countries I have been. One is less likely to stumble upon the sudden opening of the tight corridors into a public plaza. Plazas that exist often seem to be more of an afterthought or part of a larger urban planning than something that came with the growing of the neighborhood. Gathering spaces are more likely to take the form of courtyards within properties than as an extension of the public street. Of course, from the limited amount I have seen, I may be wrong. I suppose, as with Paraisopolis, the streets themselves often provide adequate space for public events.:
At this point I must apologize for my camera's complete inability to take decent pictures in anything less than the light of day. I do not have pictures of Tianzifang or the rest of the French Concession as we arrived there at dark. I also do not have photos of many of the interiors of buildings, including the expo. I see myself making a post just on interiors and night scenes in the future if I am able to round up photos from friends who were with me on my journeys. In the meantime, if you would like to start up a fund to procure a new camera, I would not be opposed.
Below, a building seen on an afternoon reunited with a friend I had not seen in over four years. It's strange how traveling to Asia means I see more friends from times past than staying in the US.
The destination was the Shanghai 1933 Slaughterhouse, now converted into a shopping center. Of course, i couldn't read the words on the destination other than the number 1933, so rather than knowing what we were looking for, we sort of headed off to the area I was pointed to on a map and hoped to see something spectacular. The bad news is I saw the big red 1933 sign on the modern looking building (which was closed) and assumed our trip had been in vain. It was also already getting to about 4:00pm, the time I was supposed to meet a friend all the way on the other side of town. The building next door, which piqued my interest, is the actual slaughterhouse. The interior is well worth a visit.
Back at People's Square, the Tomorrow's Square Marriot Hotel is easy to find. A friend I hadn't seen since undergrad stayed here and we were able to meet up for dinner and a night view of the Bund. If you want a free view of the city, the lounges and bars on the upper floors have much to offer.
uuuh....gly? but eyecatching nonetheless.
After a disappointing trek to Xintiandi -- another housing area redeveloped into shopping, except it just looks like shopping trying to be redeveloped housing and failing -- we walked north and happened upon the museum. It was a good day for a museum as I had an aspiring cold. Pretty cool building and an excellent collection. If the school year does not pounce on me when I return to the US there will be sketches from this visit as well as other places visited:
At the very end of my trip, Pudong Airport. It was nice to see something structurally different for once. The space frame airport trend is becoming tiring.
