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Shanghai is a much newer city that doesn’t have quite the history as Beijing and Xian. They say that Xian is the past, Beijing the present and Shanghai is the future.
My guide Qinqin picked me up at my hotel at 9am.
We started the day by walking through Fuxing Park. Every morning the park is filled with seniors exercising, dancing, painting, singing, playing badminton and doing all kinds of other stuff. The park is like one big seniors center.
We took a taxi over to the Bund, which I had visited the day before. The architecture in this area is very European.... and across the river is ultra modern. The skyscrapers on the other side of the river have all been built since 1990. There was was nothing across the river prior. The Pearl Tower was the first and is 468 meters tall! Tomorrow we will go up the Shanghai Tower that is 632 Meyers which is the tallest in China.
After seeing a gazillion rental bikes over the past and thinking that it would be nice to be able to hop on one and ride rather than walk.... I got to ride one today through the streets of Shanghai! We rode over to the old town area. I may of feared for my life the entire time while my guide just rode merrily along in front of me like it was no big deal!
We visited the Yuyuan Garden which was built during the Ming Dynasty and is a classic Chinese garden architecture. They have this cool rock that they call Big Rockery, which is a naturally hallowed boulder. After the garden we wandered through the bazaar and the vegetable and fish market. So many different types of vegetables and so many different smells in the market. Some not so good!
We had lunch in one of Qinqins favorite local noodle places. We had a noodle soup that was so so so very yummy and I even ate some bbq lamb! Only because when she asked if I wanted bbq I didn’t know she meant lamb! But it was very good!
We spent the afternoon wandering through Xintiandi and Tianzifang. These areas are old neighbourhoods where the houses are shikumens much like the Hutongs in Beijing that have been turned in to shops and restaurants. There is also an arts area. I am not much of a shopper but it was very neat to see.
We ended the day by walking down Nanjing Rd, which I thought I had been on last night but apparently I had not gone far enough to see the famous pedestrian shopping street. It is much like the Wangfujing Rd in Beijing. As Qinqin said, the Chinese like to shop!
After dark, I walked back down Nanjing Road to see it when it is all lit up. Then back down to The Bund to see the sky scrapers all lit up. Amazing site! and to think there was nothing there 30 years ago! Made my way back to my hotel through the crazy crowds of people. Everyone keeps telling me this isn’t busy!!?
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Cindy Looks like an amazing time my friend. Good to see you are enjoying yourself.