One of my must see tourist places was a water town. I wanted to go to Zhujiajiao (朱家角) but logistically it was too complicated and far away so we visited Qi Bao (七寶) instead.
Qi Bao has around a 500 year history as a water town, though like Yu Garden, what we see now is all newly rebuilt. It was bombed in 1864 by the Japanese.
You first walk through a single street lined with shops. It then opens up to the entire town.
It felt so surreal to be there. I thought I was in a drama set! So perfectly picturesque.
We did the boat ride on the river in a traditional boat. The Auntie directed the boat like this, relying on the big paddle and rope.
A beautiful place to have a cup of tea and spend an afternoon relaxing, enjoying the view and people watching.
Next we went to a hipster arts area called Tianzifang (田子坊). It was a couple of streets and alleys filled with local boutiques, bars, and restaurants. By the way, haggling is allowed! I was so shocked when my friend's mom was able to haggle in a store.
Fancy facade of the Liuli Glass Museum. Must go in and visit next time! And below are some snippets of the French Concession neighborhood (I believe).
A quick 48 hour trip in Shanghai that went by too fast! I was able to cover everything on my tourist list, but next time I'd like to interact with more of the locals, do a foodie tour, and just enjoy living like the Shanghainese. Unfortunately I wasn't able to pick up one word of Shanghainese though during my stay despite hearing it around me frequently.
Was planning a trip to South Korea when my friend told me she'd be in Shanghai around the same time. I ended up finding a ticket that included a layover in Shanghai, so that's how I wound up in Shanghai!
This is my first time being in China (Hong Kong doesn't count) so I was really excited! So many romanticized impressions of Shanghai through mainstream culture and friends' experiences. I flew on China Eastern Airlines, whose main hub is in Shanghai. Love how a meal was included in the ticket. Might I also add that it was quite tasty.
We took the subway to the Chenghuang Temple (城隍廟). The interior of the subway car felt so empty and I realized it was because there were no ads at all. Then as we were in between stations this commercial popped up on the window. It was brilliant!
It's all newly built despite the traditional architecture style. Still so lovely to look at though and snap photos of :)
Obligatory soup dumplings meal since soup dumplings originated in Shanghai. Now as for which is better, Taiwan's Din Tai Feng or the many restaurants in Shanghai I can't say yet. Need to eat around more next time I visit before I can form an opinion. This first time though we ate at 南翔饅頭店, which seems to be a famous establishment.
Soup dumplings at 南翔饅頭店
Yup, Starbucks is everywhere in Shanghai too.
Famous Nine Bend Bridge (九曲橋)
What blows my mind about Shanghai is how comfortably the contemporary and traditional blend together. Oddly, the modern skyscrapers in the background doesn't seem jarring...or is it just me?
Yu Yuan Garden
Yes, the gardens are very touristy, but I loved it still. (I'm a sucker for traditional Chinese stuff). It's quite large as it has multiple parts and some of the buildings have exhibitions or stores inside. Refreshing to see after seeing so many zen gardens in Japan.
Taken as we were walking from the Yu Gardens towards the Bundt. Was blessed with beautiful weather while I was in Shanghai. Especially refreshing after experiencing all that haze in Singapore and Malaysia.
I believe this is the first department store in Shanghai. It's located in the Bundt and reminded me a lot of the original Macy's in NYC.
The Bundt
And a visit to Shanghai would not be complete without visiting the Bundt, Shanghai's shopping mecca. All the colorful signs made it fun to stroll through during the night.
Another must do tourist activity is the boat tour along the Huangpu River. You get to see both the modern and traditional side of Shanghai.
And does everyone remember this drama gem from 2001? (Hey, I've got to live up to my title as Drama Girl!)
Chiungyao's "Romance In The Rain" drama, for those who haven't guessed already. This is that bridge featured in the video clip, where Yi Ping and Shu Huang would take strolls on, where Ke Yun almost dies....ahhhh the good old drama days. Though I don't want to imagine having to film there after filming similar scenes. LOL
And that concludes day one in Shanghai! Verdict so far? I'm loving it!
