Day 11: July 14, Shanghai

[Rob_Hugo@PortNW]

It is a day halcyon, as the overarching, oppressive heat and misting rain from the previous night seems to have given way to a glorious morn in the populous city of Shanghai. As every day starts with a break from the fast, a quick report on the second-floor restaurant. They serve you coffee or tea and are quick at refills! The food is plentiful and varied (Western and Eastern) and as a confessed bacon-oholic, I must impart that the slices of crispy pork were quite exceptional here. The breads are plentiful and inspire some to pack a snack bag for the day with banana bread or other treats.

The day proper begins at 9 am. We board the touring jitney for a lengthy half-circle journey of a challenging three blocks. It’s comical. We could have walked. The humor is lessened when we later learn the bus driver incurs a $200 ticket for waiting on us. The destination? The Urban Planning museum.

My initial thought on the title was: yawn. After single and group poses around the ubiquitous Haibo statue in the lobby – replete with the requisite hand gestures -- the yawns become awes as we note the detailed scaled cityscape in the lobby. Shanghai is a blossoming city that has transformed its farmland and undeveloped areas into a sparkling, thriving cityscape that is the economic powerhouse and China home base for major world corporations. Hence, it is also the most expensive city to live in in the country.

Actually, the lobby model is dwarfed by the expansive scale of the meticulously detailed city model on the fourth floor that is so au courant that it features every pavilion of the World Expo – sans the overwhelmed parking lot of buses and lengthy exhibition lines. The display is exceedingly high-tech, offering a variety of levels from which to view the layout, and it also features the city in its nighttime splendor. The 1:200 giant model of the city center, covers 800 square meters. Quite impressive. It feels like you have a bird’s eye very of this bustling metropolis, only surpassed by the sky-platform view from one floor above. They have thought of every vantage point.

To share the museum with your students, please use the following link:

http://www.supec.org/english/english_page.htm

The majority of the crew crams into a stuffy 360-degree theater for an overview of the city and its growth. Following the film, there is just enough time to shop for some Expo guides, gear and tchotchkes Luckily, the bus stays with us all day so we can keep our booty on board.

Back on the bus, we cruise by the performing arts center – they’re doing a Ring Cycle that looks impressive. Wagner’s major opus must be impressive here. No opera is scheduled during our 41-hour whirlwind tour.

Following another marathon trek (hyperbole) we stop to shop and rest at an old district that encompasses several small museums, including one dedicated to the site of the First Congress of the Communist Party of China. Although breakfast was a scant hour or two previous, the drive of familiar tastes and brands (Starbucks and Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf) – coupled with the increasing rise in humidity and heat – inspires many to sample the Chinese version of a Frappachino or Ice Blended (same recipe) and relax. Shanghai’s popularity as a major city center is also on parade as unexpected brands have homes in this brick-laden enclave – such as Lawry’s Prime Rib. Following 45 minutes, we re-board our jitney in quest of a particular housing area, home to Cal Yuanpei. However getting there is an issue. There is no place to stop and park. We finally exit near the Shanghai Hilton and walk around a neighborhood a few times after being rebuked by a guard as we attempt the most convenient entrance.

The neighborhood does not seem that ancient, and it has bricks painted on it’s plaster exterior. Yet the old real estate standby is omnipresent even in Shanghai – location, location, location. This is a desirable area and the folks who live here have the financial wherewithal to afford it based on the intricate weaving of their privacy fences. Our guide, Mr. Wu says homes in the area run about 10 million Yuan. He and his wife can only afford to live in Shanghai as they moved there ten years ago. One side note about our guide, he seems to be in a hurry and we are often looking to see where he went. As I am the blogger du jour, I stay close after losing sight of him twice.

Back at the Hilton, we re-enter our transport for a tour of The Bund and a journey to the seaport for lunch. The group is split into two different rooms, but still we make some negotiations for a potential eventide Shanghai cruise.

As we re-board the bus for our garden/shopping trek, we note a bride and groom exiting a church from their wedding. Also, it is striking to see the number of national flags adorning the seaside building roofs.

The two-hectare (4.94 acre) garden is solely accessible through a busy, crowded thoroughfare of shops, street peddlers, hawkers and musical performers. Based on the Xi’an incidents, Clay advises a tight grasp of wallets, purses and cameras. Mr. Wu leads us at a breakneck pace through the market and to a nondescript opening that is the garden. At last, a peaceful oasis. Alas, another crowded throng. The cacophony, push of people, and onward march of our guide makes it tough to pick up all the nuances of the peaceful garden. Not to be as koi as the fish in the pond, but our erratic path has us dodging purple-bedecked throngs as often as trying to find a gathering place for a group picture. Background, a wealthy merchant bought the land to create a special place for his parents. However they died before the 32-year project could be completed. The garden features a 400-year-old Gingko Biloba tree, 700-year-old statues that were imported to the location, pathways that are male only, three-toed dragons (only the emperor’s dragons have five toes), nooks, crannies, bridges, altars and living spaces that may be even more glorious past the press of humanity.

Within an hour we are ushered from the garden to a teashop. Barring the flying metal strips on the dank stairwell, and the hard sell administered after the samplings (and the lost guests due to our speedy departure) it was peaceful to enjoy some tea, watch the blossoming chrysanthemum, and marvel at the double-walled teacup that never burned your hand. Yet the desire of many was to return to the swirling throng within the market for deals galore, bartering banter, gesticulation and jostling amidst the flow of humanity. (Will Manny’s Mao quest ever be satiated?) After a 30-minute buying spree, followed by a frantic quest for lost numbers in our group, we head back to the bus in time to avoid the oncoming showers.

Returning to the Radisson, the group convenes in the lobby for a confab about the evening cruise plans. The majority opts for the seaside journey, while five others prefer the closer confines of shopping and eating in the neighborhood. Not attending the cruise, I only have a secondhand report that dining options were minimal at best at the dock area, the cruise was grand and the available taxis to usher tired adventurers homeward were at a premium. Please, feel free to offer your ocean journey insights here. All-in-all, a busy day in the bustling metropolis of Shanghai, before packing for our flight to Hong Kong – professional dress required.

This site has some great pictures and facts about the history and facts of Shanghai we did not get to see nor cover: http://www.shanghai.gov.cn/shanghai/node23919/node23957/node23960/index.html

[clay dube]

Hi Kyle, Nice entry -- I think everyone had trouble keeping up with Joe Wu 伍泉林 (Wu Quanlin) that day. I think that Shanghai's rise will be of interest to many students. There's a lot of literature produced in and about Shanghai. Leo Lee, for a couple of years based at UCLA, produced a wonderful study Shanghai Modern on just this subject. Some might find Ding Ling's The Diary of Miss Sophie of interest.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Clay. That is another book for my escalating TBR pile.
My hope is to move them all to the finished pile very soon.

[Anonymous]

Great entry, Kyle. I'm glad that you could glean this much detail. You are correct about the cruise--especially about the food choices (or lack thereof) and the premium taxis. I considered walking back but was told that I was crazy. Thank you for bringing back the image of the blooming chrysanthemum. That was like magic.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Kyle - brought back a lot of memories of our visit to the Yuyuan (Yu) Garden and shopping adventure that afternoon. The short respite we had at the tea shop was needed. I'm not claustrophobic but was starting to feel that way after touring through the garden and pushing our way through the mobs to do some shopping. It was difficult selecting souvenirs in China because many things sold there are available at our local Chinatowns.

I'm glad Clay waited for those who didn't show up on time. Memories of panic and being lost in a crowded mall at Christmastime come to my mind.

[Anonymous]

Creative writing style and highly detailed!

Quote of the Day: "Will Manny’s Mao quest ever be satiated?" LOL

8)

[Author]

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