We set out to explore about the city on our last full day of the trip. After breakfast at the hotel, we took a taxi to Longhua Temple. It is one of the most renowned Buddhist temples in China and the size and magnificence of its Buddhist sculptures clearly spoke for its reputation. I was dazzled by the size and colors of glittering golden sculptures: I don't think I ever saw that much gold assembled in one place. It was also interesting to see so many devout Buddhists visit the temple on the weekend and bow in front of the sculptures for many minutes.
Our next destination was an area know as the former French Concession, an area that was formerly occupied by the French. We arrived at our destination, expecting to see a street full of exotic Western stores and architecture. Surprisingly, there was one police office that used to be used by the French that was now being used by the Chinese police. When we asked one passerby, she told us that the building itself is often referred to as the 'French Concession.' Whilst wondering why French Concession was one of the top things to see in Shanghai, I also felt that I should have done more research on tourists attractions in Shanghai.
While walking down the street of the renowned "French Concession," we ran into a police officer and asked him if there was any famous tourist attraction nearby. He pointed us to the former residences of Zhou Enlai and Sun Yatsen. The former residence of Zhou also served as a meeting place for the CPC and a lookout for KMT spies. Sun's residence served as a memorial for Sun's political contributions to Chinese communism. The memorial was filled with the highest words of acclamation by China's former and present political leaders including Mao. Both sites were not exactly museums containing historical record but rather memorials dedicated to the respective historical figures, with subtle propaganda messages. What really surprised me was the security at both places. Every corner of the exhibitions was guarded by a police officer, scrutinizing each visitor's demeanor and making sure that we were not desecrating anything displayed there.
After some revision of Chinese history at French Concession, we headed over to Yuyuan and Old Shanghai streets. It was an old street filled with small stalls and stores, selling miscellaneous handicrafts ranging from paintings to teapots. We stumbled upon one unique shop selling matchboxes and fabric patches with Chinese propaganda posters painted on them. They were all so fascinating! (although I relied on Amanda's dad's translation) I even found a package of ten matchboxes with North Korean propaganda posters painted on them. I couldn't resist - I just had to buy them! After zooming through the shops on one side of the street, we went to Mao-jia-fandian (Mao family's restaurant) for lunch. I wasn't very convinced by the whole Mao family's marketing, but nevertheless, the restaurant had pictures of Mao on the walls. Over the course of the trip, I was constantly fascinated by the Chinese people's adoration of Mao. He does not only serve as a political leader figure, but his almost god-like presence transcends all areas. He appears on every single Chinese paper note, used as a friendly marketing figure and is still spoken very high of by modern Chinese people as the great "Chairman Mao."
When we walked across Yuyuan (aka Yu Garden), we reached the Bund. The Bund is a street of European-style buildings along the river. The buildings are now occupied by foreign banks and companies, but it wasn't hard to imagine what the Bund would have been like in the old days when the street was less busy with people and civilization. The Bund quickly became my favorite spot in Shanghai because you can also look out to the river and see the other side where the financial center is located. The sight was amazing: the co-existence of the old and the new had a very curious charm that I was not able to get anywhere else.
After enjoying the view of the river for a while, we decided to take a underwater cable car to the other side of the river. Although the cable car was kind of pathetic, the sight laid in front of me on the other side of me made me forget all about the horrible ride. The Shanghai Oriental Pearl Tower was absolutely beautiful and the high-rises spoke directly of Shanghai's renown as Asia's emerging financial hub. When we got back to the other side of the river we decided to take a quick look at Nanjinglu (aka Nanjing Road), which was a shopping alley with lots of modern shops built inside old architecture. It was an extremely crowded street with both native and international tourists jumbled together; not to mention that everything sold there was ridiculously over-priced!
When it started getting darker at around 8 pm, we realized that everyone was exiting Nanjinglu to get to the Bund. It was almost like a mass exodus! There was more violent and disorganized pushing and shoving involved, of course. However, when we got to the Bund and the riverside, we realized that the trouble was definitely worth it. The skyline was absolutely mind-blowing and we spent a good half an hour admiring the stunning view.
I was really glad that the finale of this short trip turned out also to be the highlight. Despite the scorching summer heat and slightly coarse manner of the native tourists, Shanghai is a beautiful city without doubt. I would not hesitate to visit Shanghai again if I had a chance. It is a cultural, financial and technological hub of China, and there is so much to learn about the local culture. The food is great - but then again, I wasn't very adventurous with my choice of local cuisine, which is one thing that I wish I had done while traveling in Shanghai!
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