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| Hello, China! > Shanghai |
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Shanghai
October-November 2008
Shanghai is a Chinese city with the face of a laowai («foreigner»). It was not called a Paris of the East by chance. If it were not for the «Oriental Pearl» tower and two other skyscrapers, it would be difficult to understand at once in which giant modern megapolis of the world you are in. However, judging by the residents, you should have guessed that you are somewhere in Asia.
> To see pictures - Shanghai at daytime (21)
> To see pictures - A little bit more of Shanghai at daytime (20)
> To see pictures - Shanghai at night (8)
Russian trace in Shanghai
Russian trace is, of course, too much said. In Shanghai there are at least two former orthodox temples. At the picture to the left is a former St. Nickolas temple, nowadays there is some kind of a club working inside.
There is also a monument to Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin in Shanghai. They say it is the only monument in China to a foreign poet.
> To see pictures (10)
Tunnel under the Huangpu river
There is a tourist tunnel between the Wai Tan (The Bund) embankment and Pudong district under the Huangpu river. One way ticket will cost you 30 yuans ($4.5 USD), return - 40. I don't think that anybody buys a return ticket for 40 yuans. Even children would not like to see it twice. Those who want may follow the link and watch a video from the tunnel.
> To watch video of the tunnel under Huangpu
«Oriental Pearl» TV tower
I would like to visit the viewing points of the three main skyscrapers of the Shanghai district Pudong: TV tower, world finance center and skyscraper Jin Mao. But the rainy grey weather allowed to go up to the TV tower «Oriental Pearl» only in the evening.
There are two types of tickets: for 135 and 150 yuans ($20 and $22 USD). Though exactly for the difference of additional 15 yuans you can go up to the upper sphere that is called a «space module» at the height of 350 m. The total height of the tower is 486 m. Just for comparison — the height of the Ostankino Tower is 540 m.
> To see pictures (8)
Yu Yuan garden and old quarter
Yu Yuan garden (garden of Joy) is situated in the old quarter of Shanghai. The garden is thought to be laid out by Pan Yunduan to please his father Pan En, who was a high ranking official in the Ming dynasty. Yunduan spent almost 20 years to create the garden. I'm sure that his father liked the garden very much. I definitely liked that paradise and rather calm corner in the whirling city.
> To see pictures (13)
Longhua Temple
Longhua Temple — is the oldest acting Buddhist temple in Shanghai. The first temple is thought to be built at that place in 257 B.C. The temple is also known due to its seven-storied (40 m high) thousand years old pagoda Longhua.
Entrance fee is 10 yuans. There are no signs forbidding to take pictures!
Temple Longhua can be reached by the subway up to the station «Long Cao Rd» (south of the 3rd yellow subway line), exit No.1, and from there 5 minutes walking to the west and north-west.
> To see pictures (13)
Tea party with «students» (aka Tea ceremony)
Before the trip I have already read a lot about the «students» that start talking with foreigners, and then, seemingly by chance the invite you to take tea nearby or come to the uncle's gallery to look at pictures. Aware of this trick, I decided to get into contact with these guys — E-Wei and Kin Kin. At first there was no trickery as such. We talked, they invited and we went. Tearoom was at the second floor of the shopping mall not far from the People's square and Nanjing street. At the tearoom they immediately showed me the prices for tea, rather high, - just like in Moscow. They demonstrated teapots with disappearing and appearing from heat images, made different teas. One fruit tea was rather tasty. They also showed a trick with the flower that opens in the glass of water. After the ceremony they proposed to buy teapots and tea.
At the end an unpleasant surprise was waiting for me — it can be thought as a con for money. It is a charge of 100 yuans ($15 USD) per person for the ceremony proper and 100 yuans per person for the room where tea party was held. So, apart from paying for tea, I had to pay another 200 yuans ($30 USD).
In a couple of days I met my «tea friends» near the People's square. They were taking an American for a friendly cup of tea. I explained the situation to him, and the students have rapidly disappeared at that time.
In Beijing «tea-students» tried to talk to me only at the Tiananmen square, in Shanghai — at the People's square, Nanjing street and Wai Tan embankment.
> To see pictures (8)
Ramada Shanghai Hongkou hotel
I decided to put up in Ramada Shanghai Hongkou hotel as I liked the hotel in this Ramada chain in Wuxi. The only thing it was slightly costlier than I thought. Without breakfast the room cost was 398 yuans ($59 USD). With this, you had to pay for internet at the exorbitant cost — 1 yuan per minute. As for the rest — the hotel was quite suitable for living. And open internet can be caught by wifi.
The hotel is located approximately at the equal distance (10 minutes walk) between the three subway stations: Hailunlu, Linpinglu, Hongkou Zuqiuchang.
> To see pictures (5)
Maglev
The thing that one must definitely see and take a ride in Shanghai is magnetoplane — Maglev.
Video and photo can be viewed at the link below.
> To see video and pictures (2, 4)
All pictures on one page:
Beijing - The Great Wall of China - Kaifeng - Wuxi - Shanghai - Nanjing - Jinan
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© Rem Sapozhnikov, 2008 - <e-mail> |
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