Introduction

Energetic, youthful, and growing like mad, this Pacific Rim city mixes tradition and modernity with exotic, dynamic results. Next up, Shanghai on Smart Travels.

Shanghai is a city being born. Skyscrapers burst from the ground at an amazing rate. Trendy shops, restaurants and bars materialize overnight. The city buzzes with youthful energy, tangled traffic and bazaars that sell everything. But down a little alley, at early morning under a willow tree or in a hidden neighborhood market, traditional China, the Shanghai of old, brushes up against the modern.

Shanghai is a city of some 20 million people. Crowded and congested, it is, but perfectly manageable for the traveler. Safe, colorful, easy to navigate and a shopper's paradise, Shanghai is swiftly becoming the new Hong Kong and a symbol of China's growth in the 21st century.

Our exploration of the city concentrates on three main areas: the waterfront, or Bund, the old town, and the shopping street called Nanjing Donglu. Then we venture outside the city to the gardens of Suzhou and exquisite canal town, Zhouzhang.

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You'll find a quick guide to the city at www.world66.com.

 

A City Of Skyscrapers

Growth in Shanghai in the past decade has been dizzying. Every week, older sections of town are razed to make way for gleaming skyscrapers. More than 5,000 new high rise buildings have gone up, thousands more wait on drawing boards.

For all the mind boggling changes, the people of Shanghai carry on, holding on to tradition while welcoming the modern. At once timeless and serene, entrepreneurial and savvy, the people embrace their new city with pride and affection.

 

History Of Shanghai

Shanghai experienced an earlier heyday, albeit under foreign occupation. During the 1920's and 30's the city was famous for its dynamic growth and prosperity as well as for its gangsters, drugs, and nightclubs. The expression "to be shanghaied" came from the practice of drugging sailors and throwing them on ships leaving the city.

Set on the delta of the mighty Yangtze River, Shanghai was an isolated little fishing port until the British opened a trading post here in 1842, exporting exotic goods home and importing opium from India. Stately European style buildings sprang up on the riverfront, known as the Bund. At its height, the city thrived and became known as the Paris of the East. The party was over when the Japanese invaded during World War II. In 1949, the communists marched in to the city.

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For a little more history of Shanghai, check out uk.holidaysguide.yahoo.com.

For forty years, Shanghai slept, to be awakened again in 1990 when China's leader, Deng Xiaoping declared the city open to trade. Money came rushing into the city from the central government and then from local and foreign investment—Shanghai began to prosper.

 

Nanjing Donglu Shopping

All of Shanghai loves to shop. Exotic tea and grocery shops, Western franchises and teeming bazaars fill the streets. And everywhere, young women sweep along with shopping bags and boyfriends in tow.

The main shopping street, Nanjing Donglu stretches west from the Bund. A pedestrian only shopping area makes a colorful, intriguing adventure. Dispensary #1, is a pharmacy with some wild looking cures. Next door, Food Store #1 offers up mounds and mounds of fruits, candies, meats and vegetables—figuring out exactly which is which can be challenging.

The western end of Nanjing Donglu grows upscale with elite shops that the average Chinese worker can only afford to look at. Still, the streets are thronged with eager shoppers—Shanghai's youthful, growing middle class.

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For more on shopping in Shanghai, go to www.travelchinaguide.com and www.entershanghai.info.

 

Taxis

Taxis in Shanghai are clean, safe and extremely inexpensive. It's the way to get around—the only catch is drivers don't speak or read English. Get the concierge at your hotel to write down the destination in Chinese and away you go.

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For more on taxis and getting around Shanghai, visit www.fodors.com.

Good guidebooks will also have a list of Shanghai destinations in Chinese characters. I'm headed for tea at the Yu Yuan bazaar.

 

Yu Yuan Theater Teahouse

Tea began in China. The Chinese domesticated tea plants five or six thousand years ago.

In addition to green and oolong tea, the Chinese drink a variety of flavored teas. The most dramatically beautiful is jasmine tea that blossoms when steeped in hot water.

Romeo and Juliet are Jasmine infused tea leaves wrapped around flowers—Romeo has a slightly stronger flavor than Juliet.

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For a visit to the Huxinting Tea House, check out www.wcities.com.

 

Yu Yuan Bazaar

The Yu Yuan Theater teahouse is located in the center of the YuYuan bazaar, a bustling shopping area loaded with souvenirs for tourists. Shanghai's best dumpling shop, Nan Xiang, is here, serving up thousands of fat steaming rolls to hungry customers. Yu Yuan attracts dumpling lovers, sightseers and local musicians—it's a crowded, friendly, spirited scene. Yu Yuan's traditional architecture is charming, but recently built.

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For a peek at the Yu Yuan gardens, go to www.thebeijingguide.com.

 

Shanghai Museum

For genuine antiquities, there is no place more stunning than the Shanghai Museum, which opened in 1995 to international acclaim.

The Chinese name for their country is Chung-kuo—or central land. For many centuries, China was the most advanced civilization on the planet. Theirs is an amazing 4000 years of unbroken history.

The museum's bronze collection includes food, wine and water vessels, many three to four thousand years old. The larger water vessels were used for bathing, as a mirror or to hold ice to chill food. The collection includes ancient bells that could produce two tones when struck with a wooden hammer and drums used in rituals.

Jade, or the stone of heaven as it is known, dates from the Neolithic period in China. A sacred stone, jade accompanied the dead on their journey and served as a link between the spiritual realm and earth. The color varies from green to creamy white, depending on the amount of iron in the stone. Jade was thought to possess healing and even magical powers.

In the Neolithic Age, pottery was developed in China when people baked mud on baskets to harden them for food vessels. Using fine white Kaolin clay and baking it at a higher temperature, the Chinese further developed the art of pottery by inventing porcelain some 1, 500 years ago.

The sculpture gallery focuses on Buddhist works. Buddhism was introduced to China with the opening of the Silk Road in 200 BC. At first a minor cult, Buddhism soon flourished because of its simplicity and resemblance to Taoism, an indigenous religion popular at the time.

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The museum offers an excellent audio guide in English. If you'd like to take a virtual tour of Shanghai Museum, go to www.shanghaimuseum.net.

 

Jade Buddhist Temple

Modern day Buddhism is on display at the Jade Buddhist Temple, just north of downtown. Buddhism is experiencing a renaissance since China relaxed restrictions on some religious practices. Both a religion, and a way of life, Buddhism teaches self-awareness and a love of wisdom. The Jade Buddha for which the temple is named is an exquisitely jeweled statue, serene and slightly bemused. It was brought here from Burma in the late 1800's.

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For more history on religion in China, visit www.historyforkids.org.

 

Market Shopping

Jade Buddhas, silk, fans and fake designer goods—you can find just about anything in Shanghai’s dynamic markets. At any bazaar it's expected you'll bargain and bargain hard.

Market shopping is a blast in Shanghai. The sights, sounds and aromas are enticing. From the Antique market selling Mao memorabilia to the bird and flower market, past and present mingle in a typical energetic Shanghai stew. Try to find one of the neighborhood food markets in the atmospheric Old Town. Dumplings steam away, eels writhe in plastic tubs and peasants from the country sell the biggest zucchini I've ever seen.

At Shanghai's fashion market, tailors whip your favorite cloth into a jacket.

When bargaining at any market, start at 80% off the asking price...and if you settle around 50% off, you've done well.

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For quick overviews of shopping in Shanghai, check out www.travelchinaguide.com and www.chinatour.com.

Want to know what you're looking for when buying porcelain objects at any market? Try www.shanghai-star.com.cn. You'll find a list at the bottom of the page.

 

Cricket Market

Tucked down a small street with skyscrapers looming overhead, a little piece of old town China survives in a cricket market. These intense shoppers aren't looking for pets but rather for the strongest cricket for fights. There's no gore—the winner simply backs off the more cowardly cricket.

 

Dining In Shanghai

Dumplings for breakfast anyone? How about lunch or dinner? Shanghai loves dumplings, but all kinds of wonderful taste sensations can be found throughout the city. All over town, Shanghai restaurants serve up traditional cuisine with a modern flair.

Zhapu Road, not far from the Bund, is the local's lively street of restaurants. Many of the restaurants include some English on the menu. With a sense of adventure, you won't go wrong, well not too wrong, anyway.

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You'll find a handy guide to dining in Shanghai at www.usatoday.com.

Want to try your own hand at cooking Shanghai dumplings? Get the recipe at recipes.chef2chef.net.

 

Xinjishi Restaurant

For a sure bet, the concierge at my hotel suggested this happening restaurant in the Xintiandi section of town. Shanghai cuisine is a mix of traditional dishes from nearby provinces. It often involves a complex, savory sauce and chicken or fish. Owner Yvonne Han described Xinjishi's specialities.

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Discover more on the section of town at www.travelchinaguide.com.

Four and five star accommodations in the city are plentiful and new hotels burst skywards all the time. Mid range accommodations are more difficult to find, but as tourism grows, so do the options.

 

New World Radisson Hotel

A reasonably priced luxury hotel is the Shanghai New World Radisson, conveniently located near the Nanjing pedestrian shopping area, the Shanghai museum and the Bund. Most hotels offer buffet breakfasts with the stay and many of Shanghai's fine restaurants are associated with hotels.

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Find out more about this hotel at www.radisson.com.

 

Portman Ritz Carlton Hotel

Further west along Nanjing Road the impressive Shanghai Center is home to the five star Portman Ritz Carlton. Rooms vary from classic deluxe to lavish suites. And at the spa, guests can experience traditional Chinese massage or acupressure. On Saturdays, local musicians often play classical Chinese music in the lounge.

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Find out more about this hotel at www.ritzcarlton.com.

The concierge desk at any fine hotel can book everything from excursions outside the city to an acrobat performance—a valuable service when you cannot speak or read the language.

 

Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe

Shanghai acrobats juggle, tumble and fly through the air at the Shanghai Center nearly every night. Acrobatic arts began as a folk art as early as 200 BC and later became a favorite of the Imperial Courts. Swallow diving, an acrobatic tumble through hoops, dates back two thousand years and imitates the graceful flight of swallows. Physical strength and mental focus characterize the Shanghai acrobats. Their balance and timing derives from the Chinese philosophy of Chi Kung that stresses manipulation of energy, or chi, through breathing and meditation.

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For tickets, visit the Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe website.

To view some streaming acrobatics, go to www.thebeijingguide.com.

 

Shanghai At Night By Boat

One of the best shows in Shanghai is sitting here at one of the bars or restaurants on the Bund and watching the lights go on. If Shanghai by day is colorful and lively, by night it is electric.

Another excellent way to take in the city lights is by boat. Shanghai is one of the world's largest ports and cargo boats as well scenic tour boats regularly cruise the Huangpu River. With its people's love of color, excitement and shopping, its no wonder Shanghai has one of the most dazzling nighttime skylines.

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To find out more about cruising the night-time Huangpu river, check out www.china-cruise.com, www.frommers.com, www.city-discovery.com, www.chinahighlights.com, chinadaily.com, or www.affiliate.viator.com.

It's day for night here in the city that never sleeps. Neon abounds and I never could figure out when the shops finally closed.

 

Tai Chi In The Park

The next morning—well, every morning—some of the locals are up at 6am. These are not the revelers of the night before, but likely their grandparents. While young people belong to trendy athletic clubs, the older generation turns out in droves in city parks to practice the ancient art of Tai Chi. I wonder: will Shanghai itself know grace, balance and good health in generations to come?

 

Suzhou Classical Gardens

Balance and proportion are the fundamentals in traditional Chinese gardens. We've left the big city behind and driven an hour west to the city of Suzhou, famous for its classical gardens.

With 1 million people, Suzhou is hardly what you'd call a small town, yet once inside one of the dozens of gardens, the city slips away. Chinese gardens frame nature—capturing it through windows and mirrors. Trees, ponds and rocks are delicately arranged so that each scene is a fusion of art and nature.

The art of making gardens was exported from China and Korea to Japan in the 6th century.

Many of these gardens were originally laid out in from the 16th century. . Twists and turns and hidden views, keep the visitor perpetually surprised. The pavilions were designed for contemplation—for reading, drawing, meditating or playing musical instruments.

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For details on each garden, go to www.suzhou.gov.cn and find the list of individual gardens at the top of the page under "Place interest".

While you're in Suzhou, check out the Suzhou Gardens Museum. It introduces the history of Suzhou's ancient gardens and explores the technology of building gardens.

Haven't had enough learning about the gardens yet? Then visit the official website of Suzhou Gardens: www.szgarden.sz.js.cn.

One can spend hours here, admiring a detail, or framing a delicate scene from inside a latticed bridge...or under an archway. Zigzagged bridges protect the pavilions from evil spirits that the Chinese believed could only travel in straight lines.

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For interesting reading on Asian gardens, check out www.gardenvisit.com.

 

Suzhou Silk Factory

The silk industry created Suzhou's wealth. Suzhou's silk factories afford a glimpse into the precise process of boiling cocoons from silk worms, then spinning the fine threads onto spools. You can also see how cocoons themselves are stretched out to make comforters and bedspreads.

This is the place to buy silk—the prices are much lower than in Shanghai. The quality is guaranteed and there's no bargaining.

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Trains go to Suzhou but a car and driver is easier and reasonably priced.

If you want to learn more about silk after touring the factories, visit the Suzhou Silk Museum.

Just want to know how silk is made? For a visitor's-eye view, check out the personal websites www.anniebees.com and www.tylersterritory.com. For a broader and historical review, go to www.silkroadfoundation.org.

 

Zhouzhang River Town

This area of China is known for the Yangtzee River towns. Laced with canals, little Zhouzhang lies between Suzhou and Shanghai.

Incredibly picturesque and evocative, this is a trip back in time some 900 years. Fourteen stone bridges span the canals...boats ferry passengers along the waters...and ancient houses line the shore. Chinese tourists have flocked here for some time, but Zhouzhang is relatively unknown to foreigners.

 

Zaijian...

Like a jasmine flower in water, Shanghai is blossoming. Tradition and the modern world merge and mix into something wholly new. Whether its shopping, acrobatics, nightlife or Tai Chi, the people of Shanghai embrace life with great joy and zest. Whatever Shanghai becomes, it will remain colorful, vibrant, and spirited. Shanghai leaves you with a smile—and a determination to come back again soon.

Well I've been shanghaied alright. And it may well take force to get me to leave this crazy, fun, endearing city. From China's dazzling new powerhouse, I'm Rudy Maxa, zaijian.

 

 

• Introduction
• Maps
• Skyscrapers
• History
• Nanjing Donglu Shopping
• Taxis
• Yu Yuan Theater
• Yu Yuan Bazaar
• Shanghai Museum
• Jade Buddha Temple
• Market Shopping
• Cricket Market
• Dining
• New World Radisson Hotel
• Teahouse Portman Ritz Carlton Hotel
• Shanghai at night
• Tai Chi
• Suzhou Gardens
• Suzhou Silk
• Zhouzhang River Town
• Zaijian...