Nanjing Road Shanghai

Nanjing Road is a premier shopping street in Shanghai which every tourist would end up one way or another. Our tour guide brought us there on our very first night in Shanghai.

Stretching 3.4 miles, it starts from the Bund on the east, ending near the junction of Jing’an Temple and Yan’an West Street on the west. Nanjing Street is reputed to be the first and the earliest shopping street in Shanghai, right after the Opium War (1839-1842).

This street has been mostly rebuild over the years and today is a modern shopping pedestrian mall with trendy outlets lining both sides of the street. You will find all the high end trendy premium outlets such as Dunhill, Mont Blanc and Tiffany that would bleed your pocket and wallet as well as outlets offering a range of other specialty goods. There are also a host of cafes, trendy restaurants and pubs for a meal, a snack or simply a drink.

Be prepared to be `harassed’ by the numerous street vendors, offering all sorts of products and items, many that would definitely be enticing especially to the little ones. If you are thinking of buying some, do not buy from the very first vendor who approaches you and be prepared to walk away if you could not get the price you want. You will be surprised that you could actually buy what you got from the first vendor (even after a hefty 50% bargain, which you thought was superb) even cheaper if you have only waited and walked further down the road.

Nanjing Street is definitely more attractive with all the flashy neon signs illuminating the night and be on a look out for the occasional street performance or music which could be rather interesting.

I, for one, did not find anything particularly interesting about this street. Maybe I am not a keen shopper or maybe my pocket is not deep enough for me to walk into all those high end quality boutiques to grab an LV bag or a Mont Blanc fountain pen. I find this street no more exceptional than the Wangfujing shopping street back in Beijing. It is good for one visit just for the ‘Been there, done that’ reason but nothing interesting enough to draw me back the second round.

Your female other half might beg to differ. So, get that credit card ready.

Shanghai Bund New and Old

If and when you are visiting Shanghai, I am pretty sure the name of this one place would be definitely comes up top. Nobody and no tour agency would give this place a miss and that place is the famous BUND!

I had to make two separate trips to the Bund when I was in Shanghai. The first night I was there, we went too late and all the glittering lights that made the Bund what she is was already switched off around 9:30 p.m. There were literally nothing to see, only dark buildings and even darker side opposite the Huangpu River where the Oriental Pearl TV Tower and the sky scrappers were.

Hence, on the day that we returned from Hangzhou, we made it a point to visit the Bund immediately before even going back to the hotel, to grab a cruise down the Huangpu River and savor the beauty and charm of this magnificent landscape at night, basking in all her glittering lights.

Also known as Zhongshan Dong Li Lu (East Zhongshan First Road), she has been an iconic street in Shanghai for hundred of years. Stretching approximately 1500 meters, there are 26 buildings of different and unique design and architecture that defines the Bund. This stretch fronting the Huangpu River, looking across the Pudong Financial District was once the most romantic corner in Shanghai. It still would be if NOT for the hundreds if not thousands of tourists there every night, talking or shouting on top of the voice and having their pictures taken.

Taking a river cruise down the Huangpu River is a rather interesting experience. As you cruise down this very important river in Shanghai, you would clearly see the difference between the west and the east side of the river. On the west side is the Bund, with her 26 signature buildings of different design, architectural, bearing resemblance from different eras such as Gothic, Baroque, Romanesque, Classicism and the Renaissance, a time of the glorious past. If you close you eyes, and if your imagination allows you, you can even bring yourself, traveling back in time to the golden era of Shanghai yesteryear and imagine how romantic that scene would be.

On the east side, however, is the complete opposite. Instead of old colonial style buildings, are the tall sky scrappers with colourful neon lights and advertisements displays, constantly changing hue and colour. Here lie the three tallest buildings in Shanghai and among the tallest in China and the world. The first to catch your attention will of course be the colourful and unique iconic Oriental Pearl TV Tower. Then, there is the Jin Mao Tower, an 88 floors tiered pagoda shape building which until recently was the 5^th tallest building in the world. She is now of course dwarfed by the even taller building and currently the tallest building (soon to be surpassed), the Shanghai World Financial Centre, standing at 492 meters with 101 floors, making her the third tallest building in the world.

The landscape here is going to change even further with the soon to be completed Shanghai Tower with a height of 632 meters, taking over as the tallest building in Shanghai and China and the second in the world.

 

We were told an interesting story surrounding the constructions of the Shanghai World Financial Centre and the Shanghai Tower. I am uncertain as to how true the story was but it is still interesting nevertheless and holds true to the pride of the mighty Chinese.

Story has it that the Shanghai World Financial Centre was designed and built by the Japanese. The current square opening right at the top of the building, which made this building’s design unique, was initially a circle but the idea was strongly objected upon by the Chinese because it represents a symbol of the Japan’s rising sun. Hence, it was changed to her present state.

But having the tallest building built by the Japanese is not exactly something that the Chinese are proud of and some even said that the very sharp angles and edges of the building from far looks similar to a samurai sword. Hence, the Chinese then designed and commenced building an even taller structure next to her, namely the current Shanghai Tower, cylinder in design, looking more like a sword sheath to hold her `within’.

 

Regardless whether the story is true or otherwise, the Bund and the Pudong Financial District are still a must visit places when you do drop by Shanghai. In fact, if you have the time, I might even suggest that you see her once during the day and then again in all her splendour at night.

And if you are photographer, don’t forget to bring your tripod and you will be rewarded with shots that you would be happy to go home with.

Zhujiajiao Ancient Water Town

When one visits Shanghai, several top tourist attractions are a must. A walk down the Bund, taking a river cruise down Huangpu River in the evening to enjoy the glittering Bund on one side and the Shanghai Financial district with a good view of the Pearl Tower on the other, not forgetting having a picture taken with the Pearl Tower and shopping at the famous Nanjing Street.

Not many itineraries would include a visit to this 1700 years old ancient water town located approximately an hour ride from Shanghai and reportedly one of the four best preserved ancient water town in Shanghai.

Zhujiajiao (朱家角) or simply known as the Zhu Family Settlement with a population of approximately 60,000 dates back all the way to the Yuan Dynasty. She is also known as the `Pearl Stream’ because this little town will glimmer at night among the landscapes of lakes, rivers and mountains.

When I did some research before my trip to Shanghai, I was not particularly impressed with all the common places that most tour agencies will take me and I was looking for something more Chinese. The pictures of Zhujiajiao caught my attention with her canals, rivers, sleepy willow trees and old ancient cottages. Hence, I gave specific instructions and made specific request that I wanted to visit Zhujiajiao and slot that into our itinerary somehow. Fortunately, our driver was accommodating enough and willingly slot in a full day visit to this place on the last day at Shanghai before we made our way to the airport.

On arrival, my first impression of this place was rather disappointing. It was a Sunday and just like any other tourist attractions in China, especially this particular one which are rather popular with local tourists, this place was absolutely packed to the brim. There were so many people pushing along the narrow streets and jostling to get their pictures taken. 

My first thoughts were to turn back and go home. But having travelled more than an hour from Shanghai, there is no turning back. Braving the crowd, we made our way carefully and rather `forcefully’ pushing back the crowd who constantly walk right into your face, which happens so often in China with the local tourist, to the nearest restaurant to have our lunch, to gather our composure, to take a breather, to get over the initial shock and to plan the next course of action.

The lunch break did help. We ordered some local dishes which turned up rather delicious though a little pricey (which is expected of a place this crowded and popular). With our stomach filled and I had my local beer, we were ready to do battle on the narrow streets and alleys, crowded with tourist and locals peddling their souvenirs.

Most of the cottages have been turned into either cafes, restaurants, tea houses, snack shops or souvenir shops, managed by the locals. I must say that this place is overly commercialised and very touristy. If we had not stay longer till the evening when most of the crowd left, I would not rank this place as a place that I would enjoy but enjoy I did as the day drew to a close.

One of the best way to avoid the crowd and to get an introduction of the place and some of orientation as to where to go for a walk would be to take a boat ride. They offered several routes with different prices. We took the cheapest which amounted to RMB30 per person covering 4 destinations, since there were 6 of us and the journey lasted approximately 20 minutes. It was short but was also the most enjoyable 20 minutes as our boat went into narrow canals, lined by sleepy willow trees with their leaves hanging over the water and ancient old cottages lining both side of the canal. I began to enjoy and appreciate the true beauty of this quaint ancient water town.

Towards the evening, as the sun sets and her rays dimmed, and as the lights of the many cottages came on and the crowd leaves, as the temperature cooled down, the smell of spring was refreshing.

This is the best moment to savour the true beauty and charm of this 1700 years old water town. Walking down the now almost deserted alleys, a sense of serenity and tranquillity descended upon place, which hours ago was bustling with hundreds if not thousands of people, squeezing among themselves through these same streets and alleys.

Soon, it was time for us to leave this place to catch our flight back to Beijing but I leave with a sense of satisfaction that Zhujiajiao has not disappointed me. Although this place, like some many other places in China, has been overly commercialised, I still had that opportunity, for a short moment in time, to experience and to see her in her natural serenity and charm.

Hence, a word of advice if you are planning a visit, it might make good sense to either stay longer and wait for the crowd to leave or simply visit her later in the day, to truly enjoy what Zhujiajiao has to offer.