Finally got down to sorting out my Shanghai photos. A lot of which turned out to be historical buildings. Haha. Can’t help it. I like old buildings. This was my 2nd trip to Shanghai though the 1st didn’t really count because I saw nothing apart from the airport, my hotel & my Shanghai office. Hence, when I was tasked to go Shanghai again, I decided to fly in 2 days earlier to do a bit of exploring.
It’s quite easy to get around Shanghai thanks to the cheap taxis (avoid the dark and bright red cabs – at least that’s what I was warned and I adhered to it) and vast metro network. The residents are also a lot more civilised than other Chinese cities – I could really see why Shanghai is considered “tier 1â€. Food wise… nothing great actually. I got to try some traditional Shanghai dishes – only liked the rice cake in black sauce gravy, the xiaolongbao and the guotie.
One thing I observed was that the PRCs are very hardworking and will persist in their attempts to earn money. For example, the taxi touts I met at the airport who tried sooooo hard to convince me to go to the 3rd floor when the real taxi stand is on the ground level. In fact, majority of the tourists were convinced and went up to level 3. When I insisted on taking the escalator to the ground level, they followed me all the way and tried non-stop to convince me that I was headed the wrong direction.
From a S’porean point of view, if I were the tout, I would have given up once the person takes the escalator down to the ground level. And that’s the difference – the more comfortable your life is, the less persistent you are. It’s probably good to learn this “never say die†attitude from them. I think the first generation of S’poreans who came from China probably had this mentality too. But it’s been lost as we become more and more a nanny state, expecting the government to do everything for us. I’m quite ashamed.
Here’re some pics I took from the touristy places I went.
SSAW Hotel near Yuyuan station – great value for money! Love the room!
Quaint building at French Concession area.Â
The famous shady trees everyone talks about when they mention the French Concession areaÂ
Soong Ching Ling’s former residence.Â
Dining roomÂ
Dr Sun Yat Sen’s photoÂ
KitchenÂ
Living roomÂ
Front of Soong Ching Ling’s residenceÂ
Soong Ching Ling’s carsÂ
The BundÂ
Customs HouseÂ
HSBC BuildingÂ
Narrow streets of TianzifangÂ
Yuyuan – a famous classical garden located in Anren Jie, Shanghai. It was finished in 1577 by a government officer of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) named Pan Yunduan.Â
Yuyuan – a famous classical garden located in Anren Jie, Shanghai. It was finished in 1577 by a government officer of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) named Pan Yunduan.Â
Qibao Ancient Town
Fu Lu Shou sculpture at XintiandiÂ
Shikumen building – Chinese and Western style house hybrid of the early 20th century particular to Shanghai. Developed in the early 1900s to meet the housing demands of booming old Shanghai, they are urban Western adaptations of traditional Chinese courtyards.
Wouldn’t mind returning to Shanghai for another holiday! Â Too many places left unexplored!
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