Shanghai

May 2014:

Taking advantage of Grant’s first holiday in Beijing, we jumped at the opportunity to plan a short weekend trip to Shanghai!

We both absolutely loved Shanghai…from its magical views along the Bund, to the food (xiaolongbao!), and its more western accommodations (actual toilets!), we had a wonderful time.

To kick start the trip, literally, we boarded the world’s fastest train – the Maglev.  It takes only 8 minutes to get from the airport into the city while on board this train, reaching up to 431 kmh!

I’m sure you’ve noticed by now that food is usually our first priority once we touch down in a new city.  We immediately set off for some xiaolongbao, which is simply “soup dumplings”, and a specialty of the Jiangnan region of China.  They were SO good, in fact, we actually started eating them for breakfast (Yang’s Dumplings)!  Our favorite spot for xiaolongbao was Din Tai Fung, which originated in Taiwan, and specializes in delicious xiaolongbao.

After lunch we wandered around the French Concession area, taking in the lovely architecture of the old residential buildings and art deco apartments.  We happened upon Fuxing Park, which was laid out by the French in the early 1900’s…like you’re walking through the gardens of Versailles!  We then made our way to the former residence of Sun Yat-sen, a Chinese revolutionary, and the first president and founding father of the Republic of China.

Former residence of Sun Yat-sen

We finished off the afternoon with a stroll through Tianzifang – a community within the alleyways.  We got lost in the alleyways while enjoying a bit of window-shopping.

The Bund was by far our favorite area in Shanghai.  The Bund is symbolic of colonial Shanghai, once the city’s Wall St.  The buildings along the Bund are art deco and neoclassical, built in the early 20^th century.  The dichotomy of the colonial architecture on the Bund and the modern, almost futuristic, architecture of Pudong across the Huangpu River is absolutely fascinating.  We indulged in a little rooftop drinking at Glamour Bar, and later on a little rooftop dining at Captain’s Bar, admiring the bright lights of Pudong – one of the most amazing, man-made views we’ve ever seen.

The next morning, we set out to explore the old town of Shanghai.  Here, we wandered through the zigzag streets of the crowded bazaar, embraced the tranquility of the Temple of the Town God, and relaxed in the peaceful Yuyuan gardens, which took 18 years to build during the Ming-dynasty.

That evening, we decided to overcome our fear of heights by taking in views of the city from 100 stories up from the Shanghai World Financial Center!

We finished off our tour of Shanghai oooooohing and ahhhhing at the impressive performances of one of Shanghai’s acrobatics troupes – among the best in the world.  Unfortunately, pics were not allowed, but we snuck a few in anyways :)

That was amazing!!!