Shanghai

Friday, August 14, 2015

Today we continued our trip to Shanghai, and with a high-speed train, we reached it in less than an hour.  It was another sunny day with blue sky.

Shanghai looks very differently from any city we visited in China so far.  It is one of the country’s largest and most vibrant cities, with many western art deco buildings, skyscrapers and wide streets which could be anywhere in US.  The crowd is fashionable, and shopping is impossible to resist.

Shanghai was less glamorous in the past, built on opium, silk and tea trade, and was a symbol for vice, with its numerous opium dens, gambling joints, and brothels. In these conditions, the working poor of Shanghai was exploited, their resistance built and China’s Communist party was formed here.  After communists took over the power, they stopped child labor, cleaned the slums, and rehabilitated opium addicts.  Now, Shanghai is back to be a capitalist city, the economy is booming, and old splendor is back. Since everybody wants to be here with rich and beautiful, the population density is even higher here than anywhere else in China – and I did not think that was possible.

We spent the day hanging out on the Bund – the riverfront promenade with a fantastic view to the other side – Pudong with the futuristic buildings, and China’s tallest building -, and on the East Nanjing Road – a shopping and department stores center.  We are staying at the Fairmont Peace Hotel which is located right on the Bund and the East Nanjing road. The building is the most beautiful art deco edifice, and our room has a very luxurious bathroom – we feel spoiled and pampered staying here.