Shanghai

Wes and Chairman Mao
[Technical Correction: This picture will no longer be referred to as "Wes and Chairman Mao". Mao died in 1976, not 1972. As such, please note that this is now "Wes and some dead Chinese guy"]

Annette had a week-long business conference in Shanghai and we decided to stay a few extra days to explore the bustling metropolis.

Shanghai has long been an important international trade center and is China's largest city.

After arriving in Shanghai, we explored the shopping areas around Nanjing road and then walked to the Bund, a strip of historic buildings along the Hangpu river.



That isn't fog


HSBC Building

Shanghai offered us a chance to practice our Mandarin since English is not as widely spoken as in Hong Kong. We wandered into one restaurant that had no English menu, luckily they had the item we were after - the Xiaolongbao (little basket bun), a dumpling which is famous in Shanghai. This dumpling can be a tricky item to eat because it is full of hot soup that spills out when you take a bite of it.


Lunch with famous xiaolongbao

While Annette attended meetings during the week, Wes explored some of Shanghai's museums. The history museum featured ancient stone carvings, bronze works, and porcelain (China).


Stone Sculpture

At Shanghai's urban planning museum there is a massive model of the city showing what it will look like as the city continues to grow.


Shanghai of the future

Later in the week we went to Shanghai's old town, a touristy area with traditional Chinese architecture. In the center of the town we found a golden tree full of red ribbons. We found out that each ribbon represented a different kind of good fortune, and if one threw the ribbon into the tree and it stuck, they would receive the good fortune. We tried our hand at it and got our ribbons to stick. We're not sure if we have received the good fortune yet..


Wishing for health and happiness - the guy watching is not impressed


Old Shanghai tea house

Nearby are the Yuyuan gardens, which were the emperor's personal gardens during the Ming dynasty. The gardens were full of interesting stone carvings and peaceful streams.


Yu Yuan (Garden) in Old Shanghai







more garden

Dragon wall








Dragon wall

WES!!!


Walking in the old town truly gave us a sense of history. The first DQ blizzard was made here in 1412. No, not really.



One night we decided to have some German food at the Paulaner Brauhaus. The riverside restaurant and biergarten offered great views and some interesting culture. All around we saw German businessmen and their Chinese counterparts discussing business deals over big plates of sausage and Wiener Schnitzel.


Beer on the Bund


The Bund at night




Shanghai has long had a bit of an independent 'wild west' mentality. Opium traders once made their fortunes in Shanghai, but now the most prevalent contraband is fake designer goods and DVDs. In one market we found vendors offering knock off purses, watches, clothes, even golf clubs. Bargaining was the name of the game, and usually the goal was to pay no less than 25% of the vendors starting price. After a few deals we got some real respect after paying a rock-bottom price for a jacket - the exasperated seller said 'you must live in Shanghai'.


Shopping at the market

DVDs and handbags weren't the only knockoffs we saw in Shanghai... some of the chain restaurants looked eerliy familiar.




















We often laugh at the rules posted in public places. This sign was in a park with a large area of pristine grass, which no one was allowed to walk on.


No teasing the cicadas


A clearer day