We got back from Shanghai Thursday night at about 7:20ish after a very busy week of sightseeing, (window) shopping and running away from hordes of beggars.

Before we arrived in Shanghai we weren”t really sure what to expect. One misconception we had was that, since it’’s a major tourist destination, Shanghai must be setup for travelers such as ourselves. Maybe we were naïve (or maybe it was just wishful thinking) but I had half expected to see road names written in English, taxi drivers that spoke like the queen and big signs that pointed to all the good tourist spots. As you can probably guess… this wasn”t the case.

What surprised me the most about Shanghai was that, despite its status as a tourist city, it’s still a R-E-A-L-L-Y confusing place for the average (non-Chinese speaking) westerner. Roads have multiple names, taxi drivers usually only know one of them, nothing is signposted particularly clearly and, to compound our problems, I”m not particularly good at reading maps. Still, navigation problem aside, no one can deny that Shanghai is a really pretty city - especially so at night. Nanjing road is particularly impressive after the sun has set and the Bund, although continually busy, is also very beautiful. Yuki is still claiming that Hong Kong is prettier but I am yet to be convinced.

Our first day in Shanghai was national day and it was stupidly busy. When I say busy I mean busy to the extent that you had to queue to cross the road with a good chance that, even when the green man appeared, you might not make it to the front. The strangest thing about the whole situation was that the huge crowds didn”t really go anywhere in particular. At one point we walked for about an hour down Nanjing road towards the bund before eventually coming to a stop. Everyone in the crowd was excited and looked as though they were anticipating something big. However, after an hour or so of standing, the huge crowd began to move back in the direction it had come from. Nonetheless, even though it was a bit disappointing that nothing really happened, it was still a happy and peaceful atmosphere that I”m glad we experienced.

Another highlight of the day was a chance meeting with an Italian man (Attilio) who has been working in China for about 3 years. He helped us order lunch, showed us around and generally impressed us with his Chinese speaking abilities - all in all it was a good start to a good week (although the weather did go downhill as the week progressed).

In terms of culturally significant attractions (with the exception of ”Old City” and a few small temples), Shanghai doesn”t really boast anything in particular. While there are a few historic locations and the Shanghai Museum does it’s best to educate visitors regarding the regions history, Shanghai is pretty much one giant shopping mall. The shops in the city centre are fairly boring (but large) westernized affairs complete with dull pop music and overpriced sportswear. However, the street markets that can be found on the outskirts are far more interesting. Although still overpriced and a little claustrophobic, they are nevertheless an experience. The moment the sellers see a westerner they get all excited and shout, “sir, look-look”. They then proceed to try and convince you that you really REALLY need a fake Rolex. Prices are never fixed so it’s up to the buyer to try and negotiate a cheaper price - something that I”m pretty rubbish at. Even so, I did get myself a couple of dodgy DVD’’s - one of which has almost no sound and the other is in Chinese with the WORST translated subtitles I”ve ever seen.

The beggars in Shanghai are the best in the world. Some run up to you, show you a random injury (missing hand, burnt face, limp etc) and then proceed to demand money. Some take a more laid-back approach and just lie on the ground and make groaning noises. The worst however loiter around pedestrian crossings and pester you relentlessly until the green man allows you to make your escape. However, our personal favorite was a guy who could see perfectly well one minute and then mysteriously became as blind as a bat - as luck would have it he had a crude instrument and a money collection pot with him so he was able to start begging immediately.

I would write more but this post is already reaching 1000 words. There were many little things I could ramble endlessly about but it would probably be quite boring to read. Would I recommend Shanghai? Well, it depends what you’re going for. If you”re after culture and history Shanghai will disappoint. If you want to see the hustle and bustle of modern Chinese life then you will probably love Shanghai.

Don”t forget to check out the photo gallery. I still have another 50 or so images to upload but there are plenty for you to start with. Enjoy…

Categories: China
Tags: features