Shanghai'd

The top Shanghai attractions get all the attention. They really give you a good sense of where Shanghai’s been and where it is heading. For Chinese history, Yu Yuang Garden is the place. Not only is it a classic Chinese garden, with the Old Temple, it is surrounded by a bustling market, a famous teahouse, and a stand that has the best xia long bao (Shanghai’s dumplings) in town. The Bund (Wai Tan) has its British imperialist architecture such as the Peace Hotel, Old HSBC Bank, and other stately buildings, plus Huangpu Park (which used to have an infamous “no dogs or Chinese” sign during the days of the British Concession). It looks directly across the Huangpu River at Pudong, which ten years ago was farmland, and now towers over the Bund with some of the tallest, sleekest buildings in the world like the TV tower and Jin Mao.

However, there’s so much more to see in Shanghai. There’s a great temple which houses the Jade Buddha (there’s very few Buddhist temples in China because the Communists destroyed them all – this temple was saved because they plastered pictures of Mao everywhere), Fuxing Park, the Flower Market, and shikumen (old houses). Not to mention the French Concession still has some French colonial touches (including the old French Club – now a hotel). The Art Institute is located in this Concession as well, housed in the former French Embassy. Besides the institute, there are various galleries throughout the city. The Shanghai Museum helped to teach me a tremendous amount about Chinese history through Coins, Jade, Furniture, Painting, Calligraphy, Seals, the Four Treasures of the Study, Ceramics, Bronze, Sculpture. There was also a very interesting exhibit on Tibet at the museum.

A major Shanghai pastime is shopping. Through shopping and visiting a teahouse, pearl center, and silk shop, I learned a lot about the various Chinese teas, freshwater pearls from the Yangtze River, and the silk making process. Similar to the faceoff between the Bund and Pudong, modern shopping areas (Nanjing Road, Xiantandi) do battle with traditional markets (where I used my haggling skills to buy an old seal, a traditional tea set, and a ‘30s Shanghai Girl poster). Food is also important in Shanghai and it has lots of local favorites – xia long bao, fried noodles, the ubiquitous big family style spread, and other delicacies. I relaxed as well at The Portman Ritz-Carlton (Po Tah Mah), which is very conveniently located next to shopping and the famous Shanghai acrobats plus chockfull of amenities. Friends of mine stayed at the Grand Hyatt (Jin Mao), the highest hotel in the world which has great restaurants and bars.

Shanghai nightlife is great! Unfortunately, it was really foggy so while I made it up to Cloud 9 in Jin Mao (85th floor!) did not see the view, which is supposed to be fantastic. I did have some drinks at the Peace Hotel (and caught the rickety old jazz band) and at M on the Bund (where some friends had gone for dinner). Also went to Face, a house tucked back on some nicely landscaped grounds with great decoration (think India/South East Asia, red walls, old opium den couches, incense) and trance music being spun. Anchoring Lan Kwai Fong in Shanghai is California, a funky place (dark, comfortable couches, and house music) located in Fuxing Park. Around it are Park 97 and Tokyo Joe’s (which are also in Hong Kong’s Lan Kwai Fong). No visit to Shanghai is complete without visiting Mao Ming Lu (and specifically Judy’s Too), a street of bars/clubs that is constantly being shut down by the police. Shanghai parties late and clubs include Buddha Bar/DKD, Pegasus, YY's, and there's always new ones popping up so picking up a guide to the nightlife (That's Shanghai is I think the name) is key.

Shanghai is a city of contrasts. It’s a cosmopolitan city with world class hotels, great nightlife, shopping that compares to anything in not just Hong Kong, but New York and London. It’s newer, glitzier, and flashier than any city I know. Yet, it is also a Communist country. You notice it in the presence of police and the fact that houses are razed to beautify the city (and put in parks). While it feels like you are in a capitalist society, you are in Communist China. When I was struggling to come out with something like “…when the Communists took power”, a local Shanghainese I had met filled in the words “…when the Chinese people were liberated.” I thought that exchange was very interesting, as I had just seen the Tibet exhibit in the Shanghai Museum which had noted that it was being put on to celebrate “the fifty year anniversary of when Tibet was liberated.” Ask the Dalai Lama about that one. When Beijing is awarded the Olympics in 2008 next month and when China becomes a member of the WTO by the end of this year, China’s capitalism will continue to grow and its human rights record will come under increasing scrutiny. How China handles this change will have a huge impact on the next ten years.