Shanghai….One Last Trip
Before I post any pictures of my own of the other two trips to Shanghai over the last couple of weeks, allow me to share some professional photography from a site that describes Shanghai’s phenomenal skyline much more professionally than I ever could. In short, this site gives you a great perspective of the massiveness of this marvelous city. It is the Shanghai Skyline Link and is a perspective piece done by the Shanghai Skyscraper Museum I visited. Shanghai has the most explosive growth in urban creativity, growth and development since the Skyscraper Age in New York City in the ‘30’s. There is no way to describe in words or even in these pictures what a complex and intriguing city Shanghai is but I hope this will give you a good perspective into their architecture. First read the article and then view the slide show. It is very cool! Here’s the link:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704842604574642650896812382.html?mod=djemLifeStyleh#articleTabs%3Dslideshow
And now for some far less professional pictures presented by yours truly!
Both of my trips to Shanghai were strictly trips of touring and shopping. I had a great time on both occasions. I made one trip by myself via bus and another with Rebekah, one of the English Instructors/Trainers in our office. These shots are from downtown Shanghai. The first couple of pictures are the first images that really grabbed my attention when first coming into Shanghai. There are thousands and thousands of apartment buildings just like these. About 95% of China’s population in urban areas live in apartments. They can “buy” them but, like all land in China, one can only own it for 66.6 years (approximately 1 generation) and then it reverts back to the government. Notice how huge these buildings are. Also notice the laundry hanging out on the balconies. There are very few dryers in China. Almost everyone who can subscribes to Satellite dish TV service because that’s the only way you can get western TV channels.
The next series of shots are of a shopping mall I shopped in. It is only one of dozens of HUGE malls very similar to it. This mall had 12 stories. Every story had as many shops in it as Opry Mills in Nashville. Imagine stacking 12 Opry Mills’ one on top of the other and there you have it. Notice all the escalators and the shots looking upwards and down. It’s just mind-boggling. And this is one of at least a dozen malls like it in Shanghai. It has many of the designer stores we have here and even Starbucks, Haagen Daas and Coldstone Creamery as well as dozens of restaurants including Mickey D’s, KFC and many, many Chinese restaurants.
We went out on the Shanghai Pedestrian Street. It has beautiful architecture as you can see. And the shops are much more interesting here than in the mall. I bought some gifts at the ornate and traditional “Shanghai Fashion Store” depicted in two shots here. Great shops there. Great bargains as well. You will also see pictures of the pedestrian meeting place with the stage and huge screen video monitors. The people are swarming everywhere here. It’s amazing.
From the quaint and intriguing markets of Shanghai Pedestrian Road I made some nice purchases of gifts for my mom, my two daughters and my lovely daughter-in-law (Noel’s wife), Devon: Silk scarfs and matching necklaces of Chinese pearls. I hope they enjoy them.
Before we left, Rebekah and I met a guy who took us to his classes art collection. They were at an art institute show here and he wanted us to see the items in their collection. We followed him about 4 blocks to the hotel pictured there (The Shanghai Grand, I think) and went up to the 7th floor and saw his collection. Beautiful original works on silk and rice canvass’. I bought my son one of his works. I thought it appropriate for him as he is working his way through law school at Cumberland where both his grandfather and I obtained our law degrees. It is a beautiful work of Chinese caligraphy which says: “No Pain- No Gain! Work hard, Study hard. You will succeed!”Very moving work. I’ve included a picture of him as he was selling a piece to Rebekah.
Finally, I couldn’t resist this shot of this gorgeous little Chinese girl kissing the mascot for the Shanghai World Expo 2010. That should be wild. The people over here are crazy about that mascot! Like I said earlier in the blog, looks like Spongebob Square Pants holding his breath too long!
Shanghai is fantastic. If you ever come to China, you got to see it. Fabulous!
