Shanghai - A City Looking Forward And Backward

I visited China and Shanghai for the first time in June 2000. I found it to be a schizophrenic, wonderful, baffling, fascinating city.

To a western eye I found the general public to be rude and pushy but gradually it dawned on me that they treated everyone like that ! Imagine first day of the sales and the rush and the arguments to get the best bargains, now imagine that to be daily life for the lift, the bus, to pay for the underground etc. and you get an idea of what to expect. In most western countries we would expect to queue in a line. Queue in a rugby scrum and you will soon be like a local !

Having said that, I found on an individual basis the people to be kind and interested in why the round eye foreigner (me) was in their city. At least those that can speak English. As yet it is not yet widely spoken in the city. If you stick to the big tourist attractions then somebody will speak English but maybe not fluently.

Although the city is making large attempts to modernise itself through 5 and 10 year plans and to open itself to the tourist industry they are still learning how to do things. It will get better but for now think of the little hiccups as life enriching experiences you will laugh at when you get home. It was the only way I coped sometimes !

The city is trying to re-invent itself as a 21st century city and with the amount of new buildings going on, they could be right, but at the same time they still have plenty of crowded 2 storey flats with poor facilities. The new shopping centres all sell the latest high tech goods but two buildings along you will find a 1950s style shop with all the assistants and goods behind the counter. They also have crossing guards with whistles at busy junctions to look after the pedestrians. If you try to cross without permission they will soon let you know with a sharp blast of their whistle!

The guide books I found pointed you to the same expected tourist sights they do in every city. But to be honest, they are still worth going to, if only to say you have seen them and some are worth the trip to China alone.

Fortunately, I had as my guide a native Shanghaiese to show me all the things I would not have got to see. Taking me down alleys, on buses to heaven knows where and ending up at some place I would never have known existed.

Enough of the colour and onto the facts.

Hotels

I stayed at the Jianggong Jinjiang Hotel on Jianguo Road in the "French Quarter". With some of the tree lined streets you could certainly imagine being in Paris. It is probably equal to a 3 star hotel, it had the usual bars, restaurants, health suite, shop etc with air conditioning and cable tv. The room was very nice, spacious and well decorated. The rate was 300 Yuan a night, at the time it was 13 Y to £1 sterling. It is about 5 minutes walk from one of the new subway station. At the moment there are only 2 lines but there are plans for more.

Transport

Try for the subway if possible. It is only 2 or 3Y depending on distance. It is clean, quick, reliable and at least it wont take a turning you don't know about !!!!!!

The buses or tram buses are many and cheap again only 2 or 3 Y. But unless you can read Chinese characters or speak one of the Chinese languages (Shanghaiese is the most common dialect ). I would not recommend it. The exception here being the tourist bus. It is identified by the Pepsi sponsorship all over, that the seat face along the side of the bus not towards the front and that it looks like an old wooden San Francisco tram.

Taxis – like home just stick an arm out and they usually stop. But they are not all that cheap and odds are you need your destination written in Chinese.

Airport - there are two international airports, one in Pudong and the "old" one. They are both within east reach of the centre though and taxis are readily available.

Food

If you like Pepsi and KFC you will love it here. They are the most popular drink and fast food by far. There are some McDonalds, as well as Pizza Hut, Hagen Dazs etc. However, why come here only to eat food you can get at home. EXPERIMENT !!! Personally I love Chinese food and I had many new things that I would love to have here and some I would never touch unless you paid me (huge amounts of money !). The difficulty is again the language, it is more luck than anything, some large places didn't have English menus and some tiny ones did.

Try the dried fruit, all sorts of varieties including what looked and tasted like some jam made into a thin french crepe shape. Usually shops will let you taste a small amount to persuade you to buy.

Places to see

All these are within 10 minutes of underground stations

The Shanghai Museum – artefacts so delicate and beautiful you wont believe. Chinese history in a nutshell. Not to be missed.

Shanghai Exhibition Centre – this doubles as a conference centre and a permanent history of Shanghai. Very interesting, has a model of the city about 60m long by about 40m wide !

Jin Mao Tower – is across from the Pearl TV tower (which is probably the most recognisable building in the city with its twin purple observation globes). This is the tallest building in China and the highest hotel lobby atrium in the world. You can look down through 56 floors from the observation deck to the Grand Hyatt below. Not for those with vertigo though.

The buddhist temples of Longhua are only reachable by bus or taxi. They are two of the few that survived the communist regime. Thankfully they survived and are a beautiful counter point to the surrounding bleakness and uniformity.

The Yu garden in a few years will probably be a proper tourist trap. At the moment, the original beauty is still shining through but the antique, gold, silk etc shops around the area will soon overpower it. There are also various stalls, all of whom seem to sell the same fake watches, cheap souvenirs. Only every now and again here will you find something original after looking at the first few.

Circus World – this may delight or dismay depending on your view. The skill and balance of the performers is superb, the costumes bright and colourful. However, as part of the act they use a live panda. I must admit, knowing the present numbers left in the wild I felt very uncomfortable watching it perform tricks.

Night life

This depends on where you stay, there were plenty of bars and restaurants near my hotel for both locals and a couple intended of expatriate westerners. There are also a new night clubs as well with mostly Chinese. If you want to have a western beer, expect to pay a lot, Guinness & Cider 80Y for a pint.

If you come expecting to get bargains galore and experience a cheap way of living, this is not going to happen. The shops the tourists will probably be guided to or go into are not as cheap as you might think. This may have to do with the fixed exchange rates that are set by the government. The couple of local markets I went to selling fakes were not that good. So I don't know if I went on a bad day or not.

The Value Cherished by Chinese People

An interesting and meaningful story:

A little cafe within the Forbidden City opened its business in October, 2000, located in a small room adjacent to the southern gate, selling coffees and snacks for tourists.

It sounds good because so many tourists are complaining that they can not find a place to loosen their leg muscle or fill their stomach while enjoying this vast museum (there is another name for the Forbidden City - The Palace Museum). Nobody supposed that such a tiny cafe would arouse a fervent, months-lasting debate over the Internet and newspapers. Many Beijing residents ask the museum administrators to shut down the cafe immediately.

But why? Because they are selling unhealthy food? or selling something illegal?

No. "Because they are selling coffee!", A Beijingnese told the media, "We won't say a word if this is a tea house. But when it comes to a coffee shop (cafe), it affects the HARMONY in the Forbidden City." (You must understand this: there are lots of people in China regard coffee shop as a synonym of western culture.)

Yes, harmony, that's the point. In fact, you can find handfuls of "harmony" in the Forbidden City where had been the imperial home of 24 emperors of The Central Empire: Gate of Supreme Harmony - the largest free-standing gate in the city; Hall of Supreme Harmony - the city's central palace where the most important ceremonies like enthronements were held; Hall of Medium Harmony and Hall of Protective Harmony; The overall architectural layout is based on the principle of balance and symmetry, which is another expression of harmony. And, if you have a deeper knowledge of Chinese culture, you can find that symbolic meanings such as benevolence, peace and harmony in almost anything within the Forbidden City...

What will you expect to see or get while visiting the Forbidden City after traveling half way of the globe from your Florida or New England hometown? Is it the sumptuously-furnished palace? The exotic grandeur of halls, pavilions, gardens? Or the innumerable works of art and cultural artifacts? Yes. But I think - or hope - you can get more.

Just like people from all over the world visiting the Statue of Liberty in New York, what they got is far beyond a statue masterpiece but a better understanding of liberty, freedom and democracy - the values cherished by the people who built this status, and a better understanding of the people who live there, the Forbidden City provides a window for people outside China to look into this oriental country which has a history of 5000 years, and the people who created this splendid masterpiece.

Profoundly influenced by traditional Chinese philosophies of Confucianism and Taoism, Chinese people regard harmony as an ultimate principle. They continually seek harmonious relationship between humans and the universe, between humans and the nature, between people and their neighbors, between nations... They believe that only after you have found the harmony between the inner and outer world, you can reach the eternal immortalisation of your life. Better understanding this, you can understand the people better. People from different cultural background need something to communicate or exchange their points of view. The cultural heritages such as the Forbidden City and the Statue of Liberty do the job.

Chinese people are friendly and peace-loving people, just as friendly and peace-loving as the Americans and people around the world. What we need is just more understanding of each other. After all, we are living in the same planet.

"Welcome to China. Welcome to the Forbidden City." Believe me, this will be the warmly greeting you can expect when you visit Beijing, now and forever...

Tips for China Travel

Going to China was a complete shock. I knew about it from a decade and a half of my uncle's storytelling. My friends, and teachers had given me advice. But the only way to experience something is first-hand.

To make a long story short, or at least concise, here's what I learned about China (and overseas travel in general).

1. When traveling make sure what you are going to see is open. I was completely nuts about going to see Tiananmen Square. I had read books, written reports, and knew it was the one place I really wanted to see. It was closed for "repairs". I saw it from across the street, and it totally ruined one day of my trip.

2. One would never think about air quality as a health hazard. You always hear "don't drink the water" or "remember to peel the fruit." While those things are important, the air was horrible. We had sore throats and burning eyes throughout the trip, and I was coughing up wierd colored stuff for two months afterwards. I know that was gross, but it's true. Bring bottled water, handkerchiefs, cough drops (Chinese cough drops are um...different), and any medicines or inhalers you can con off of your doctor.

3. Don't take pictures in temples, and remember belts are also made of leather. I became quite the anti-American myself after realizing that members of my tour group where completely clueless as to how to respect another culture. That's really another opinion and a half in itself. They took pictures of a cremation by the Ganges (would you want strangers at your mothers funeral snapping photos?), pointed out every peasant urinating by the roadside, and drew quite a crowd of tourist kitsch sellers to our bus. Read about the culture you are going to, even if you are surprised when you get there, act like you've been Chinese forever.

4. Don't make phonecalls home. Period. My friend got homesick and called from Beijing to Washington state. Her fifteen minute call cost her 75 dollars US. If staying in a five star hotel use the computers for email. Otherwise, hunt down one of the Internet shops in the streets. They're really plentiful and much more economical.

5. Wander the streets some. Seeing just the "sights" is mundane. Get in a large group with at least one person who speaks the language and explore street markets, shopping areas, or at least a five block radius around your hotel.

6. Strike up conversations at the Great Wall. There are many students sent there to practice whatever language they are studying. We met a Chinese boy there who talked with us for two miles. We were able to talk about politics and learn things ungainable from a tour. He was able to practice. It was very refreshing.

7. Lastly, bask in the difference. You're paying for exotic, you're getting it. Stop moaning and complaining about the food, the roads, the smog, the weather, the noise, etc. and enjoy it.

Enter The Dragon

"Dragon's tail gets bigger, better and best..."

Communist ruled countries do tend to get overboard with extensive rules and regulation but they give equal power to all the people. Though on some cases it does tend to become too much which results in their downfall.

The biggest examples of downfall have been Russia. Though Russia has been a great super power and their communist regime was well known throughout the world.

There is one country which has been an inspiration for many communist country to have rules and regulations as well as extensive growth.

Tourist

History is written on walls of China...

China has been the only country where you have a unique amalgamation of modern and ancient civilization. Till date we can find all the ancient records intact in the modern china.

Chinese people believe that their past has very good impact on their future and they always preserve their ancient things with as much safety as their present being. Though Mongolian era has always been the part and parcel of this country. The day when the great Genghis Khan ruled this part of the world and with his power spread his kingdom from Korea to Hungary. He was the most feared king and was known as "Emperor of Emperor".

The Great Wall of China was built by the first dynasty and has been built and rebuilt number of times. It is the greatest wonder and an engineering feat, which till date has never been reworked by anyone. It is the only man made structure which can bee seen from the space. Amazing!!!

All that counts is the chair and the government...

China is administratively divided into 23 provinces, 5 autonomous regions, 4 centrally administrative municipalities and 1 special administrative region. Municipalities are directly under the administration of central government. A municipality has the same political, economical and jurisdictional rights as a province.

China is one country, which has not been bitten by corruption bug and red tapisim. If anyone is caught taking bribe is being given severe punishment. All nationalities in China are equal, as stipulated by the Constitution of the People's Republic of China; they take part in the administration of state affairs as equals, irrespective of their numbers or the size of areas they inhabit.

Every minority nationality is represented in the National People's Congress, which is the highest organ of state power of the People's Republic of China.

Being the most populated country in the world because of strict rules they have controlled the population in a well-deserved manner in the last 5 years. The birth rate has been controlled really well.

China is a multi-religious country. Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism and Protestantism, with the first three being more wide spread.

Food for thought...

Chinese foods have been relished all around the world. Even in India, you can find Chinese corners all over the place. You talk about the Soups or the Noodles or the Fried Rice or the Manchurians (Was it Tempting!!!). You are definitely going to enjoy the Vinegar filled food. Vinegar is the essence in all the Chinese Recipes. Though, personally I don't like Chinese foods because found it to Bland!

House above all...

In china still you will find the ancient architecture in the villages. Chinese villages are said to be very modern and have everything a urban person in India has. You can see lot of royal palaces, Buddhist temples, residential places which looks have the old world design. The change can be seen, with the place whether you are in the Northern Tip of China were snow covers the houses or going down south with the Yellow river you can see the small houses in corner to the bay. The different recreation architecture can bee seen with Pavilions & Pagodas. But modern cities like Bejing or Shanghai you can see high rises too.

Medicine for the martial arts...

Chinese old medicinal culture of Acupuncture is well known like our very own Ayurvedic. Acupuncture is the insertion of very fine needles, (sometimes in conjunction with electrical stimulus), on the body's surface, in order to influence physiological functioning of the body.

Chinese Martial Arts, KungFu, Taiji Quan and Qigong has been known world over. No one can forget Bruce Lee... Can you!!! The traditional Chinese Lion dance is usually part of festivities and it is believed to bring happiness and luck, if well performed. Lion is a holy animal and it is seen as a spirit that has its own place in Chinese Mythology. Its really brings colour and vibrancies to the Chinese Culture.

Games people play...

As said earlier, China is well known in Martial Arts, apart from that China has been ruling the Table tennis arena for a long time apart from that Chinese are known to be great swimmers.

Feng Shui...

Like in India we have the Vastu Shastra which determines the law and order of the nature which determines the location of your house, were certain items in your house to be kept. Feng Shui is an ancient art related to the law and order of the universe and the power of nature. It's a system based on the elements of astronomy, astrology, geology, physics, mathematics, philosophy, psychology and intuition.

FS is becoming popular all over the world and people are really getting in line with the art and the concept of Feng Shui, including ME!!!. Through the knowledge of Feng Shui, people are believed to be able to make themselves more compatible with nature, their surroundings and their own everyday life, so that they can make an impact on their finances, health, and emotions.

Facts about Dragon

The dragon symbolizes the Chinese people and the people from Chinese origin considered themselves, with a certain amount of pride, 'descendants from the dragon'. According to ancient texts the dragon was a creature 'with a pair of antlers like the one of a deer, a camel head, the eyes of a hare, and the neck of a serpent. Its belly looks like the one of a shen (a mythical water dragon that resembles a crocodile). Its claws look like the ones of an eagle, its paws like the ones of a tiger and its ears like the ones of a buffalo. Seems to be that the dragon is a supernatural creature that can accept any type of form. But till date still the facts and reality of dragon has not been found. Therefore the dragon is a product of imagination; a mystical creature that has been worshipped by the Chinese for centuries

I hope this was of some help for people who plan to enter the Dragon Kingdom

Travel in China

Travel in China is fun. The driving isn't as chaotic as Egypt or Turkey, but it is comparable to New York all the time. The Chinese also have lanes that are devoted to bike traffic. Makes sense when you think about it, but I was shocked and amused to see it. But then Vietnam has been called the Land of Bicycles, why should China be so much different?

The trains and planes don't seem too much different then their European counterparts. Relying more on practicality then looks.

China doesn't always offer a lot of luxury, but there wasn't much to complain about. The one luxury there was, was the hotels. I don't know if China has anything less then a 5 star hotel for tourists.

When I travel I usually go upper mid-range, but theere was no mid about these hotels. They were nice. The lack of English TV stations was the only thing missing, but I was in China. Can't have everything, though I did watch a lot of CNN.

The food was absolutely amazing. I am not a food lover either. To me meals are optional. Ranging between 1-3 a day. But in China I fell in love with food. I have considered moving there for no other reason then the food. It really is that good.

The dumplings are great, but the noodles are like sex for your mouth. I know you are probably thinking we have Chinese food here how different can it be? The only similarity is that they look the same. That is where the similarities begin and end. I have heard Japanese noodles are on par with the Chinese. In my humble opinion they don't come close. Japanese noodles are kind of slimy. If you like that (which I don't) maybe you'd prefer Japanese, but I whole heartily endorse the Chinese over their island neighbors.

The ancient buildings are quite pleasing to the eye. The new ones look like something out of a European movie filmed in the 70s. You will see a lot of temples. I learned a lot about Tibetan buhdism. After a while they begin to blur, which is a shame because I am sure each temple has its own unique character. But being a stupid Westerner I didn't see it. Their temples are filled with beautiful statues. Many of which are over 20 feet tall. There is even a temple which is carved out of the side of a mountain. I'm not a big one of religion, but I do appreciate art. So I enjoyed visiting the temples for that reason. And considering that the Chinese still participate in a Communist government they are very tolerant about religion.

I was a little dissapointed with the lack of ruins and artifacts from the Three Kingdoms period. That is actually why I went there. To see where my heros fought and died. I read the book Romance of the Three Kingdoms. But I got hooked on the story by the old video games on Nintendo. My Dad calls them the most expensive videogames in history. The remains of the Three Kingdoms period is farmland, with a little sign saying this is where the old city was. The shrine for Guan Yu's head was interesting though. I got to touch a replica of Black Dragon, his sword!

When we got to Peking, our first day in China, it was actually the day Hong Kong was getting turned over to the Chinese. We didn't go to Hong Kong, but it was all that we heard about. From our hotel we could see the fireworks that were on the TV. Chinese deffinately know there stuff where fireworks are concerned. They invented them so I suppose they should. But I dare say I am ruined to fireworks forever now. No one is going to live up to the display the Chinese put on for the turnover. I don't even want to know how much money they spent on it, but it must of been a lot. The whole sky was constantly lit with explosions. Completely breath taking.

Overall the people were friendly, but they don't speak English as much as European countries do. You need a tour guide if you don't speak Chinese. There will be, what we termed the gauntlet, vendors lined up before the sites. But they take no for an answer. The Great Wall had the most. There were people on the wall selling things. Some of them were very nice about it though. They are almost as interested in talking with you as selling something. They like to practice their English. No doubt with that profession you live and die with the use of the English language. But I didn't get the feeling of being attacked when they approached me, like I did in Egypt. Also be prepared to go to a lot of friendship stores. These are gift shops that have different specialties (jewelry,clothing, etc...). They are very, very nice, but they are expensive. And we got one of the tour-guides to admit he got a 10% comission from what we bought. Not all of them operate like that, but Randy did (they all have English names as well as Chinese ones).

Overall I can't say there is any other country that I am as impressed with as China. Maybe Norway, but I lived there. If you are looking for a place to vacation go to China.

Shanghai Expo: Tips and Tricks on Queue Avoidance

Attractions, Festivals & Events, Shanghai Expo 2010, Shanghai Expo Tickets

Since writing this, I've been able to get over to the Expo site a couple of times, road test a few of these suggestions and experience first-hand if it's possible to pay a visit to the home of Haibao and not spend all day standing in line. Want to know how I got on? Take a look for yourself: Togo Anyone? A Queue Dodger's Expo Experience.

My second visit over the weekend also offered this little gem: Take your passport with you. It seems some countries are happy to let their citizens (and two pals) jump the queue. It worked for France and the UK, it may well work for yours.

If you're planning a trip to the Shanghai Expo, you can be forgiven any feelings of trepidation as you try to figure out how to make the most of your time. Reports of 2-3 hour pavilion queues and mixed responses from those brave and patient enough to have faced them have driven many Shanghai dwellers into an apathetic state of "maybe tomorrow/next week/next month..."

Of course, for tourists in China, such lethargy is not an option. With limited time and fear of missing the chance to say "I was there" for one for the greatest shows on earth, Expo is a must, not a maybe.

But don't worry. Whether you're an expat or just in China on holiday, there is help at hand.

Expo Pavilion reservations: Gaming the system

Blogger Baoru over at cnreviews.com has created a useful guide to the complicated pavilion reservations system including details on when and where pavilion tickets are distributed. However, due to the fact that designated visiting times for hot pavilions are handed out randomly, it seems even if you do manage to get your mitts on a ticket, you and your buddies may well end up visiting popular spots at different times.

China Mobile: Track queue times on your phone

If all this seems just too much like hard work, you can always stick with good old-fashioned queuing—with one important difference. If you've got a Smartphone, you can use China Mobile's recently launched online system to get strategic. Details of queue times and the 10 busiest pavilions should be regularly updated at wap.expo2010.cn (though we haven't been able to connect as yet—any takers?), so you'll know where not to head. (Editor's note: Seems this service is only available in Chinese, but there are regular English updates from loud speakers and on big screens around the site).

Are you really an elderly pregnant amputee? Prove it!

If, like others before, you have the bright idea of taking advantage of easy access for the elderly, pregnant women and the disabled, beware. Many pavilions are cracking down on fraudsters and taking granny along with you no longer guarantees jumping the queue.

Virtual reality, actual comfort: Visit Expo online

Still can't quite reconcile yourself to standing in line being an integral part of any Expo experience? Then what the heck, just stay home and check it out online where the air is cool and no pesky queues stand in the way of working your way around the world.

If you can get past the squeaky voiced Haibao (who'd have thought he'd sound like a twelve-year old girl?) there are some pretty nifty 3D views and though not all info is available in English, it's a good way to figure out which pavilions will be worth the wait if and when you do head over there in person.

The inside info on China’s ancient watchtowers

The ancient watchtowers of the Qiang people in western Sichuan are no secret; they’re in the China Lonely Planet, for a start. But what I wasn’t expecting when I visited the village of Suopo (梭坡), where there’s a large cluster of these fascinating stone structures, was to be able to climb up inside one of them – from the rooftop of a local family home.

As I clambered up the hillside beside Suopo, a one-hour walk along the Dadu River from the small town of Danba (丹巴), a young guy came up to me and asked where I was going (as if he didn’t know). ‘The watchtowers,’ I replied, predictably. ‘I know one you can climb up. Do you want to see?’ he asked. Intrigued, I followed him past village homes and three or four of these surreal-looking towers.

Ranging in height from 20m to 60m, the towers, which go back around 1000 years, had a number of uses (a store for valuable goods, a place of worship), but mostly they were used as warning beacons to help protect local villages from would-be attackers. Inside, they had a number of levels, accessed from a window some metres above ground from which a ladder would be sent down to people who were authorised to enter. Unlike the main stone structure of the towers, the inside levels were made of wood and have since rotted away, leaving a simple hollow stone tower.

But one enterprising family, whose traditional three-storey stone house sits next to a 700-year-old tower, has rebuilt the inside levels, added a few wooden ladders and now lets visitors climb up the tower from their roof; for a modest fee, of course (Y15).

Their typical Qiang home had a half-open basement for livestock (30 bleating goats in this case), a ground-floor living area and a top floor used for storing grain, drying crops…and accessing ancient watchtowers.

Once inside the tower, we climbed neat little ladders made from tree trunks, with wedged steps cut into them, up six or seven levels to the roof. Climbing the tower was cool in itself; you could still make out part of the now disintegrated original wooden levels. But the best bit was reaching the roof and being able to look down on the other magnificent towers below, nestled incongruously among village homes, which these days watch over nothing more dangerous than spectacular mountain scenery.