Monday, April 21, 2014

SHANGHAI – CHINA

 CHINA

1. Suzhou - China 
2. Shanghai - China  
In continuation to my previous write –up,  City of Gardens & Canals – SUZHOU (China).

Morning we checked out from the hotel Sofital – Suzhou (China), had our breakfast & left for Shanghai. My flight was to be departed same day -late night so I decided not to take a room in hotel. Some of my friends from the other countries were staying in Hotel JW Marriot -Shanghai as their flight was scheduled next day morning. I dumped my luggage in their room and proceed for sight seeing.

View from Hotel Marriot 


The two Chinese characters in the name “Shanghai”, ( shàng; and hai) literally mean “up, on, or above” and “sea. Shanghai is the largest city in China, and one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world, with over 20 million people located on China’s central eastern coast at the mouth of the Yangtze River, the city is administered as a municipality of the People’s Republic of China with province-level status.

Originally a fishing and textiles town, Shanghai grew to importance in the 19th century due to its favorable port location and as one of the cities opened to foreign trade by the 1842 Treaty of Nanking. The city flourished as a center of commerce between east and west, and became a multinational hub of finance and business by the 1930s. However, Shanghai’s prosperity was interrupted after the 1949 Communist takeover and the subsequent cessation of foreign investment. Economic reforms in 1990 resulted in intense development and financing in Shanghai, and in 2005 Shanghai became the world’s largest cargo port.

Attractions in Shanghai

1. Bund
2. Oriental Pearl TV Tower
3. Jin Mao Tower
4. Jade Budha Temple
5. Shangahi Musium
6. Yuyuan Garden
7. Nanjing Road

Local Mode of Transport for the tourist in china is either Metro or Taxi , as per my suggestion taxi is best option because Chinese Railway Stations are very congested & language is also a big problem there.

So I hired a taxi and left for Yuyuan Garden, It is a famous classical garden located in Anren Jie, Shanghai. The garden was finished in 1577 by a government officer of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) named Pan Yunduan. Yu in Chinese means pleasing and satisfying, and this garden was specially built for Pan’s parents as a place for them to enjoy a tranquil and happy time in their old age. In the 400 years of its existence, Yuyuan Garden had undergone many changes. During the late Ming Dynasty, it became very dilapidated with the decline of Pan’s family. In 1760, some rich merchants bought Yuyuan Garden and spent more than 20 years reconstructing the buildings. During the Opium War of the 19th century, Yuyuan Garden was severely damaged. The Yuyuan Garden you see today is the result of a five year restoration project which began in 1956. The garden was open to the public in September, 1961. here are six main scenic areas in the garden: Sansui Hall, Wanhua Chamber, Dianchun Hall, Huijing Hall, Yuhua Hall and the Inner Garden. Each area features several scenic spots within its borders.

Yuyan
Yuyan

Yuyuan
Yuyuan

In my lunch I had some fruits & left for Oriental Pearl TV Tower. The entry fees is around 50 RMB (approx. Rs 650/-) ,It takes about 4-5 hrs to cover the entire TV Tower, I was there just for one day so I could not visit the entire TV tower & missed the marvelous view of Shangahi which was possible from the top of TV Tower , clicked few of the Photographs of Oriental Pearl TV Tower and left for my next destination Shangahi Museum.

The Oriental Pearl TV Tower is located in Pudong Park in Lujiazui, Shanghai. The tower, surrounded by the Yangpu Bridge in the northeast and the Nanpu Bridge in the southwest, creates a picture of ‘twin dragons playing with pearls’. The entire scene is a photographic jewel that excites the imagination and attracts thousands of visitors year-round.

This 468 meters high (1,536 feet) tower is the world’s third tallest TV and radio tower surpassed in height only by towers in Toronto, Canada and Moscow, Russia. tower’s unique architectural design that makes the Oriental Pearl TV Tower one of the most attractive places anywhere.
Visitors travel up and down the tower in double-decker elevators that can hold up to fifty people at the rate of seven meters per second.

The inner tower is a recreational palace, while the Shanghai Municipal History Museum is located in the tower’s pedestal The five smaller spheres are a hotel that contains twenty-five elegant rooms and lounges. The pearl at the very top of the tower contains shops, restaurants, (including a rotating restaurant) and a sightseeing floor. The view of Shanghai from this height fills you with wonder at the beauty that surrounds you. When viewed from the Bund at night.

Oriental Pearl TV Tower
Oriental Pearl TV Tower

Jin Mao Tower being the fourth tallest building of the world and the second tallest building in China, Jin Mao Tower is located in the center of Lujiazui Finance and Trade Districts in Pudong. The 88-stories Jin Mao Tower was completed in 1999. It is 420.5 meters (almost 1380 feet) tall and covers an area of 2.3 hectares (5.68 acres). This building includes modern offices, a deluxe 5-star hotel – the Grand Hyatt Shanghai, exhibition halls, banquet halls, an observation deck, and entertainment facilities which is situated in the following levels: the 1st and 2nd floors form an imposing and bright lobby of the business area; the 3rd to the 50th floors are occupied by office spaces; the 51st and 52nd floors are the mechanical and electrical facilities center, which are restricted for the tower’s working staff; the 53rd to 87th floors are reserved for the deluxe Grand Hyatt Hotel of which, the 86th floor houses a club exclusive for the hotel guests and the 87th floor lodges the hotel restaurant; and, the 88th floor-the highest floor, is reserved for the tower’s observation deck, which can hold 1000 people at any one time.

The tower has the best elevators available. Two direct elevators operate at the speed of 9.1 meters (nearly 30 feet) per second that can send visitors from the ground floor to the 88th floor for only 45 seconds. There are also five to six elevators every 10 floors, which reduce waiting-time to 35 seconds even during rush hours.

Jin Mao Tower
Jin Mao Tower

In the evening I went to Shanghai Museum, it is located in the center of Shanghai in People’s Square. The museum is divided into eleven galleries and three exhibition halls. The eleven Galleries cover most of the major categories of Chinese art: Ancient Bronze, Ancient Ceramics, Paintings, Calligraphy, Ancient Sculpture, Ancient Jade, Coins, Ming and Qing Furniture, Seals, and Minority Nationalities. China is one of the earliest countries to use currency, and the nearly 7,000 pieces in the Gallery of Chinese Coins reveal the development of Chinese currency and the growth of economic exchange between China and foreign countries.

Shanghai Museum
Shanghai Museum

My next destination was Nanjing Road , It is premier shopping street. Today over 600 businesses on Nanjing road offer countless famous brands, superior quality, and new fashions. KFC, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, and other world-famous food vendors line both sides of the street. Upscale stores include Tiffany, Mont Blanc, and Dunhill. In addition, approximately a hundred traditional stores and specialty shops still provide choice silk goods, jade, embroidery, wool, and clocks.Open-air bars, abstract sculptures, and lingering sounds from street musicians enhance evening strolls. A trackless sightseeing train provides a comfortable tour of the night-transformed pedestrian street. Flashing neon signs illuminate the magnificent buildings and spangle the night skyline of this lively city.

Nanjing Road
Nanjing Road

Nanjing Road
Nanjing Road

My last destination was BUND, it also called the Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu (East Zhongshan 1st Road), is a famous waterfront and regarded as the symbol of Shanghai for hundreds of years. Walking along the Bund, which is at the west shore of the Huangpu River, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower can be seen on the opposite side and also the Jin Mao Tower. Being one of the Top Ten Shanghai Attractions, the
Bund is a really beautiful and special place which is worth visiting. I did not feel like coming back from that place but time was the constraint so had to come back to hotel , had my shower and left hotel for Shanghai Airport.

Bund- Huangpu River
Bund- Huangpu River

Shanghai Airport

Next day I was back to Delhi.

4 comments :

  1. Lovely Post ! Enjoyed reading it !

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    ReplyDelete
  2. Shanghai seems to be a colourful and vibrant city! Nicely captured. :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Only problem is language and food.

    ReplyDelete