1) This past weekend, Niamh, Mei, and I went on an incredible journey to Shanghai. The journey was incredible for many reasons - our many narrow misses with the train, the scorching temperatures, and the plethora of places we managed to cover in this short time period. Things were looking all fine and dandy when we met up at the subway station, but after missing the first train and grossly underestimating the number of people going to Shanghai, we were now very pressed for time. In a last ditch effort to make time, Mei asked the people waiting in line if we could go first, almost all of them (except one) whom agreed. In the end, we made it on the high-speed train to Shanghai with literally seconds to spare! Talk about getting off to a flying start :)
2) Our first stop today was the M50 - the urban ghetto of Shanghai's art scene, set amongst the backdrop of restored factories and home to the infamous Shanghai graffiti wall. Loads of paintings and artwork were on display, with many art styles ranging from the decidedly traditional to the more modern pieces. For a connoisseur of art like myself (I wish), it was very exciting to see various artwork on display; for free! Next on our list was "Tianzi Fang" (田子坊) - a touristic arts and craft enclave known for its small crafts stores, coffee shops, trendy art studios and narrow alleys. At this point, I should mention that the temperature was a blistering 40+°C, so we decided to get an ice-cold drink from one of the stalls. Ahhh, pure bliss...
3) For lunch, we headed over to "Yang's Dumplings" (小杨生煎) - an expanding dumpling chain serving pan-fried pork buns a.k.a. Sheng Jian Bao. We ordered a special set menu, which came with three different types of pan-fried buns - regular pork-filled, shrimp-filled, and cuttlefish-filled. I personally found the original pork version to be the best, what with its explosion of juices as you bite into the crispy crust; it was truly a delicious lunch! After lunch, we paid a visit to the Former Residence of Zhou Enlai, or "Zhonggongguan" (周公馆). It was the Shanghai Office of the Delegates of the Communist Party of China in 1946-47, but now is listed as a memorial and is open to visitors, free of charge.
4) Next, we visited an apartment called "Zhong Jing Apartment"(重庆公寓) - whose building was used extensively in the filming of the 2007 movie "Lust, Caution" (色，戒). It was a brief visit, and then we walked to Xintiandi Shopping Centre (新天地时尚) to try out a famous shop called Lelecha (乐乐茶). We had to wait about half an hour while they made our order, due to the long line of customers. It was worth though in my opinion, as the strawberry tea that I got tasted really, really good. Moving on, we went to "City God Temple" (上海城隍廟) - a folk temple commemorating the elevation of Shanghai to municipal status and the site of veneration of three Chinese figures (Huo Guang, Qin Yubo, Chen Huacheng) honoured as the city gods of the town. We walked around the temple surroundings, which constitute a large commercial district with an array of shops, restaurants, teahouses etc.
5) Mei then brought us to the world's LARGEST Starbucks Store, and only the second Starbucks Reserve Roastery in the world. It was a wonderful experience sauntering through the rows upon rows of cakes and coffee, and we even got a chance to watch the coffee-brewing process. We didn't get anything there though, as I felt the price to be too steep. Plus, it was time for dinner! So Mei had found a hidden gem of a restaurant called "Haling Noodle House" (哈灵面馆). It is very famous amongst the locals, and serves its specialty stewed bullfrog noodles in a ginormous bowl. The bullfrog (I kid you not) tasted exactly like the most delicate fish, minus the bones! And the thick sauce, made with lots of chopped up chillies - provided the extra kick that elevated the dish to new heights. Recommended 10/10
6) In the evening, we went to "The Bund" (外滩) - arguably the most iconic landmark in Shanghai. The number of people lining the embankment to take photos was astonishing, and later on (as we walked down to Peace Hotel Victor's Deli) there was a never-ending stream of pedestrians crossing the road. For the two hours we were in the deli, the sea of people continued without fail, leading me to wonder "Where are all these people coming from?" Anyway, we were at the deli to meet up with Prof. Long, who had very kindly offered to meet us for coffee. We sat down and had drinks and cakes together, after which Prof. Long brought us to take the ferry across to Pudong. The view from both banks is magnificent, as I'm sure you'll agree looking at the photos we took. By this time, it was getting late, so we bade Prof. Long goodbye and headed for the subway. We needed to get back to our accommodation (AirBnB) soon...
7) There were an unbelievable number of people in the subway, so much so that we were contemplating taking a taxi back (which would have been rather expensive). Even more pressing, we needed 15 yuan in coins, in order to buy the three tickets back. In the end, after a tonne of digging through our wallets and praying, we found exactly enough change to get us back home - imagine the relief! With that, we were able to reach our accommodation in time, and meet the exemplary landlord who met us at the station and walked us back to his home. Fun fact: this is officially the most number of recorded steps we've done in a day - 49000+ steps, which is equal to around 40km of walking! End of Day 1...
8) The next day, we woke up bright and early, and after having some soybean milk (豆浆) for breakfast, we proceeded to our first stop - "Nanjing Road" (南京路). It is the main shopping street of Shanghai, the world's longest shopping district (at 5.5km) and one of the world's busiest. We stopped by many stores (mainly for the air-cond XD) and I even got to try some "Qingtuan" (青团) - green dumplings filled with (in this case) pork meat floss. It was really filling! Next, we continued on our journey to "Renmin Park" (人民公园). There were loads of people in the park, all carrying out various activities. We saw music ensembles, tai chi practitioners, cosplayers, senior citizens playing the famous board game "Go", and even parents with umbrellas displaying their son's/daughter's details, in the hopes of finding a suitable partner for them!
9) After some time, the heat became overpowering, so it was into a Starbucks that we went. A drink later, we walked over to the Shanghai Museum - a huge museum considered as one of China's first world-class modern museums. Sadly, we didn't enter as the queue was over 2 hours long! So we instead went to try out another one of Mei's recommendations - "Ice Monster". Especially known for their "Mango Sweet Cotton Ice", this establishment was voted by CNN as one of the world's top 10 desserts! So of course I had to have my own bowl XD The ice was so fine as to literally melt in your mouth like cotton candy, and the freshly cut mango was heaped in a separate bowl to be added by the customer. Finally, the entire dish was served with a generous scoop of mango sorbet and a side of pudding - a whole lot for one person! I felt so full after that bowl of absolute goodness, that we decided to skip lunch altogether...
10) On to our final destination then - "Fuxing Park" (复兴公园). Located in the former French Concession of Shanghai, it was once the largest park in Shanghai, and is designed in the French style, with a lake, fountains, covered pavilions, and flowerbeds. After a short tour of this beautiful garden, it was time to head back to Suzhou. We took the subway to the railway station, and then the high-speed train back to Suzhou - reaching at around 7pm. It was a fantastic two days we spent in Shanghai, and Mei was an excellent tour guide. I sincerely wish we had more time to explore this wonderful gem of a city, but alas - all good things must come to an end. Anyway, that has been my Shanghai trip, and I hope you enjoyed reading more about it. Thanks very much for visiting, and have a nice day. Cheers! :D
Probably the most iconic picture of Shanghai ^^
An unforgettable day - with Prof Long and my friends :)
The wonderfully lit buildings on The Bund
Artwork at M50
Drinks and dessert at Victor's Deli
"Bullfrog noodles" - at Halian Noodle House
The frog tasted so much like fish - and the broth was perfect!
Lujiazui (陸家嘴) skyline, as seen from the Bund, before it got dark
On the train to Shanghai!
M50 Art Gallery - our first stop of the day :)
At Suzhou train station (Amazing Race is about to begin!)
I cannot believe that's the actual temperature at just 9am!
Shanghai Railway Station
Random interesting building
M50 Art Gallery
A talking bird!
Sign post
Apparently there was a cooking competition starting soon :)
Tianzi Fang
Really cute trinkets in abundance in Tianzi Fang
Hand-rolled candy
Buddha mannequin
Dried chillies
Through narrow alleyways...
Look at the variety!
Hainanese Chicken Rice ^^
A mojito bar
Getting our quick fix of milk tea in this (almost) unbearable weather :)
"Yang's Dumpling" is clearly a huge hit among the locals
Spicy cuttlefish dumpling
Set C -which we ordered :)
That looks heavenly!
Lunchtime!
Liuli China Museum
That's one happy looking dog!
Memorial of the Shanghai Office of the Delegation of the CPC (Gen. Zhou Enlai's Residence)
Old telephone haha
Chong Qing Apartment - setting for the movie "Lust, Caution"
Xintiandi Shopping Mall
Lelecha here we come :)
Their absolutely famous "Dirty Bun" on the left...
Strawberry milk tea ^^
A mosque right beside a temple :)
Absolutely adore the architecture here...
Chenghuang Miao Temple
The World's Largest Starbucks! :0
Look at the tantalising assortment of breads!
Watching the brewing process was really cool!
Pork cutlets as starters - at Haling Noodle Shop
Our big bowl of "Bullfrog Noodles"
Pure goodness!
Haling Noodle House - local delight!
The Bund in the evening
Selfie time! :)
What a striking ship! :^)
Look at the number of people! :O
An assortment of cakes!
Meeting up with Prof. Long was a real delight :)
Ice cold chocolate was the order of the day XD
Beautiful bright lights ^^
Selfie in front of the picturesque Bund...
Oriental Pearl Tower at night
Our AirBnB was marvellous :)
Sweet soybean milk - nice way to kickstart the day <3
Nanjing Road - bustling with people as the day went by
Black sesame soup on the right, and peanut soup on the left (they are seriously good!)
The variety of biscuits here is phenomenal
沉大成 - "Chen Dacheng - famous for it's pastries
"Qingtuan" and "jintuan" for breakfast
A feeling of chicken meat floss in the "qingtuan"
Not sure what the filling is for the "jintuan" but it tasted really good as well
Beautifully decorated lanterns
What colourful packaging!
100% cocoa chocolate (as opposed to 99.9%) ^^
Macarons for all occasions!
I can only imagine how beautiful this place will be at night!
People's Park
Parents with umbrellas displaying their children's height, weight, complexion and other details (in the hopes that other parents would be interested in this really quite unique matchmaking service!)
Prerequisite cooldown at Starbucks
Shanghai Museum
The sign reads "There is a line of 2 hours"
(Nope, not going in there then...)
Ice Monster here we come!
"Top 10 Desserts Around the World"
Mango Sweet Cotton Ice
Niamh admiring her just-arrived dessert
That looks mouth-wateringly good if you ask me
"Fuxin Park" - our last stop for this trip
Picture perfect I must say
The French style is heavily reminiscent in these statues that are dotted around the park
Marx-Engels Statue Square
Senior citizens belting out a number (in Shanghainese dialect)
High speed train back to Suzhou :D
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