Shanghai Visit

Here is a short account of our recent trip to Shanghai, or should it be call Shang-high! A city of purpose and ambition, it now boasts of the tallest building in the world, albeit for a short while. I had a free day on Monday (Dec 8) and decided to visit a few places I have marked out earlier from the travel guides.

photo: Gateway

Morning: We started out with a quiet breakfast at the hotel (Ramada Plaza, Gateway). The international buffet spread was decent, but for most of the days, I just took porridge and some fruits.

Mid-morning: We headed for the Shanghai Science & Technology Park. We took the subway, which costs 4 RMB to travel in the central area on lines 1 and 2. Our main purpose was not visit the science museum, but rather to stroll amongst the shops at the basement. We were told that a number of the proprietors which specialize in cheap counterfeits of famous brands at the notorious Xiangyang market (which is now closed for good - victim of a crackdown by authorities on rampant piracy that had tarnished China’s international image) have set up their shops here. After some haggling with a vendor, I walked away with two new leather belts for RMB 90 (approx. S$20).

Noon: We then took the subway to the People's Square, where we stroll through the pleasant, tranquil greent space of Renmin Park (left photo). We then wander along the narrow street of Wujiang Lu, which is filled with tiny eateries and holes in the walls selling street-side food such as fried dumplings and bbq meat on skewers.

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Photo below: It’s easy to spot this Shanghai institution, despite the street being crowded with food stalls – look for lines that snake across Wujiang Lu. At Yang’s, they only make one thing: shengjianbo, a delicious shallow-fried dumpling top with sesame and chives that is crisp on the bottom and fluffy on top. Inside lies ginger-tinged ground pork and flavorful soup. It falls between a potsticker and a steamed bun; cooked over high heat in huge, flat pans, they’re topped with a large wood lid that allows the bun to steam during the frying process.

Mid Noon: We stopped by at the Westgate Mall to have a light snack. We patronized KFC and a noodle joint at the Food Republic foodcourt.

Photo: Dine at Dollar Shop with Marilyn and Chris.

Night: We met up with a Singaporean couple working in Shanghai for a steamboat dinner at a restaurant near our hotel. We waited in the queue for > 30 mins, but the wait was worth it. The food was good and the service was excellent. I wanted to tip the waitress but she flatly rejected it. I later read that in most restaurants, particularly in Chinese restaurants, tipping is nto a publicly accepted practice, or even disapproved, in Shanghai.

During our trip to Shanghai, we also managed to catch up with two of my former students, Luke and Steven, who are working in the real estate sector in China. We met for dinner at Crystal Jade restaurant at the Gateway Mall.

Below is a slidshow of the pictures we took in Shanghai.