My daughter Mei-Ling (or LL), son-in-law Srin, and grandchildren Kaanan (15) and Kavi (13) flew from Vancouver, Canada, to join us in Shanghai. This was KnK’s first time visiting China, so everyone was excited. I rented a 3-bedroom apartment 5 minutes’ walk from the popular People’s Square. The compound consisted of several high-rise apartments and an inner courtyard with a pavilion. What attracted my family was the 20-plus free-roaming cats inside the courtyard. They were fed but kept at a distance from people. They had the whole rock mountain and a pond as a playground, enjoying the best of their lives.
Shanghai’s Chinese name means “above the sea”. It started as a small fishing village before becoming a giant metropolis. Shanghai is China’s main financial center. The Huangpu River splits Shanghai in two: Puxi (West of the river) is the older city center, and Pudong (East of the river) is the cluster of new high-rises built after 1999. We took the metro to Lujiazui, the financial district with the 3 tallest buildings: Shanghai World Center (492 m), Jin Mao Tower (421m), and Shanghai Tower (632 m). However, Shanghai’s most famous landmark is the Oriental Pearl Tower, a TV tower built in 1991. We decided to explore the Shanghai Tower, China’s tallest building and the world’s 3rd tallest. The high-speed elevator (18 meters per second) took us to the observation deck (between the 118th and 121st floors), where we enjoyed a 360-degree panoramic view of Shanghai and the Huangpu River. We then went even higher to the Top of the Tower to see the 1,000-ton Mass Damper (Eye of Shanghai) located on the 125th-126th floors of the Tower. The damper is a giant iron-and-steel weight suspended by 12 steel cables, paired with an innovative eddy-current damping plate made of a copper plate studded with powerful magnets. On top of the damper sits a 7.7-meter-tall azure stone sculpture -this is the most beautiful wind-resistant architecture I have ever seen. Later, the damper transformed into an immersive laser, light, and music show for visitors. I would highly recommend that anyone visiting Shanghai not miss this magnificent tower.
While in Shanghai, I booked tickets for the ERA show – the Spirit of Shanghai. It is a multimillion-dollar acrobatic extravaganza at the Shanghai Circus World. The show included many traditional acts, including juggling, bicycles, trapeze, and roller skates, but the most amazing act was 8 motorcyclists spinning together inside a steel cage. We had seen motorcycles inside a cage before, but never like this. We held our breath until they all landed safely back on the earth. This is the most exciting acrobatic act we had seen and my family really thoroughly enjoyed it. I found a clip of these daring devils on YouTube, and here is the link. It’s 4 minutes long, but you can watch just the end for the thrill.
The Bund is a waterfront and historic district in Puxi, just a 10-minute walk from our apartment. We took a lovely stroll right before sunset, and the entire financial district lit up across the river at 7 pm, creating a beautiful scene. At the end of my trip to Shanghai, I got to see my brother Jack and sister-in-law Teresa. They treated us for a nice dinner at a futuristic looking restaurat. We also got a chance to walk around Shanghai Center to check out famous bakeries and eateries. But I was most excited to visit the Shanghai Art Museum to see the exhibition of “A House of Nobility: Aesthetics and Cultivation of Life in the Mawangdui Han Tombs”. I have been practiced a qigong exercise for six years based on the guide painted on silk in this 2000 year old tomb. This exhibition included treasures of silk costumes, wood carvings and even a make up box used by Lady Xin Zhui. What an eye opener to learn how royalty life was like so long ago.
We returned to Shanghai for one more day after our tours in southern China, just before LL’s family flew to Japan. I chose a unique hotel in the InterContinental Hotels chain It was built deep inside an old rock quarry. Although it was out of the way from central Shanghai, it had some very unusual features. Our rooms had a view of the rock cliff, which was the perfect spot to watch the jet ski shows during the day and the light displays in the evening.
I included two video clips (the waterman and the dragon light show) at the Deep Pit Hotel. I am glad that LL’s family got to enjoy and know the city of Shanghai – my birth place 80 years ago.
You really found some remarkable places to visit and unique places to stay. I enjoyed reading about these sites and appreciated learning some of the history too. Glad you were able to squeeze in a nice family reunion this time as well!