We've been off line for a while - due to the censors in China facebook and blogs are not easily accessed, so will have to fill in the adventure up to now when I get home. However now we are in Shanghai access has been easier and thanks to Kate back home suggesting a VPN we are now blogging (using Alex's work access).
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| Hollander on The Bund |
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| Hollander on the deck of the Pearl Tower |
Just a bit of history (as this is my record for the kids to remember and learn from) Shanghai city lies on the banks of the Huangpu river close to the mouth of the Yangzi river it is China's largest city with a population of 17 million.
Shanghai boomed in the mid 19th century when the British following a war for commercial ambitions led to it being the center for free trade for the British on Chinese soil (think opium dens, silk and tea). The city became an outpost for glamour and decadence. It was divided into 'concessions' where foreign nationals lived in miniture versions of Britian, France, US and Japan. The Bund (quay) along the river is still lined with colonial buildings from that time.
Shanghai was the 3rd largest financial centre in the world back then. However after growing labour unrest and exploitation the Communists took over in 1949. According to texts the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) liberated the city by eradicating the slums, rehabilitating the opium addicts and eliminated the slave labour.
Shanghai went into hiatus until 1990 when a 'new area' was planned for development in Pudong - modern high rise emerged and it was declared a special economic zone to encourage foreign investment. This is were the Oriental Pearl Tower is (TV tower symbolic of Shanghai), Jinmao Tower at 420m is Chinas 2nd tallest and the Shanghai World Financial Centre at 492m tall is the worlds 3rd tallest tower. There are viewing decks on the 100th floor. The Chinese are very proud of the fast development of this region, in 21 yrs it has emerged from farm land and they are now trying to build the next tallest building in the race to be the best in the world.
In the old town there are the Yuyuan gardens and bazaar. One of Shanghai's premier sights built by a family in the Ming dynasty (in 1559) a maze of old buildings, water features, rock gardens, temples and the Huxinting tea house which was built in 1784 by cotton merchants - there is a zigzag bridge over the water to get to it which is supposed to protect it from evil spirits that can't turn corners.
We have pictures of all these but having trouble uploading so will do this when we get home.
Any way Shanghai has been a nice way to end the trip its less of a cultural shock for the kids though its huge in scale. We had fun going in the psychadellic under water tourist tunnel, going up the Pearl Tower, doing a river night cruise to take in the sky scraper lights, seeing how silk is made from the silk worm cocoon, exploring the Yu Gardens and the neighbouring bazaar, learning KungFu, and going to the most amazing acrobatic show of 'death defying' acts which we were all going ooh and ahh at.
We've now said goodbye to our tour families (4 others) and we are heading off to our next hotel on The Bund until Sat. We will be catching up with the cousins and exploring Zhoujaijaio a water canal town tomorrow. Hopefully my procrastination streak doesn't hit when I get home, but I do hope to finish this document of the Petersen Oriental Express!
Zaijian
(good bye)
