Once Shanghai and back

Tuesday, 02.10.2018

In the GDR, October 7th was always celebrated as the Republic's Foundation, in the FRG, the reunification was celebrated on October 3rd, and in China, October 1st is the birthday of the People's Republic. By the way, the People's Republic and the most democratic of all German republics were of the same age, except for a few days, but that was already 30 years ago next year. In any case, this event is celebrated in China properly. There are 3 days off plus 2 state-mandated bridge days (which of course have to be made up for on the weekend before). The whole thing is called 'Golden Week' and, in addition to Chinese New Year, is the usual vacation time. Colleagues visit their families somewhere on the other side of China or explore their beautiful country. Whether it's a good idea to go to Shanghai?

Since our German friends Anna and Marco were visiting and it was planned in advance, we put the plan into action. So off we went in a taxi to Shanghai. Although my dear family and I have been living here for 6 months now, we haven't really explored Shanghai yet. I had booked an apartment through AirBNB. It was located east of the Huangpu River, which cuts through Shanghai from northeast to southwest, and therefore in the district of 'Pudong' (Dōng means east), not far from the Expo Center where the World Expo 2010 was held. Anna and Marco noticed in Suzhou that our residential area was somehow quite western, but not so here in Shanghai. The apartment building is located in a compound that is only inhabited by Chinese people. The buildings look somewhat older and the wiring has a certain charm.

Our apartment was on the 6th floor, it was clear that we would end up on the top floor, it has three bedrooms, a kitchen, and even a playroom.

From the staircase, you can even see the 'Pearl Tower' and the 'Shanghai Tower', the landmarks of Shanghai.

Even the hallway offers a few highlights (see pictures).

After arriving, we made our way to the 'Bund'. We strolled to the Expo Center with its impressive Chinese Pavilion, hoping to catch one of the 'Hop On Hop Off' buses.

However, our information about the bus stops was outdated, so we ended up taking a taxi instead.

Across from the Expo Center, there is a BMW Experience Park. Here, a few friends of rear-wheel drive were practicing cornering skills on a wet test track.

When we arrived at the 'Bund', the crowd was fortunately much smaller than expected. We were able to stand at the railing and take pictures.

The 'Bund' is the famous central waterfront promenade on the west side of the Huangpu River. Here, you have a beautiful view of the row of skyscrapers on the other side of the river, including the 'Shanghai Tower', 'Shanghai World Financial Center', and the 'Oriental Pearl Tower'. On the west side, among other things, is the building where the Communist Party of China was founded.

After the 'Bund', we strolled through the city center in search of a coffee. It's interesting how just one parallel street away, the historic Shanghai with its narrow alleyways begins.

Some apartments here don't even have toilets. Instead, there are communal bathrooms in the backyard.

After coffee, cake, and ice cream, we explored the city a bit more on the tour bus, had dinner, and then returned to the accommodation.