<A> First Views of China (August 2002)

Having left London at 4pmGMT and then had a 9-hour flight I arrived at Shanghai International feeling a little jaded, looking forward to a good sleep. It was now 10.30 on a hot, sunny humid August morning. On clearing customs we were told to put our luggage on a van which would take it to our hotel. We boarded our air-conditioned coach and headed for the Pudong district. The buildings are an awesome sight, The Oriental Pearl TV Tower (3rd largest in the world), The Jin Mao Tower (tallest building in China and 3rd largest in the world), not the image of China I had in my mind, this is 21st Century China. On our way from the airport the construction of the ultra modern Magnetic Levitation Railway was rapidly advancing, this will be capable of transporting passengers into Shanghai at speeds of over 200mph.
We received a warm welcome at a restaurant and on entering all our party were impressed with he huge fish tanks, especially the golden carp. After being shown to our dining room everybody had their second surprise of the day, the menu, nobody expected the carp to be on it. The menus in our home Chinese restaurants were nothing like the real thing. During lunch the outline of events for the next 14 days was set out, &#8220;You have come a long way to visit this large country, we aim to show you as much as we can&#8221;, little did we know what that was to mean. Already we had been on the go for 22 hours and it was to be another 5 before we reached our hotel which would allow us an hour to wash and change before our evening meal then anther 2 hour trip, to see the famous Shanghai Acrobat Show. After lunch we a sightseeing trip around Shanghai and got an appreciation on the size and contrasts of this bustling city, the ultra modern Pudong area contrasted with the old city across the river with its narrow streets, millions of bicycles, high levels of bamboo scaffolding. This trip was going to be a real eye-opener.

To fully appreciate the speed and density of the traffic movement in this bustling environment it is best experienced on foot, in the early morning rush hour or early evening. Stroll along the busy pavements, past the street vendors selling their various foods, this also allows you to also to appreciate the difference air conditioning makes! In August you will need a ready supply of one thing, even in the early morning, water by the litre. Bottled water is readily available but be sure to purchase bottles with an unbroken seal. The humidity is draining, how local people can travel so far each day by bicycle, often 2 per bicycle or transporting goods of all descriptions is amazing. Maybe after years you become acclimatised to these conditions but as a first time European visitor they come as a shock. Before crossing any road it is useful to watch out for traffic signals, controlling both the cars and the bicycles. When the traffic moves it moves fast, in all directions. It is estimated that in Shanghai there are over 10 million bicycles. If you happen to be on the roadway it is best to standstill, the bicycle traffic is dense and they will pass you with inches to spare but rarely do you witness a collision. If it is raining you will witness a very colourful sight, waterproofs of a wide range of colours are warn, often reflecting in the rapidly formed poodles by a monsoon like downpour.

A more leisurely way to observe the hustle and bustle is to take a stroll along the famous Shanghai Bund. And stroll through Huangou Park. This lies between the Huangou river and the road. This is an enjoyable way to pass away an hour or two, maybe even take a ferry ride over to the Pudong district, There you can visit the 88 storey Jin Mao Tower where a lift will whisk you up to the visitor viewing platform on the 88th floor in just 45 seconds! From here you get a splendid view of the city which at night is a spectacular experience as the city at night is a free colour light show not to be missed, but remember to check the time of the last ferry, they stop around 9pm.
On the Bund you will receive many a enquiring look as Non Chinese are very much in the minority, many a time my wife and I were stopped by teenagers asking to speak to us to enable them to practice their English, or have their photo taken with us. My wife has blond hair and that is very unusual so naturally gets many a curious look, there are many transient Chinese workers in the city from across the country and most of these people may never have seen Europeans before. You are unlikely to experience any unpleasant, as the Chinese are very friendly folk.

Not far from the Bund you can find the Nan King Road, renowned for its shopping but don&#8217;t expect to walk its length as is approximately 5Km. Km long. Here you can buy anything, even genuine Rolex watches for $2!! Before leaving home a nephew as me to get something from the Shanghai Hard Rock Caf? I found it difficult to understand why it was going to take 30 minutes by taxi, in each direction as it was on this road, that was before I discovered how long the road was, or how busy it was. Coming from England, a small country in comparison to China, it is difficult to get used to the size and population density, after all Shanghai has a population equal to 20% of the whole of England.

After sampling all of this, this was going to an experience rather than a holiday. The pace and intensity is not what you would of expect on holiday, but if you have only got 2 weeks to see as much as you can after travelling so far to get here, be prepared Stamina is certainly required.