Shanghai Day 2

Day 2 began with a trip down the sidewalk to experience Shanghai rush hour first hand. Drivers and pedestrians take their life into their own hands. People weave in and of traffic and often ignore stop lights. To cross the street you have to step out into an empty spot in traffic and hope a driver does not want to be inconvenienced by hitting you. Notice the man on the scooter eyeing me with insidious intent.




I returned safely to my hotel to have a western style breakfast, though I still took some Chinese noodles in brown sauce off the buffet. Below is the Astor House, a Victorian era hotel that is still patronized by mostly westerners. Many famous people, like Charlie Chaplin and Ulysses Grant, have stayed here. Ask me when I get back, and I will show you pictures from the inside.


Our first stop was the Shanghai Urban Planning Center. It is a modern museum that showcases the wonders of Shanghai, China's largest and most progressive city. Most of the modern buildings you see in Shanghai were built in the last fifteen years. The Chinese are still tearing down the old and building the new here.


I do not think that high-fiving Hai Po, the mascot of the World Expo coming to Shanghai in 2010, before you enter a building is a local custom, but we Americans want to start this tradition.

The first thing inside the city planning museum is this sculpture of the Shanghia skyline. Richard, our very knowledgeable guide for the city, is standing next to it in the red shirt. I got the feeling that the Chinese want to emphasize that Shanghai is a great world city, like Paris, London, and New York. They certainly have convinced me.


Across the park from the city planning museum is the Shanghai Museum. It has four floors of fabulous Chinese art, sculpture, painting , etc.

Like this Tibetan Buddhist mask:


After the Shanghai Museum, we drove across town to the Jade Buddha Temple. It is famous for having the largest statue of a the Buddha carved in Jade. It is about ten feet tall and ways one ton. The Jade Buddha was taking visitors that day, but he does not like to have his picture taken. This picture is the statue of the Buddha from one of the outer rooms of the temple. It was odd at this stop of the tour because people were kneeling, praying, and burning incense as our guide talked and we snapped pictures. Is this disrespectful? I felt odd doing this, but in the cathedrals I toured in Europe tourists did the same thing as people lit candles and knelt to pray.



After our vegetarian lunch, which had many interesting uses for seaweed, at a restaurant attached to the temple itself, we drove to the Yu Gardens. They were built in the late Ming dynasty. Below is the picture of the 16th century tea house just outside the gardens. I did not get to go in, but don't worry. I spent too much on tea in a shop close by.


In the center of the garden, is the most famous garden stone in China. That rock in the middle has 72 holes, which is 8 x 9. Both of those numbers are considered lucky in China. What can I say? That holey stone rocks!


I am exhausted again. Obviously, my puns are getting worse. More Shanghai tomorrow and then a flight to Beijing
Chuck Newell
Shanghai

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10/13/08