So, Thursday – here we are, arrived in Shanghai via the most efficient Cathay Dragon Airlines – again, an incredible inflight service, and met by’ Troy’, our guide for the next 3 days – a really lovely man (he shared with us, he is 33 years old, has a 2 year old daughter and has been a guide for 10 years!) and our driver, Mr Liang. Greeted by rain and taking a 40 min drive from the airport to Shanghai City centre, passing houses, fields, flats and the incredibly impressive Maglev train (designed in Germany but only commercially running in Shanghai; this is the world’s fastest train, run on magnets, reaching speeds in excess of 400 kph (planes fly just over 700+ kph) and leaving us almost blinking and missing it. Troy immediately sensing our awe and offering to switch our mode of transport back to the airport later in the week in order that we can ‘have a ride’ ….. simply WOW (and this coming from someone who doesn’t collect train numbers for a hobby!)
We arrived at our Hotel, The Fairmont Peace (4 night stay), and were immediately blown away by the opulence! Truly stunning in an Art Deco style with corridors sweetly smelling like freshly laundered towels, we were immediately wrapped up in its splendour. Troy had recommended a restaurant for dinner, the Lost Heaven, and booked a table at our chosen time … we wandered the given route along the Bund and on locating this mightily splendid dining establishment, proceeded to enjoy some incredibly wonderful dishes of mainly pork and chicken with a new one for us, lily bulbs (not particularly tasting of anything, almost fried onion in consistency, my preference, the beauty of the actual flower…). Tomorrow the tour of Shanghai begins with Troy …
Morning walk along the Bund riverside, with grey clouds engulfing the magnificent modern architecture (built during the 1990’s) standing opposite the old colonial buildings of banks, hotels and a customs house and on to the historical Old Town, mostly destroyed during wars but recently rebuilt for tourists and locals’ reflection …. Wandering by the homes of ‘older generation’ peoples who live aside (and setting up shop) the fruit, fish and meat markets literally ‘alive’ with produce ranging from eels to cows stomachs, chicken feet to turtles and toads (apparently bought live as animals at their freshest); such cramped, dark areas compared to the high rise flats of the younger generations, electricity wires dangling like spaghetti, buckets for toilets, many such homes now being demolished and clearing spaces for modern high rise flats though these few likely to remain as a lasting memory of how people ‘used to live’ and these families still do ….
On to the Yu Gardens featuring pools of enormous carp, rockeries and halls for gathering and contemplation, then finally the Shikumen ‘stone gate’ buildings within the trendy French quarter with designer shops and western restaurants – crowded with young, keen Chinese, craving a different way of life – all technology, fast food and HD eyebrows … Lunch with Troy, a local delicacy, dumplings (bless him, he kindly demonstrated to us how to pick them up with chop sticks, dip in vinegar and soy, bite a little hole in outer casing and ‘suck out the juice’ before consuming the pork or shrimp filled neatly pleated parcel – apparently each has 11 pleats). Anticipating my ‘fussy’ husband’s grimace, to actually find myself desperately trying my utmost to hide mine, as it would seem gravy sucking is not my thing!
Morning came following a night of my tummy reiterating dumplings are not for me as reflected in the shiny toilet porcelain …..
Troy and our driver today, Mr Chang, drove us to the Shanghai Museum where we saw many artefacts from various dynasty’s including coins, pottery, jade and paintings then on to visit the Jade Buddha in his Temple – I am not sure why I imagined he would be as tall and as wide as a house but he wasn’t … neatly sitting in his case, imported from Burma and placed within his newly built temple in 1882, an important visiting place for Chinese people to visit and offer prayer….
Next, a visit to ‘People’s Park and Matchmakers Corner’ – a lovely green park area recently opened free of charge for the public to relax in.
Now, I had been briefed that 30% of parents also visit this place to find a ‘match’ for their unmarried child, but what we actually witnessed left me totally lost for words … a plethora of multi-coloured umbrellas sporting laminated ‘cv’ sheets attached by bulldog clips detailing parents’ offspring’s sex, height, profession, qualifications, habitat and particular partner requirements…
Apparently, many parents sadly have restless nights worrying why their child has not married by the age of 30 and this brings about the need to go to the park and ‘advertise’ for a suitable match (remembering, of course, that in China children support their parents in old age and without being married, this is less achievable). Parents will go to the park on Saturday and Sunday each weekend and advertise/seek until the right match is found, often without their child knowing as it is considered highly embarrassing one has had to take this route, especially with neighbours gossiping as to why your offspring is ‘left on the shelf’ as such. Seeking a financially stable, well qualified match from a reputable area, parents exchange phone numbers and a ‘first date’ is set up for the ‘children’ to meet …. I have to say, this left us thinking about how we might have come across on the sheet – not sure we’d have been matched though we feel our offspring would do far better! I appreciate all countries are different when it comes to love and marriage, but watching those parents seemingly desperate faces longing for someone to like the sound of their child was so sad – I struggled when mine weren’t picked for a part in the nativity!
Next, across the Huangpu River to the Pudong district and up the Jinmeo Tower for a view across the whole of Shanghai – how lucky we were to have the cloudy typhoon depart in the night and leave behind a bright blue sky – what stunning views to be locked in time as with the speed this City is growing, old houses demolished, tower blocks built, I feel the landscape of this up and coming City will have changed again in the blink of an eye ….
Finally, a river cruise up the river to see the City illuminated at night and what an awesome sight … with Troy working his magic to navigate through the bustling crowds and seating us on the top deck, we sat back and relaxed in the warm evening air with a gentle breeze blowing us along … goodnight Shanghai, you’re looking magical….
FACTS:
- One child policy lifted in 2015 and now a two child policy. If you bear a boy, you pay for the wedding (which includes the buying of a home!) so hope to have one girl as two boys would be too costly for most families. If you have two boys and cannot afford to pay for the second’s wedding and home, it is likely he will move into the ‘wife’s’ family home and take the ‘humiliation’ this brings to his family together with any offspring taking the wife’s family name not his …. Troy is rather pleased he has a girl and nervous of a second child being a boy as apparently a ‘tour guide’ is not considered a great job when a husband is being sought, most women desiring a banker, doctor etc … (he met his wife on a blind date in Starbucks as his CV offered at The Matchmakers Corner would not be greatly received …)
- Crickets bought by locals at the bird market are actually PETS – seems they love to hear them chirp away and some men gamble with them… Poking the crickets with a tiny stick to ‘encourage’ a fight between pairs, the 2 month lifespan remaining for the little creatures cut short from merry chirping ….
- The dragon – so frequently depicted – is made up of: eyes of a shrimp, antenna of a lobster, body of a snake, teeth of a tiger, claws of an eagle*, feathers of a bird, scales of a fish, head of a horse … The Pearl held in its mouth for longevity and the toad living aside in harmony (to clean up the saliva of the dragon’s drawl). Only Chinese Emperors can have Dragons adorning their building and these dragons have five claws …. to allow for other people to enjoy dragons on their walls, they have created a ‘snake’ (?!) that looks like a dragon but with three claws … Pottery etc, within a home showing five claws on a dragon is said to be honouring the Emperor.
- The new special edition flavour of MOONCAKE this season is much sought after and prized – BULLFROG soaked in vinegar …. Mmmm ….
