[Travel] Shanghai: Snapshots of the City

So between going to Chinese class and traveling I’ve been doing in the pass 5 months, I go around downtown Shanghai like a tourist armed with Ziggy, my faithful Canon 550D (yes, I name my camera because I’m a dork). Like my earlier post from Shanghai: East Meet West Meet East to see the French Consession to the The Glitz and Blitz of Shanghai in 100 Years Worth of History in Shanghai’s Oriental Tower Museum and the International Architecture Museum of the World in The Bund: Shanghai, the Bund: Architecture Museum.

Here are some other sights:

Zhongshan Park (中山公园)

The part is near my friend’s apartment and we decide to take some photos. I’m with Ziggy and Aristo with his manual film camera. He’s already with his Wushu get up and as me to take some photographs.

How to get here: Shanghai Metro Line 2, Line 3 or Line 4 to Zhongshan Park Station.

For other park, the Fuxing Park (复兴公园), check out [Travel] Shanghai: East Meet West Meet East.

Shanghai Art Museum (上海美术馆)

The museum is the former clubhouse building of the Shanghai Race Club. There’s no entrance fee. I’m only browsing along since I have some other destinations in mind.

How to get here: Take Shanghai Metro line 2 or Line 7 and stop at Jing’an Temple Station

Special Collections/Exhibition and Chinese Fine Art and Culture

Jing’an Temple (静安寺, Temple of Peace and Tranquility)

The temple was built during the Three Kingdoms period by the Wu at Suzhou then moved to it’s current location during Song Dynasty and rebuilt in the Qing Dynasty. The function of this temple is halted during the Cultural revolution but it was renovated in 1983 and back to its original function that is a Buddhist temple by 2010.

How to get here: Take Shanghai Metro line 2 or Line 7 and stop at Jing’an Temple Station

I go to Jing’an Temple and Shanghai Art Museum together since they’re a block or two away.

Buddha in the Precious Hall of the Great Hero

Shanghai Bird and Flower Market

How to get here: Take the Shanghai Metro line 9 and stop at Yanggao Middle Road station.

I accompany my landlady Ms. Polly and her daughter for a Christmas and New Year decoration for her home. She takes us and Ms. Puong, another lady staying in the apartment, to show the where the local flowers, birds, insects and apparently the old town antique shops.

And Street snack for 2 to 3 CYN. Very fattening but oh so good and bad. Depends on what your point of view.

Yu Garden or Yuyuan Garden (豫園, Garden of Happiness)

I keep on not going to this Garden for the longest time and when I did, it’s super crowded since it’s after Chinese New Year and everything and everyone is out and about. The stores and streets are super crowded. I don’t even bother to go inside the Yuyuan Garden. Much of the complex surrounding Yuyuan Garden is tourist trap, commercialize and all around fast food and not-so-ancient-stores/cultures. I did get some interesting photos and lovely lanterns hanging beautifully above all those heads!

Traditional Chinese medicine shop, Est. 1783

The Famous Nanxian Steamed Bun Restaurant (南翔馒头店). These are so good I can go on and on eating them. The queue is worth it. Of course there’s also an option going to the restaurant with less people and probably if lucky enough can get a seating. 25 CYN for 8 dumplings.

The Inside painting (内画) is a traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy inside glas bottle. The artist use special brush that can go inside the bottle.

Xihu or Jing Jing or Xiyang Jing (西湖, west lake lens/scenes) are a kind of a street performance peep show appearing since the 18th century in Chinese Cities. It’s a cabinet box with peepholes in it and a person and peep to see scenes from stories/novels with the operator controlling the machine and lenses to show different angles. The operator and sometimes the actor gives voices and narrates the stories and sometimes sings.

… This is probably the manual/old/ancient version for a VR.

Wow. Note to self. Not to venture to any tourists trap before and after Chinese New Year or even on the weekends.