10th April, 2013.
The morning after we arrived in Shànghǎi, our luggage still hadn’t arrived from Hong Kong. However, we weren’t going to let that spoil our first day in China, so we had a splendid breakfast and set off to explore.
Our plan was to take the Metro from our hotel to People’s Square in downtown Shànghǎi, and look around from there.
While were we working out which side of the platform was the right direction for our train, a young man, also going to People’s Square as it happened, asked if we needed any help, and hopped onto the train with us.
Chen was an engineer currently working in Bangkok. He had just arrived in Shànghǎi on a short break, and was meeting his sister near People’s Square for lunch.
People’s Square Metro Station was vast, with about two thousand people in view at any given moment. “Too many people,” said Chen cheerfully, as he shepherded us through the tide of bodies surging through the concourse, up stairs and escalators, past underground shopping malls and finally into daylight.
Emerging into daylight from People’s Square Metro Station. The building that looks as though a spaceship has landed on it is the Radisson Hotel.
Pat and Chen on East Nanjing Road, a pedestrian mall which leads from People’s Square to the Huangpu River.
Eventually, we reached the Bund, a mile-long embankment beside the Huangpu River, which soon flows into the Yangtze. On the opposite side of the river can be seen the “bamboo shoot” skyscrapers of the new Pudong (east) area.
The Oriental Pearl TV tower (guess which one that is) has become an iconic symbol for modern Shànghǎi.
Along the Bund is a wall of flowers – quite breathtaking.
Jan and Chen on the Bund.
Before he left us, Chen gave us a little key ring as a souvenir. We were very touched.
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