Sunny Shanghai

The skies were blue, the temperatures cool in the early spring and Shanghai sparkled like a jewel in the Chinese crown during our visit there in mid-March. It’s a dazzling city buzzing with energy and excitement. Everyone heads to the Bund – an area full of landmark buildings, exclusive restaurants, hotels and boutiques. In short, a must-see. Our excursion there took place in the evening. The skyline on both sides of the river is unforgettable and magnificent. On one side are the old European-style buildings and across the river in the Pudong District are the super-contemporary skyscrapers that are more postmodern than modern. Such a big transformation in just 30 years! Wow! The future is here!
The highly recommended Shanghai Museum was another feast for the eyes. Established in 1952, this world class museum has been at its present site barely 15 years. It’s constructed in the shape of a food vessel and is full of ancient bronzes, paintings, sculpture and gorgeous ceramic masterpieces – the loveliest I’ve seen in all my travels. There’s also a big gallery devoted to the arts and crafts of China’s 56 ethnic minorities. I found myself very drawn to the works of the Miao people who also produced batiks!
Strolling through some old Shanghai neighborhoods and alleyways is a good way to get a feel for the place. Their “stone gate” houses are unique and terribly pricey even though they don’t look like much on the outside. As usual, I took more photographs than I needed to.

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