Sights of Shanghai - November, 2019

Bund Sightseeing Tunnel

When you write about a visit to Shanghai, you have to talk about two general attractions that dominate everything else in this mega-city; they are the iconic skyline of modern Pudong and the Bund. These two things, situated across the Huangpu River from each other, give Shanghai its unique character.

The Pearl

If the skyline is one of the things that sets Shanghai apart, then it is the Pearl Tower that is the jewel in the crown of that skyline. On their first full day in China, Gym and his lovely boss were hiking along the waterfront pathways on the Pudong side of the river when they came to the base of the tower. They looked up to gaze upon the unique structure. After a brief discourse, they decided to buy 2 tickets to the highest observation deck. Then they got in line. Although it was high season, the line was not too bad and they waited patiently with a mixed crowd of locals and oriental tourists to get on the high-rise elevator. The ride was over in minutes and in spite of the short duration, the elevator attendant even provided a little color in english for our travelers, who were the only obvious non-orientals in the elevator car. At the top, there were great views of Pudong, the Bund and the river in both directions. Then it was time to get back down. That is where it got a little complicated. Now the author believes that they have an elevator that goes directly down to the ground from the top but it must be for friends of Chairman Xi. Gym had unfortunately not been given the pleasure of an introduction to the Chairman, so he and his dear companion, fell in line with a descending group of mandarin speakers and after several short elevator rides later, a deck at a time, they made their way down. The descent strategy was designed to give everyone a chance to buy food and drink, play video games and view a disney-ish propaganda film that showed us how Shanghai would be taken into the future. When they got spit out at the bottom, our travelers were somewhat dazed, yet thrilled that they had just made it out of the tower's IKEA-like exit.

The Bund

Now that they had a good understanding of the layout of the city and could plan an attack on the other sites that they saw from the top of the Pearl, our travelers decided to visit the Bund the next day. The Bund has lots of history, and Gym had come to understand that it was the place where western merchants and bankers set up shop, prior to WW2. Then in WW2 the Japanese invaded in 1941 and made a big mess of the place.You can't read about this while you're in China and have to wait to get the real history from Google after you get out. The problem in getting to the Bund for Gym and Mrs. Gym was that there are no bridges across the river for literally miles in either direction from the Pearl. Sure there are tunnels for the subway system but you can't see the sights on a subway and you could practically be there in minutes if you could just walk. Our travelers ended up taking a taxi for 25 RMB on their their first visit to the Bund. The Taxi tackled the river crossing by speeding underneath it in one of the numerous tunnels built for cars. Gym looked, but there were no sidewalks on the sides of these tunnels. In any event, our travelers enjoyed the Bund, walking the 1500 meters down to the north end on the raised embankment, next to the river. They enjoyed views on both sides of the Huangpu and then they returned at street level, on the sidewalk, in front of the 26 main buildings of various architectural styles that line the riverfront. Today, these building house 5-star hotels, very chi-chi boutiques and  some government offices. It was actually not too crowded when Gym and Mrs. Gym were there. They returned to the hotel by taxi later that day.

Three Skyscrapers

Having camped out at the Four Seasons Hotel in Pudong, our travelers were right next to three of the most impressive high-rises anywhere in the world. During their stay, they were fortunate to be able to check out some of the establishments that were either directly inside these towers or part of the multi-level malls that were built around their bases. The 420 meter, Jin Mao Tower was the first high-rise of the grouping, completed in 1999. The second oldest, the Shanghai World Financial Centre opened in 2008 and tops out at 492 meters. The tallest is the Shanghai Tower which is China's tallest building at 632 meters (127 floors) and it is the newest, with its observation deck being opened to the public in 2017. Together the three towers are an impressive grouping to behold and Gym believes that they give the city its futuristic appeal. Each tower has a hotel operating in a portion of it but the luxury J hotel in the Shanghai Tower has yet to open due to something about it requiring a fire permit. Gym thinks the Pudong Fire Department better work a little closer with the Chairman on this as he makes the rules. Gym and Mrs. Gym spent one evening over cocktails and tapas in Cloud 9, part of the Grand Hyatt hotel, located on the 87th floor of the Jin Mao Tower. Gym had assumed that the Grand Hyatt had a fire permit. That night they watched the start of the light show featuring laser projections and strobe lights that frame the Bund, the Pearl Tower and many buildings in Pudong. The tapas were delicious, especially the calamari.

Yu Gardens

By the time our hero and his lovely companion made their second crossing of the Huangpu River, they had found something really different, the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel. The Bund Sightseeing tunnel uses the SK 6000 People Mover to transport riders about 600 meters underneath the river in driverless cars. It costs 50 RMB and 70 RMB for a 2-way ticket. It is very similar to the vehicles on the rides in a Disney theme park. While you make the crossing there is a cheesy, but fun display of projections on the sides of the tunnel wall. This light show is there so that the rider can take his/her mind off the idea of crossing a major river, from below. Our travelers did so safely and and they ascended to the surface on a couple of sets of escalators, emerging next to the KFC. They found themselves mid-Bund and a kilometer or two from their destination, The Yu Gardens was the goal. Yu Gardens is located off the south end of the Bund, behind Gucheng Park. The site dates back to 1559 and the Ming Dynasty and has seen its ups and downs over the centuries, suffering through several wars in which it was severely damaged. Today, it is a very popular exhibit and has been a National Monument since 1982. After a quick tour of the gardens, Gym nabbed a freshly made sesame cracker, from a street merchant. He sampled this crispy treat on the way to the taxi stand. Our travelers sped back under the river to their hotel.

More on Shanghai in our final Chinese post, stay tuned!

The Pearl Tower

The line-up

Looking back at the hotel from the Pearl

The bend in the Huangpu River 

The Bund from the Pearl

Mrs. Gym on the Bund

Fairmont Peace Hotel on the Bund

Garden Bridge originally built in 1856 crosses Suzhou Creek at the
north end of the Bund.

The China Merchant Bank (left). and
Great Northern Telegraph Building (Centre)

The nice wide, pedestrian friendly embankment, next to the river.

The Bund is very popular for wedding photos 

Too bad it is not a clearer day

The Chinese Memorial at the north end of the Bund.

She better wait for a bigger gap in the traffic

Security at the Waldolf Astoria for the Chairman's visit

South end of the Bund

The skyscrapers from the Pearl

Shanghai World Financial Center (left)
Jinmao Tower (center)
Shanghai Tower (right)

The Pearl Tower at dusk from the Jinmao Tower.
 It really stands out during the light show.

Cloud 9 at the top of the Jinmao Tower

A view of the light show from Cloud 9

Yu Gardens

On the Zig-Zag Bridge