Shanghai- Xian

I'm sitting here in Shanghai Railway Station. On arrival at the station, one has to show one's ID and ticket. One's name is on all tickets in this country! One's  baggage then goes through a security check as does one. There are numbered waiting areas and the allocated waiting is further sub divided into a gate for each train. I suppose with 24 million people on the move,  it would need to be organised. 

  

              A Rush for the train! 

Last night, we ate at Cafe Rouge. We asked the concierge to call a taxi but he said that it would be easier to walk and even though it was raining, he accompanied us on the 10 minute walk out the hotel car park and up the one- way street to the restaurant. Just as well as we would never have found it with no signage on the entrance. Once he had deposited us at the restaurant, he departed. 

As it was Tuesday night, the restaurant wasn't busy. We had an excellent meal together with an excellent French wine. One definitely needs a respite from Chinese cuisine. I thought we were being fed by Masterchef the Professionals as my delicious starter was bathed with foam and CC had pate. The main courses  too were excellent Pigs Feet for CC (not served as Crubins are) together with the best homemade French Fries, I've ever tasted ! They were cooked in some fat that I didn't recognise. I had the most excellent pasta with a lobster sauce together with a plentiful supply of shrimps and pieces of calamari. 

 

We had been asked to choose a desert at the beginning of the meal but I asked if we could wait?  There was no problem but I think it upset the kitchen as the desert of chocolate fondant with real vanilla ice-cream and a Mille Feuille with fruits were a long time in arriving. There were profuse apologies and we were offered complimentary coffee. When the desserts did arrive, they were worth the wait:

 

We returned to the hotel and retired. 

This morning, we took our last stroll down the Bund;  the promenade that had its hay day in the 1920s and  30s. 

It was threatening rain so the porter offered us umbrellas. At the Peace Hotel your every need is anticipated! 

The weather has slowly deteriorated as the days have gone by. On the first day it was 16• and dry, yesterday it was 14• and wet and today it was 10• and rain began to fall in the early afternoon. We were lucky as it is usually much colder here at this time of year. J is flying to Bejing this week and he informs us it's freezing there.  In addition, as it is the low season, we could enjoy the city without the crowds, with the exception of the evening of our arrival when the police and army had to marshall the crowds on Nanjing Street.  

We visited some of the architectural heritage buildings on the Bund - the Shanghai and Hongkong Bank. I had just taken a couple of photos of the spectacular ceiling when I was told not to do so! It reminded me of trying to take photos in The Hermitage in St Petersburg. Why here, I don't know?  I was unlikely to rob the bank, such is the level of security here. On the ceiling were pictured the Old World eight financial centres - London, Paris, Frankfurt, Zurich  Bangkok, Shanghai, Hongkong and Tokyo. 

We continued down the Street to the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, formerly the members only Shanghai Club, to see the Long Bar, formerly the 34 metre long bar,  where businessmen would sit according to rank, comparing fortunes with the taipans (foreign heads of business) the most important closest to the view of the Bund.  We had intended to go there last night but it was too wet. The porter informed us that it wasn't open til 2000 and to come at 2145 for the Jazz. Unfortunately, we are departing this evening but we did peak in - it would remind one of Raffles old bar in Singapore, a legacy of the colonial era. It is now sadly gone. The old Raffles was built in the old colonial style, still in existence but now subsumed in a modem shopping centre. 

From there, we made our way to Yuyuan Gardens.  You might recall that we were here in Old Shanghai yesterday evening but the gardens were closed. I do hope the planners don't destroy Shanghai as they did Singapore? The gardens were laid out in the Ming Dynasty period and took eight years to build - 1559 -77, but were destroyed during the opium wars 1842 and again by the French as a reprisal for an attack on their Concession area.  The Gardens have been restored but as it was winter, we did not enjoy the full bloom of the flowers or the Magnolia tree, the emblem of Shanghai, in all its glory.   

 

Visit complete, we taxied back to the hotel. Taxis are inexpensive here and there is no 'rip off' as the taxi man must issue  a receipt. We collected our bags and taxied to Shanghai Railway Station, a different station to the station we arrived at, as we had to allow sufficient time for a higher demand on taxis with the rain and the traffic. 

                     Lunch!

                 Xiaolongbao        

     Shanghai's steamed dumpling

So here I am awaiting our overnight to Xian- 141/2  hours!! We have booked a First Class sleeper for ourselves- while I don't expect it to be of Rovos Rail standard, it should exceed the Tazara!! (see blog on Africa).

Shanghai

Last night, we walked down Nanjing (Nanking road) to a restaurant that had good reviews Xin Wans Restaurant 309 Hankou Lu off Nanking Street. It was a few minutes to closing at 2200 hrs so we had to order quickly. It had come highly recommended. It did not disappoint. 

This morning we are planning to explore the other side of the river - the modern financial district.  It appears one can't walk over the river to Pudong. The concierge told us that we had to take the Metro or a taxi!! As we walked down Nanjing Road, we saw a 'hop on / hop off ' bus (¥30 for 24 hours) and decided to take the easy way and let the bus bring us to the sights. It turned out to be an inspired choice as shortly after we boarded, it began to rain. Shanghai has a subtropical monsoon climate with four seasons, though Spring and Autumn are short. Yesterday it was 16•  but today it is only 12• with a 'soft' rain - not monsoonal. 

We passed down Nanjing Road, then onto the Bund and the heritage sights we had examined yesterday. We drove through the wide streets of the French Concessions with their fine buildings, 

now mainly occupied by upmarket shops We continued into the old town with its narrow streets teeming with life. Most of the old area of Shanghai is being bulldozed in favour of modern buildings but Yu gardens planted by the Ming dynasty and the bazaar has to date survived demolition. We didn't alight here as we intended to return later. We passed the Shanghai museum, the Grand Theatre 

and the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall where one can see the plans for Shanghai until 2020.

There were mostly Chinese on the bus in addition to half a dozen Westeners. The Driver only spoke Mandarin so we mistook the instructions on the audio guide to say that we had to change busses here to cross the river to Pudong. However, we were mistaken and repeated the route once again - and next time we ensured that we boarded the correct bus. 

The bus took the tunnel into Pudong and there we saw the unfinished as yet Shanghai Tower and the Oriental Pearl Tower.  Both were awesome at close quarters. The  entire district is impressive!! It makes the NYC Wall Street area appear insignificant. The Sheraton  hotel alone consists of three separate blocks of c.40 storeys apiece. All the major world class hotels have branches here as have the world banks and financial services. The area developed from marshland iin the 1990s and Disneyland is opening here soon!! It was impossible to photograph the area at close quarters, such was the immensity of the area and its buildings!!

Shanghai has an area c.5 times the size 

of NYC they were at pains to point out  

We returned to Yu Gardens, the old town and the bazaar area. 

Darkness was falling and as a result we were unable to visit the gardens but did wander around the bazaars. 

After a while,  we took a taxi back to the hotel. Tonight we have booked a French restaurant Cafe Rouge adjacent to the hotel. We need a break from Chinese cuisine! 

Shanghai

Having just enjoyed my first decent nights's sleep, I was awoken by the alarm. Breakfast summoned and what a fabulous breakfast it was - Chinese, Japanese and European were available. 

The hotel is an outstanding  example of 1930s architecture. Originally it was named the Cathay, renamed the Peace Hotel in 1950s and only reopened in 2010 after extensive renovation. 

  

There is a constant stream of non residents  coming in to view the hotel so cleverly one can't use the elevators to the upper floors unless one is a guest with a key. 

All bedrooms are decorated in 1930s style and the suites have a view of the Bund, Clinton stayed her as did Charlie Chaplain to name but a few. 

We decided to take a stroll along the Bund.   

 It was a lovely morning, if smoggy.!! The weather was very pleasant as it was warm 16• and the sun was attempting to shine through the smog!!  Luckily, the architectural gems on the Bund survived the Cultural Revolution. Now the origin of each building is explained on a plaque outside each building. 

The Bund only rekindled its old grandeur in the last 15 years with a display of the remaining 22 heritage buildings. Among the most prominent are 

The Hongkong and Shanghai Bank  Building (1923), 

        

             The Custom House (1927), 

    Former  Palace Hotel (1909 ) now                                         Swatch Peace Hotel and Fairmont Peace     Hotel (1929)

As we walked, two Chinese young people asked us to take a photograph of them and  they  reciprocated. They said they were going to a Tea Ceremony so we joined them. It was most interesting- different teas required different pots- earthenware, china and glass. We were invited to smell each tea before it was brewed and then one had to drink it in three sips. It took half an hour. At the end, we were invited to buy tea at ¥300 (€43 per small packet) . We declined. Young men are warned not to be lured by women to drinking establishments where they will be required to pay the expensive bill.  I was wondering if this was a set up, though I don't think so as there was no problem when we declined to buy tea.

We left our 'friends' and returned to the hotel. After a brief rest we went shopping or intended to shop on Nanking  Road, 

adjacent to the hotel. 

All goods here are more expensive than in Europe.  One shopping centre exuded 7 floors of luxury. 

Every international brand was available and in the Food Hall - international brands of food. 

There are obviously high taxes on luxury, imported goods- a large jar of Nescafé cost ¥ 175 (€25) It is obviously a two tier society but with such a large population, a small percentage earning high salaries would sustain this economy. I was surprised to see so few Westerners here in Shanghai. Our hotel is mainly patronised by the Chinese and now I think I know why. It is more expensive than Japan and I thought Japan was expensive.   

Tonight we plan to eat in the French Quarter and tomorrow we must cross the river to Pudong (we're in Puxi). We intended to climb the Shanghai Tower, supposed to have been completed last year but, surprisingly for the Chinese, it is not yet complete.....

Guangzhou - Shanghai

Last night we took a cab across town to meet J at the traditional Chinese garden restaurant namely Panxi 

And sing ??? 

The Chinese celebrate New Year's Day with the same gusto that they celebrate New Year's Eve. Families were here eating together. The one child policy has ended (in the city family was encouraged to have one child but two were allowed in the countryside as the peasants needed the labour) I saw a family of six, which must be unusual here.  

We got a selection of Dim Sum for which Guangdong, the province of which Guangzhou is the capital,  is famous. They are small sort of pastry with different fillings - ours included shrimp, beef and duck and in addition a dessert type filled with sweet custard - sounds unpleasant but it was not. We had a bottle of Chinese wine / my first and last. I now know why the Chinese import huge quantities of Burgundy, leaving the rest of the world short! 

After the meal, we decided to take a taxi to the Canton Tower; once the highest in China but it has now been overtaken by Shanghai. However, much to our amazement, there was a shortage of taxis. A young couple seeing our confusion insisted that we share a car they had booked, to take us their hotel, where we would have a better chance of procuring a taxi. On be there taxis were available. They refused to accept our offer share of the car fare. The generosity of the people has really impressed. 

We arrived at the tower at 2130 after a taxi ride through very heavy traffic, only to find that we could not ascend the tower until 22.00 and it closed at 2230! As we had ascended numerous towers around the world, we decided to forego this one as we had an early train to catch to Shanghai the following morning. 

Another taxi and here, as they do the world over, given any opportunity, refused to turn on the metres and a bartering commenced. The first wanted to charge 5 times the standard. We refused. The second wanted double the fare so we agreed on that!! 

We arrived back at the hotel and packed. We had a 0600 wake up call! 

We're leaving Guangzhou tomorrow. We really enjoyed our stay even if, as the only Caucasians about, we were visible and a source of interest. As few speak, English, there was little verbal communication.

Guangdong province has an interesting history - it was originally where the Maritime Silk Road, a trade route to the West, began. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to arrive, followed by the Jesuits, the British and the East India Company called at Guandzhou. The British  introduced opium to gain control of trade. In 19th century, one of their own, Sun Yatsen, sowed the seeds of revolution culminating in his becoming first president of the of the Republic of China. In the 20th century it suffered during the Cultural  Revolution but in 1978 it was the first province to embrace capitalism. Today the Canton Fair held  annually in April / May attracts customers from all over the world.

In 1982, we first visited this area on a day trip from Hong Kong. My abiding memory on arrival was a multitude of men and women using pick axes to break stone at the side of a cliff and a donkey and cart transporting away the rubble. We also saw the peasant home where Sun Yatsen was born. The area has come along way In less than 35 years with its ultra modern airports, motorways, high speed trains, metros and feverish commerce. 

This morning we got a taxi to take us to Guandzhou South station c 40 minutes from the hotel - off peak. We departed at 0630 for our 0800 train. The taxi driver either to increase the fare or because he couldn't find the entrance (probably the latter) wasted at least 10 minutes until he eventually landed us in the parking lot, which  luckily was near the departure area. As he had no Englush, we could only voice our frustration in English and he in Mandarin!! 

We arrived at the departure gate c.15 minutes prior to departure. One has to put one's bags through security as in an airport. We crossed the city in the early morning, I would advise taking the Metro  at any other time as it is difficult to estimate ETA what with traffic and a taxi driver who is not familiar with the station. 

The train departed precisely at 0800 hrs. We had first class seats and were served with a choice of nonalcoholic drinks but not western tea or coffee - they're a luxury! We took the G train; one of the fast trains which travels  at speeds in excess of 300km per hour. I didn't notice the 6.50 hour journey as I watched the landscape evolve before me - the countryside and cities, we have never heard of, with multiple millions of inhabitants- China after all has 1.4 billion of a population!! Did I tell you previously that the journey would take 3 hours- I wonder who told me that??

The countryside appeared prosperous with every inch of ground under cultivation. 

The cities appeared soulless with the original houses being bull dozed in favour of multi story apartment blocks. 

On arrival at Hingqiao Railway Station, we took the half hour metro ride to Nanjing station  which left us adjacent to our hotel - the famous Fairmont Peace Hotel on the Bund/ Nanjing Road.  

We checked in and were taken to our room. It is really spectacular with every comfort while still preserving the ambience of a 1930s hotel.  

Prior to dinner, we had an aperitif at the famous Peace Hotel Old Jazz Bar, which has been in existence since the opening of the hotel in 1930. 

We had dinner at a local Chinese, jam packed with families eating together. Later we took a walk on the Bund.- a promenade along the river Huangpu. It was thronged with police directing people on and off the promenade. After all 12 million people live in Shanghai! From this side of the river one has s great view across the river st the Pudong area with its famous Shanghai Tower; the tallest in China and second tallest in the world. 121 storeys / 632 metre tall designed by Gensker with a lift designed by Mitsubishi which travels st 40 mph - the world's tallest single lift elevator!! However it is not yet complete and one has to make do with the Oriental Pearl Tower.  

All the way down Nanjing Road were placed policemen and soldiers at 30 metre intervals, who were controlling the pedestrian crossings - no jay walking and they had pedestrians walking from the Bund on one side of the street and those walking towards the Bund on the otherside. 

With so many policemen and soldiers about, I thought there must be a scare as one had been hearing of one in  Bejing over Xmas. However, the hotel told us it was a holiday weekend. The crowds were so great, that it was in everyone's interest that some sort of order be maintained.!! It is said the 600 people die on Chinese roads every week!