Story & photos by Henrylito D. Tacio
What do these Hollywood movies have in common: Empire of the Sun, The White Countess, Ultraviolet, Code 46, Fearless, Mission Impossible 3, The Last Tycoon, Looper, Skyfall, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen ?
If you can’t guess, then you either don’t watch Hollywood films or you find geography very boring. All the above motion pictures were filmed partly in Shanghai. The first Hollywood movie shot in Shanghai was aptly titled, Shanghai Express starring Marlene Dietrich (1932). Bruce Lee’s Fist of Fury was also filmed in Shanghai.
With more than 24 million people, Shanghai is not only the most populous city in China, but it is also the world’s most populous city proper. It is also a global financial center and a transport hub with the world’s busiest container port.
I had the opportunity of visiting this city that sits on the south edge of the mouth of Yangtze River along with fellow journalists from Davao City and three media personalities from Manila.
“Shanghai is China’s outstanding tourist city, a well-known city in history and culture, and the financial, trade and shopping center,” the Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration describes the city, which earned the nickname “Paris of the East.”
“City Sightseeing,” “City Culture” and “City Commerce,” are some of the descriptions used to attract people from all over the world to come to Shanghai. “If Beijing is China’s classroom, Shanghai is the playground,” our guide, Yan Xu Dong, told us.
Since we had only two days, we made the best of it. And it was good that our guide had already prepared which places to go in those two short days. In fact, we didn’t check in at the hotel when we arrived. We immediately started our tour. To think, we had traveled all the way from Ningbo City via Hangzhou Bay Bridge by bus for more than two hours.
Our first stopover was the Yu Garden—also known as Yuyuan Garden—an extensive Chinese garden beside the City God Temple. It is already more than 400 years since it was first built in 1559 during the Ming Dynasty as “comfort” of Pan Yunduan for his father, the minister Pan En.
The garden occupies 2 hectares and is divided into six general areas. Each area is separated from the others by “dragon walls” with undulating gray tiled ridges, each terminating in a dragon’s head. But what makes the garden unique is that its design perfectly blends decorative halls, elaborate pavilions, glittering pools, zigzag bridges, pagodas, archways and impressive rockeries.
Despite the warm weather, we still managed to enjoy the sceneries of the garden. Perspired but inspired, we checked in at the Jin Jiang Hotel, a high-rise luxury hotel just a five-minute walk from Huaihai Road shopping district. It used to be a modern British Gotchi style high-rise apartment with metal windows in good order, artificial stone coating outside the windows.
After eating our dinner, we rushed to The Bund in Zhonghan Road, a famous waterfront and regarded as the symbol of Shanghai for hundreds of years. But since it was already dark, we didn’t have the time to tour around the place. Instead, we opted to do the Huangpu River Cruise. When the sun sets, the river is veiled in the glittery neon lights on its banks.
The Huangpu River is touted to the “mother river of Shanghai.” It stretches for 113 kilometers with an average width of 400 meters and a depth of 9 meters. It is also the source of the city’s drinking water—after the water goes through a purification process, of course.
“You have never been to Shanghai if you have not done cruising the Huangpu River,” said our guide, who is better known by his English name, Ryan. “This is our important traditional tourist item.”
Cruise ships come in different sizes, decorations and amenities. Generally, they depart from the Bund, sail to Huangpu Bridge then turn and head toward Wusongkou and return to the Bund. During the cruise, you get a glimpse of the city’s scenic sights on the banks. On the eastern bank, you get to see huge building, such as the Peace Hotel, with its unique pyramid roof in blazing green; and the Customs House, with its large clock tower. On the western bank, you will marvel at the towering buildings, like Jinmao Tower, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower and the Shanghai World Financial Center. And, yes, you get a closer look at the buildings where Mission Impossible 3 was filmed.
After the river cruise, we went to our hotel to take the much-needed rest. If the first day was tiring, the second day was exhausting. We gathered at the hotel’s lobby and then went straight to the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center, a six-story building at the People’s Square.
The centerpiece of the exhibition is a huge scale model of the city, showing all existing and approved buildings. But what really mesmerized us was the small theater room housing a 360-degree screen (yes, you read it right). While watching, you get to feel as if you are moving, walking and even flying.
Our next stopover was not for the faint-hearted: the Shanghai World Financial Center. In 2009, the Guinness Book of World Records singled out its observatory as the highest observation deck. To get to the top, you have to ride an elevator whose speed is 8 meters per second. You have to stop at the 97th floor before proceeding to the skywalk located at the 100th floor.
Spanning 55 meters and located 474 meters above ground, you walk on the transparent glass-floor walkway. You get to feel that Shanghai lies at your feet. At first, I didn’t notice that I was walking in a glass floor. But when someone pointed it out, I immediately shuddered since I have fear of heights. Still, we managed to have some photos taken during our visit there.
From there, we went to the Shanghai French Concession. Developed in 1849 by Charles de Montigny, the French consul to Shanghai, it has retained a distinct character despite redevelopment over the years. Although high-rise buildings line the street, many street front buildings have been preserved.
In Jules Verne’s novel, Tribulations of a Chinaman in China, the French Concession played a big part. It is also mentioned in Adeline Yen Mah’s autobiography, Chinese Cinderella. Likewise, it was highlighted in Lisa See’s novel, Shanghai Girls and Dreams of Joy. Although it was not part of the itinerary, we discovered the site of the building where the First National Congress of Communist Party of China was held. It was said that Mao Zedong, He Shuheng and others, altogether 13 delegates from different places in the country, attended the meeting.
Talking about dining in Shanghai, well, it’s a different story compared to those being served in Beijing. If you like oily and sweet, then Shanghai is your place but if you prefer hot and spicy, then go to Beijing.
The good thing about our tour in Shanghai was they were done during the weekend when the traffic was not horrendous. The hitch, however: too many people queueing in the places we visited.
Should I visit Shanghai again? Sure, I will!
Image credits: Henrylito D. Tacio