Port of Shanghai

Port of Shanghai – Huang Po River – drizzly wet day – Shanghai Port

Shanghai and Children’s Palace

Shanghai next on our list and only a few days left on tour. After returning to Guilin from Yangshuo we boarded a flight to Shanghai arriving around 2.30 pm. Bused to our hotel, then a walk to the Children’s Palace, a special school for gifted children who train after school in different arts from a young age. Two of the older students welcomed the group with ‘Waltzing Matilda’ played on accordions. Very well-played and a lovely gesture.

Traditional instrument – Guzeng a type of Zither-Children’s-Palace

Ballerina’s Children’s Palace Shanghai

It was interesting to see the children at work with music, dancing, calligraphy and painting. I found this unusual stringed instrument called a Guzeng quite intriguing. It is a traditional Chinese musical instrument, a type of Zither. It has 16-26 strings with a movable bridge and looks pretty challenging. The class of cute little ‘would be’ ballerinas in their bright pink tutu’s lovely to watch. A pleasant visit and introduction to the bustling metropolis of Shanghai.

Outside looking up – Jin Mao skywalk Tower Shanghai

Jin Mao skywalk

Certainly worth a visit! The Jin Mao Observatory skywalk, a pretty impressive landmark tower in the Lujaizui area of Pudong district of Shanghai. Daylight gone, the Jin Mao Tower towered above us, disappearing into the darkness of night. An 88-story landmark, skywalk observation platform on the 88th floor with a fabulous view of the night lights of Shanghai, and a daytime panorama of the Shanghai skyline. The Jin Mao Skywalk tower stands 420.5 meters (almost 1380 feet) tall and covers an area of 2.3 hectares (5.68 acres).

View Jin Mao tower across Huang Pu River to the Bund

View from Jin Mao skywalk observation tower across Huangpu River to Shanghai Bund

The landmark skywalk has offices and is home to the Shanghai Grand Hyatt hotel. It has a spectacular entrance foyer with a gold 152 m barrel-vaulted atrium, lined with 28 corridors and staircases arrayed in a spiral. You can look down into this from the top, a pretty amazing view. A very fast ride to the Skywalk in a lift that travel at 9.1 m per second and takes only 45 seconds to reach the top! Jin Mao has two of these. The skywalk observation platform will hold over 1000 people at any one time, so no waiting for lifts. I wonder if this speed for lifts has already been surpassed?

Jin-Mao-landmark- skywalk tower-Pudong

I enjoyed the views of the Shanghai harbor even in the rain on a grey day, boats crisscrossing the river in all directions. Shanghai Port sits on the banks of the Huangpu river, near the mouth of the mighty Yangtze.The name Shanghai means “above the sea”. In the late Qing Dynasty, Shanghai Port was one of China’s principal trading ports. The Port of Shanghai is a transport hub and the world’s busiest container port. In today’s world Shanghai is considered a global financial center, much as it was in the 1930’s after the Treaty of Nanking.

Port of Shanghai – boats on the Huangpu River

Entrance Foyer Peace hotel- beautiful Art Deco interior

Shanghai Bund

The Shanghai Bund is also known as Zhongshan Dong Yi road and was the heart of colonial Shanghai. Raining quite heavily now, difficult to see anything on the harbor or surrounds, pity. Took time out and visited the Peace Hotel, built in 1929 by Sir Victor Sassoon of the famous Sassoon family. In the early 20th century the Sassoon family dominated Shanghai business and real estate with business interests in Hong Kong and Calcutta. We had a brief look at the lovely Art Deco interior, Jazz bar, and famous Jazz Room. Unfortunately it was too early for the Old Jazz Band to be in residence. Needed more time to visit here and enjoy when it’s ‘all happening’ at the Jazz Room. The Peace hotel has a green (copper) pyramidal style roof (like a witches hat from a distance), about the center of the photo below.

The Bund in Shanghai on-a-warm summer evening-3 August 2013-Author-Daniel Case

The photo of the Shanghai Bund above, taken in 2013 after major reconfiguration of the traffic flow.The work carried out in three stages, commencing in 2008. In the last stage six lanes of the ten traffic lanes of the Bund diverted to underground tunnels, enabling the widening of the landscape promenade along the waterfront. What a vast improvement that is, making the promenade so attractive and appealing. Just look at the people! Shanghai Bund reopened to the public in 2010.

On the opposite bank to the Shanghai Bund, you can see the Oriental Pearl TV Tower and many skyscrapers that have transformed Pudong (a slum area in the 1920’s) into a spectacular modern skyline. This is where the Jin Mao Skywalk comes into its own with a fabulous view from Pudong over the top of the Oriental Pearl TV Tower and across the river to the Shanghai Bund and surrounding skyline.

Huangpu-River-Pudong-district-Oriental Pearl TV Tower

Statue of Chen Yi – Shanghai Bund

On the Shanghai Bund (near junction with Nanjing East Road) stands an imposing statue of the 1st Mayor of Shanghai, Chen Yi, (1949-1958). In case your curious; Chen was a Chinese communist military commander and politician. After serving as Mayor of Shanghai he was then appointed as the 2nd foreign Minister of China. Chen Yi had a distinguished career and on his death, Mao Zedong (Chairman Mao) attended Chen’s funeral. Interestingly this was Mao’s last public appearance and his first appearance at anyone’s funeral during the Cultural Revolution.

Bronze statue of Mayor-of-Shanghai, Chen Yi,1949-1966

Jin Mao Skywalk

Opening hours: 8.30 am – 10:00pm

Cost: CNY 100

Oriental Pearl TV Tower

Opening Hours: 08.30 am 9.30 pm

Next we are off to Shanghai Old Town, Yu Gardens and Huxinting Teahouse.

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Port of Shanghai – Jin Mao Skywalk