Monthly Archives: August 2021

China, Shanghai, Travel

Yu Garden is the best-known Chinese style place in Shanghai

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People’s impression of Shanghai mostly comes from films, in the neon of metropolis, uninhibited Shanghai evening show, the stylish women who dress in cheongsam walk gracefully out from a nearby alleyway. Shanghai was once chopped up into the concessions of western powers, different cultures coexisted peacefully, to this day, Shanghai old colonial architecture still record that part of history and remain a relic of the old world, Yuyuan Garden is the oldest and the best-known Chinese style place in Shanghai.

Yuyuan Garden was built in the Ming Dynasty, it turned out to be the Pan family private garden. Qianlong reign, the Pan family began to wane, Yuyuan Garden gradually was dilapidated. Nowadays, there are lots of goods in Yuyuan Tourist Mart, here brings together all specialty products in Shanghai, especially snacks.

The City God Temple is a bustling place, where various lively activities such as performances and Lantern Festival take place, naturally, City God Temple, located in Yuyuan Tourist Mart, is a symbol of old Shanghai.

The City God Temple was also built in the Ming Dynasty, it was Yimiao in Shanghai County at that time, the swarming crowds and endless stream of pilgrims. Before the opening of Shanghai to the world, the City God Temple was the only place where the citizens of Shanghai had all kinds of entertainments.

The three-story imitations of Ming-and-Qing-dynasty-style buildings, grey tiles and vermilion handrails, antique —— the famous Green Wave Hall Restaurant is a classic old store in Shanghai, it has played host to many foreign leaders such as Queen Elizabeth of the UK, US President Bush and so on. The Green Wave Hall Restaurant used to be the pavilion in inner garden, the owner Pan family is in decline, the pavilion transfered out one after another, although after several owners, it became a teahouse until the republic of China.

After the opening of Shanghai to the world, the public parks, bars, dance halls and other places in the concessions of western powers became the new places for entertainment. Various shops gradually opened in the City God Temple and Yuyuan Garden area, where evolved into a very popular marketplace. Until now, Yuyuan Garden is still favored by many old Shanghainese and tourists from all over the world, there are many well-known snacks here, such as spiced beans, Pear-syrup candy and so on, small steamed bun has become the most familiar Shanghai labels.

Shanghai Lao City God Temple Snack Square brings together nearly all famous Shanghai snacks —— steamed crab dumplings, Pork-and-Crab Soup Dumplings, Doufu Hua(Bean Curd Jelly), Shanghai Wonton Soup, Shumai(Shao Mai)with Sticky Rice…… here is undoubtedly a paradise for foodies.

The shops are closely connected, every plaque and brick show an ancient smell, the Yuyuan Garden logo Zigzag Bridge, the green waves reflect the red walls, obviously the feeling of old Shanghai.

Yuyuan Garden has always been a busy place in Shanghai, occasionally, there is a peace and quiet nobody’s corner, Yuyuan Garden looks like the Jiangnan landscaped garden.

A hundred years have passed by, Yuyuan Garden has never left the life of Shanghainese, it seems to be quiet outside of time, never changes.

China, Shanghai, Travel

The Centennial Shanghai Old Street, rich Chinese folk customs

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Most tourists to Shanghai will go to Yu Garden to have a look, but in fact, many people do not notice Shanghai Old Street not far from Yu Garden, it used to be the small east gate of Shanghai.

The small east gate in the late Qing Dynasty was the bustling place in Shanghai. At that time, people in Shanghai came to the small east gate to stroll around during every Chinese festival, at the east gate, thousands of black-awning boats were dorked along the river, the boatmen waited for their master to come back with many shopping bags, then he rowed the master home.

Once on this old street gathered the former jewelry store, business house, money shop, wine shop, theatre; walking on this street now, sometimes it is almost as if I can perceive the appearance of Waitan in the past.

Shanghai is a place of great change, once this street faced demolition, later, it is transformed into the Late Qing Period street, the money shops and business houses on the old street have been able to retain complete its original appearance. The teahouses are most easily seen on this street nowadays, many people come here specially to drink tea and chat.

Shanghai Old Street is divided into the eastern segment and the western segment, it is bounded by Guanyi Street, the eastern segment is dominated by the Late Qing Period buildings, the western segment is dominated by the ancient buildings of Ming and Qing dynasties, I see a lot of hundred-years-old stores here. In fact, in Shanghai old street, there are many small alleys, a lot of residents live and work in peace and contentment, they speak regional dialects.

For Shanghai, it is not only Shanghai Old Street that can show the old days, perhaps this old street is just a microcosm of the old Shanghai, I wander in the street looking into the night embraced by the mellow voice of Zhou Xuan coming from the teahouse, time will be slow on the way of reminiscence, the old neighborhoods and small alleys possess the exclusive memories of Shanghai.

China, Shanghai, Travel

Wukang Road, concentrated modern Shanghai 100 years of history

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We walk on Wukang Road in Shanghai, the French plane trees on both sides of the road blot out the sky and cover the sun, old western style villas are numerous.

Wukang Road was originally called Route Ferguson, built in 1907, it can be said that it is a historic road in Shanghai. This is known as a “Celebrity Road” that concentrated one hundred year modern history of Shanghai.

There is no rigid planning on the whole road, each house has its own unique appearance, Spanish style, French Renaissance style, German Baroque style…

There are many restaurants and coffee shops that have been converted from old houses at the roadside, when people are tired with walking, they can sit inside, drink a cup of coffee, and calm down their mood, watching the pedestrians coming and going outside the window, that kind of comfort gives people the sense of being forgotten by time.

The whole road is full of vitality because of the green decoration, the sun continuously through the gap between the leaves of the parasol tree, on the ground is shown on a piece of mottled, which coincides with the roadside old houses, Wukang Road is showing the most beautiful golden years.

Most of houses along the street were built during the colonial period, European-style columns and small terraces can be seen everywhere, the blue bricks and green leaves reflect each other, the white, beige, and gray facades is filled with quietness and elegance, which creat a life attitude of the Shanghai noble persons.

The sunlit small courtyard, the aroma of coffee surrounds us, it is good to sit here in a trance.

A hurrying pedestrian, her colourful clothes fit in with this old building, I feel that Wukang Road is most suitable for walking alone, I look about as I walk along, I occasionally stop for a while, I silently look at the footsteps of hurrying pedestrian, and experience my peace of mind.

The most famous on Wukang Road is Wukang Mansion. Wukang Mansion is like a large ship in the sunset, it is in the shape of a fan along the street corner, the whole building is built of crimson bricks, every household has large lattice windows, the arched doors on the ground floor of the apartment resemble the Colosseum, these elements make people their heart leap up.

Wukang Mansion, formerly known as the Normandie Apartments. It was designed by the Hungarian-Slovak architect László Hudec and completed in 1924, now it has become a street photography holy place for the artistic youth. People flock from all over the world to visit Wukang Mansion. This building is certainly worth visiting, no matter which angle you shot, 360 degrees, with no dead angle, no matter how you shoot it, all good-looking.

Almost every building is hung with a “historical building” nameplate, although people may not all understand the origin of these history, just experiencing the accumulation of years is enough to make people amaze the world change.

Although it is a historical buildings, it is not blindly vacant for viewing. Most of the buildings put aside their condescending manner and assimilate into the Shanghai people’s life, they are within reach, many foreign-style houses and apartments reveal a deep sense of human feelings and fireworks flavour.

A different form of housing are the sections of unique expression, on sunny day, we take a turn on Wukang Road, let the sun shines into the history, let the sun shines into the life.