Shanghai, China: great views, big city

I female student I met on this trip told me: “Shanghai is not the real China.” Maybe like me, she came from the typical small town (in my case, small country) who was in awe at seeing the mega city for the first time. Still, modern Shanghai is an apparent indication of what China will be in the very near future and what it is now… an emerging economic powerhouse of the world.

State of the art architecture greets one upon arriving in the Pudong International Airport, accessible via subway and the super-fast Maglev trains.

As a tourist, I loved being in Shanghai because of its cosmopolitan vibe, its high technology and how everything runs so efficiently – from the very moment you step in the airport till the time you use the subway. Don’t forget to count the lovely February weather and the wide array of food choices (deserving of another post)

One travel tip I can share: savor the breathtaking views of the city. This can be done in many ways. Like in Hong Kong , one can ride the ferry to cross between The Bund (old side) and Pudong (new side). Or make the Shanghai World Financial Center (SWFC) your pit stop.

If you don’t want to pay the $20 or so entrance fee for using their 100th floor observation deck, consider dining at the Park Hyatt Shanghai which occupies the 79th to 93rd floor of SWFC and is the highest hotel in the world. Or enjoy a drink at the hotel’s The Music Bar on the 92nd floor which is the tallest in the world.

Here’s a sampling – daytime view:

Night view –

From the 94th floor Sky Arena of the SWFC, accessible to the public by paying a a fee of $22 or 150 yuan, even the toilet had this view 😀 …..

A public square near our hotel, the Pudong Shangri-La, encircled on all sides by pedestrian escalators…