You may as well settle in or come back to this post – it’s gonna be a long one. Consider yourself forewarned!
Probably 80% of the shipboard community traveled overland in China to places like Beijing, Xi’an, and the Great Wall. None of those big trips were an option for our family, so we enjoyed a couple of mellow days sailing to Shanghai from Hong Kong.
Shanghai stands tall as the most developed and modern city in China behind Hong Kong. The population tops the chart at 20 million!! A Jetsons-like cityscape greeted us our first morning, and luckily our cabin faced starboard for a terrific view.
We decided to join the S.A.S. city orientation at the last minute since there were openings and we were able to score a free ticket. It ended up to be a lot of bang for our buck and a fabulous introduction to Shanghai, the most cutting edge metropolis in the People’s Republic of China.
Ying, our 20-something guide, informed us in an engaging and knowledgeable manner on many political and cultural aspects of the city. She joked how the unofficial city bird is the building crane, since construction and development has been nonstop for the past 20 years.
Before we disembarked at our first stop, Ying warned us about the “Hello People”, pesky vendors who swarm tourists, trying to hawk their goods (like watches and little toys) The term she taught us “Bu Yao” (which translates to “I don’t want; no thank you) came in handy – I probably uttered the phrase at least 20 times that first day!
Our first stop was the Old Town Bazaar and Yu Garden, a restored classical Chinese garden. The entire area was ruined during WWII, and rebuilt around 1950. It’s one of the few places remaining in Shanghai with traditional Chinese architecture.
The mother of this adorable baby and I had a friendly interchange, without speaking the same language, about our children (she was fascinated by William!) Crawling with throngs of Chinese tourist groups, the only English we recognized was the Starbucks sign. Incidentally, we saw about six Starbucks throughout our short stays in Hong Kong and Shanghai!
Yu Garden wowed us with its mingling pavilions and corridors, strategically selected and placed rocks, lotus ponds, bridges, and winding paths. Even the irregular stone floor had a purpose: to massage your feet. It’s believed that a 20 minute foot massage a day keeps the doctor away. Hey, sign me up!
The garden was much larger than I expected. Besides the verdant shrubs and trees, “meeting rooms” housed ancient original furniture from the Ching (14th-17th century) and Ming (17th-20th century) dynasties. Jason, Vivian and I are standing next to a 400 year old gingko tree. The kids enjoyed having Kaila and Alex to run around with on this field trip. This was the first time there’d been other young families on the same field trip as us.
Next stop: the Shanghai Museum. It’s the type of museum that requires days to explore, but we surveyed the paintings, jade, furniture, and masks in the allotted hour. Ironically, the museum itself is only 16 years old, but the jade crafts were as old as 4,000 B.C.!
Cruising around Shanghai, Ying pointed out neighborhoods where the communist government has forced residents to move so the apartments could be razed and make room for new development. The government gave the displaced locals new condos. They’re expected to live in their new digs for five years. If they sell it before the five years expire, they’re slapped with a tax. Ying said simply, “They are happier in their new place.”
Just like in Hong Kong, we glimpsed another Nice business!
We ate lunch and dinner at two restaurants that were similar in style (accommodating tourist groups), although the food at lunch tasted more delish. Or maybe it was the novelty of the presentation? About 10 of us gathered around a table topped with an immense Lazy Susan. I likened this Chinese family style meal to a reverse buffet.
A small salad plate, rice bowl, and teacup made up each place setting. Over the span of an hour, the servers placed at least 10 different dishes on the lazy susan (a circular tray that manually rotates.) Mandarin chicken, miso soup, steamed rice with egg, fried corn, fresh vegetables (tomatoes, cucumber, cabbage), spring rolls, barbecue pork, kung pao chicken…I better stop before I make you too hungry! At any given moment, someone at the table would spin the lazy susan to their spot and dish up whatever looked interesting. We all stuffed ourselves and there was still food leftover. What a fun and communal way to share a meal! I think I’ll be looking for a lazy susan at a kitchen shop when I get home…
We visited the Jade Buddha Temple, an active temple with approximately 70 resident monks. Buddhism is the main religion in China, followed by Taoism in the rural areas. Although Ying explained that most Shanghai residents in her generation are atheists: “We believe in the Internet,” she quipped.
The fruit you see on the altar is an offering to Buddha. Bright saffron walls framed the temple’s centerpiece: a 2 meter high jewel-encrusted Buddha carved from a single piece of jade. We weren’t allowed to photograph it, but as you can see I snapped just a few other pics!
After touring the temple, we were treated to a tea tasting, which even the kids enjoyed. Everyone sampled three or four teas and used the helpful guide that described the health benefits for each kind. My favorite tea promotes immunity and energy.
Throughout the eventful orientation we rode on the bus for at least five stints. During this time Ying educated us on contemporary China. Her generation are offspring of the only child law, and as a result of being raised as “little emperors”, they resist doing household chores and taking responsibility. Their parents did everything for these onlies growing up and now (especially in Shanghai) they delay getting married and starting a family. When they do, they live near their parents so they can get help. Nowadays if an only child marries another only child, the government permits them to have two children. But it’s not very common.
Ying also explained that boys are no longer the favored gender. Traditionally, families hoped for a boy for three reasons: 1) The son carried on the family name; 2) The son was obligated to take care of his parents; 3) Sons contributed physical help on the farm. This may still be the case in rural areas, but not in Shanghai and other urban centers. In fact, Ying espoused the benefits of a “Shanghai Husband”, a distinctive breed, uncommon in the rest of China. Shanghai wives expect their husbands to cater to their every need and want. “Not a good match if a Shanghai woman marries a Beijing man,” she chuckled.
Soon night had fallen and the time arrived for the highlight of the tour: the acrobatic performance. The Shanghai acrobats are renowned as the best in China. These talented performers get plucked from rural villages (with parents’ permission) at the age of 5 and come to Shanghai to train for years before jumping in the spotlight. For their first two performance years the acrobats turn over their salary to the company (to pay for their training) but then enjoy a lucrative career. By the age of 25 their worn-out bodies need to retire. What do you think of these spectacular stunts in the photos?
Ying led us into a spacious auditorium with ivory walls and scarlet red seats down to the 4th row. For an hour and a half the acrobats thrilled the audience with gravity-defying feats of balance, strength, and unearthly limberness.
We were all enthralled; the kids kept asking, “How do they do that?!” and I couldn’t help gasping in amazement. It reminded me of a stripped down version of Cirque de Soleil, but with a purist focus on the stunts and no elaborate sets or makeup. Sitting so close allowed us to see the acrobats’ facial expressions and taut muscles. A variety of props, music, and comic relief kept up a swift tempo of the show. We were so entertained – when the 90 minutes came to a close it seemed as if it had just begun.
I just reread this post and that last line strikes close to home. Our voyage is drawing to a close, too, even though it feels like it just began in some ways. Stick with me a little longer – there’s more to come on Shanghai, Taiwan, and Hawaii!
[…] Shanghai: Splendid Sights and Sounds […]
Wow, Jen! How will you ever be able to describe all of these experiences. Good thing you are documenting them. You are such a good writer. I really enjoy all of the details that you share. The pictures are wonderful. Why was the lady so interested in William (besides the obvious…darling, handsome-and those eyes!)?
Love to you all,
Tara
Thanks, Tara! You’ll read in my next post on Shanghai about how we drew a lot of attention. I don’t think they don’t get many American and European tourists.