Besides the crowds and the constant bombardment of aggressive street vendors, the Bund during the day is a relaxing experience. The river just makes you feel good, and the sillouette of the skyscrapers against the horizon is stunning.
There are considerably more skyscrapers that are not visible. Shanghai is notoriously hazy, and that day was no exception.
The modern skyscrapers of the Pudong side are complimented by the early-20th century architecture on the Bund side (one such building pictured below).
The Bund at night - all I could think of was "Who would of thought that the epitome of capitalism would eventually be in Red China?" The scenic sights of the Bund are branded with countless corporate logos, and they are most apparent when the sun goes down.
The prettiest time was at 6am, and it was a sight I would have probably slept through had I not needed to rush back to Hangzhou by the late morning.
Nanjing Road
Nanjing Road is occasionally referred to as the "Times Square" of Shanghai (but I still think Manhattan wins out on that comparison). Thousands of lights and people. Seeing the hundreds of Pepsi signs above the street lamps, I again couldn't help thinking that Shanghai has become capitalism's poster child.
Pudong (Across from the Bund)
This is the newest part of Shanghai (I am told) and regrettably we did not have much time to explore. The ferry ride back to the Bund was fun though.
It was a very hazy day, so Iwona and I opted not to go to the observation deck of the Pearl Tower. Michael, who lived in Shanghai a few years ago, took the pictures on a relatively clear day. I include them here to give you a better sense of the size of Shanghai.
"French Town"
It was the first time Lonely Planet let us down. When the cab driver dropped us off, we struggled to find any French connection anywhere. Sure, there were a lot of ritzy European clothing stores on the main drag a block away, but we had expected more distinguishing architecture. (While we did begin to notice the balconies, the townhouses had been quite "chinese-ified" and the connection was not very obvious.) However, the trip was redeemed when a certain shop was discovered (pictured below).
Yuyuan Gardens Area
The Gardens themselves illuded us - we walked all through the shopping and scenic areas without realizing how close we actually were. When we finally realized where the entrance to the Gardens was, it was time for me to head back. But regardless, it was a great place, and we enjoyed just soaking it in.
