5/22/24: Hiroshima-Shanghai, China: Culture Shock!

After an exciting and fascinating three-week trip through a good chunk of Japan, Steven and I were ready for a new adventure. We'd previously visited China on our first overseas trip together way back in 2013 when we hopped on the Trans-Siberian train that took us through Russia and Mongolia (with several stops along the way!) before reaching Beijing. The capital and a later stop in Xian to see their famous Terracotta Warriors whetted our appetites to return and explore more of the huge nation. Though Steven had previously visited Shanghai and Hong Kong, he was agreeable to including both cities on our return trip as long as we also included a stopover in Tibet to see Potala Palace which had long been on his bucket list. More on the latter places in upcoming posts including our visit to Chengdu but let's start with Shanghai.

I was excited that our flight from Hiroshima landed at Shanghai's Pudong International Airport instead of the Hongqiao one as it meant we could take the Maglev train into the city. Suspended above the track and propelled by magnetism, it left every twenty minutes so we didn't have to wait and took just eight minutes to get into the city. 

Amazingly, the Maglev accelerated to 300km/hr in the first four minutes before immediately decelerating. If we'd been on the train an hour earlier, the maximum speed would have been 410km/hr but it only reaches that higher speed for two hours a day. Don't ask me why, but if you find out, make sure to let me know, too!

I kept one eye glued to the display board noting the time and speed every few seconds and the other on what we could see as we whizzed by! 

In case you're wondering, no, we didn't 'feel' the excessive speed at all as the ride felt extremely smooth and not rocky as I'd expected. 

I couldn't remember ever seeing so many highrise buildings in such a concentrated area before. If I'd been able to count them as we sped by, I wouldn't be surprised if there were a couple of hundred of them. 

If you read my last post, I remarked on the few motorcycles we saw in Japan and also how each car was in pristine condition. However, our first sight of the motorcycles and cars at the airport showed we were no longer in Japan as we spotted many cars that were banged up. I'd read that taxis were not only ubiquitous but also very cheap and that was certainly the case with the one we hired. As the train only stopped at one metro station, it was still an hour-long ride to our hotel in the center of the city. Even so, the cost was under $10. 

Driving in Shanghai wasn't for the faint of heart because of the intense traffic and maze of highways!

On the long taxi ride, we had plenty of time to appreciate the lovely flowers that adorned the planters in the medians!

Just a few blocks from our hotel was the pedestrianized Nanjing Road, not just the biggest shopping street in Shanghai but also one of the world`s busiest shopping streets. We spent a couple of hours that first night window shopping at shops known the world over like Gucci, Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Tiffany & Co., Fendi, Bvlgari, Hermes, Salvatore Ferragamo, as well as enticing Chinese stores. 

Too bad our grandchildren are so young as otherwise they probably would have been able to tell me who these huge cartoon characters were!

Shanghai is known for its great architecture and several of the buildings we passed on Nanjing Road lived up to its reputation. I couldn't wait to explore the city further to see what else awaited us.

Unlike in Japan, we immediately felt a strong police presence in Shanghai with police officers walking up and down the street, on bikes, and in small towers like this one. It was rather unnerving after coming from Japan where police were rarely visible.

The sculpture honored shopping as a family!

A pervasive sight on the massive number of motorcycles in Shanghai were these jackets that presumably helped riders when facing the wind. We were in China for a couple of weeks but I don't remember seeing others any place other than in Shanghai. Was it because of the unique weather conditions there, great marketing, or something else altogether different, I wondered. 

Next post: Exploring Shanghai's Old City including the beautiful Bund at night.

Posted on August 10th, 2024 from our home in Denver's suburb of Littleton. Please make sure to take care of yourself and your loved ones while enjoying summertime weather.