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| SHANGHAI |
¡¡¡¡Shanghai is known as the Paris of the Orient and the Pearl of China, but those names do not do justice to its cosmopolitan elegance. Shanghai is the most successful combination of the traditional, the technical and the beautiful in Asia, if not the world, today.
¡¡¡¡Shanghai is China¡¯s most prosperous city, and it functions as the country¡¯s economic, financial and cultural center. While Shanghai is not as old as many of China¡¯s other tourist destinations, it is a dynamic port city (it¡¯s name means ¡°by the sea¡±) that has reinvented itself many times through the centuries, boasting an extraordinarily wide variety of architectural styles and designs.
¡¡¡¡Shanghai was once divided into different ¡°concessions,¡± or districts, and these boundaries still divide the metropolis today. Some areas of particular interest include The Bund, which was the British Public Park. This region hearkens back to Shanghai¡¯s days of decadence, when the British Empire held sway and the opium trade was in full swing. The Japanese concession is interesting as well, and boasts many eateries and shops. The French Quarter is a charming and picturesque concession where you can explore Shanghai¡¯s history.
¡¡¡¡Shanghai is constantly modernizing. New construction is ongoing, and visitors who return to the city just a few years after a previous trip will find much that is new. ¡°Fashionable¡± is the word of the day, and museums, galleries, restaurants, bars, towers, bridges, hotels, residential properties, parks, and shopping districts pop up regularly to demonstrate just how very au courant the city is. Many liken the current wealth and optimism to the heydays of the 1920s and ¡¯30s, when Shanghai was at its best.
¡¡¡¡While it may sound overwhelming, let us assure you that you can see a great deal of this marvelous metropolis in one trip. Three days will give you an amazing overview of the town, and at the very least will let you know where you should concentrate your energies on your next visit to the Pearl of the Orient.
¡¡¡¡For the purposes of this trip, plan to stay in the Peace Hotel, which is a unique 5-star hotel offering a fascinating insight into Shanghai's history, and is a charming relic of times and lives that had gone by. It¡¯s located right in the colonial heart of Shanghai and have a glittering history to match its accommodation! The hotel has 380 beautifully furnished rooms, all carefully preserved in their original 1930s style. Some of the rooms have spectacular views over the Huangpu River and all are decorated in their original art deco style.
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| Day One: |
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¡¡¡¡You awake in a luxurious room and have breakfast in the dining hall of the hotel. You can begin to get acquainted with the city with ease and style at the Lujiazui Business Center in the 1 Century Park area on the east bank of the Huangpu River.
¡¡¡¡Start by heading to the 2 Oriental Pearl TV Tower. A television broadcast station may not seem like a tourist destination, but Shanghai is not just any city. The tower consists of eleven separate spheres (or pearls) linked by three enormous columns that stretch an impressive 1,535 feet into the air. A viewing platform located at the 1,148-foot mark provides a gorgeous bird¡¯s-eye view of the whole city on a clear day. Watch the lighting while you are here ¡ª the tower¡¯s illumination scheme is designed to change depending on the weather conditions.
¡¡¡¡While you are in the vicinity, you can also check out the 3 Jinmao Building. Jinmao is an impressive sight in its own right, but it also ranks fourth among the tallest buildings in the world at 88 stories and 1,381 feet. By comparison, Chicago¡¯s Sears Tower ranks third at 110 stories and 1,450 feet. The Jinmao building is more than just a skyscraper. It houses a world class hotel (the Grand Hyatt), restaurants, bars, and offers a grand vista. So at noon, having lunch in the Hyatt while viewing the city is a good choice.
¡¡¡¡The 88th floor has a special observation platform. Those with a fear of heights should think carefully before attempting this ¨C you really are way up there (as multiple ear-pops on your way up the express elevator will attest!).
¡¡¡¡If tall buildings are your thing, be sure to look for the 4 Shanghai World Financial Center, under construction in the same Pudong area and tentatively set to be completed in 2007. Upon completion it will stand more than 1,600 feet tall.
¡¡¡¡Another must-see is the 5 Shanghai Ocean Aquarium, located near the Oriental Pearl TV Tower. This is the newest, best, and largest aquarium in Asia. The exhibits include Antarctic Humboldt penguins, a $6.6 million underwater tunnel, sharks, rays, sea dragons, a coral reef area, and various world ocean-specific areas ¡ª such as Australia, Africa and South America. The aquarium is open daily from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, with extended hours during holidays. For more information, visit the aquarium¡¯s web site at http://www.aquarium.sh.cn/en_index.asp.
¡¡¡¡When you are finished in Pudong, cross the Huangpu River via 6 the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel to access Chen Yi Square. The tunnel crossing is completed in transparent eco-friendly rail cars along a lighted track. As you ride through the tunnel, images are projected on the walls and various screens, lights glow and flash, music and video plays, and you are treated to a infotainment experience that defies description.
¡¡¡¡Upon arrival in 7 Chen Yi Square in The Bund area, you will be greeted by what was once the city¡¯s center of commerce. The term ¡°the Bund¡± comes from an Anglo-Indian term that means ¡°the muddy bank on the water.¡± Buildings in architectural styles ranging from Gothic, Baroque, and Romanesque to Classical, Colonial and Renaissance line the narrow winding streets and alleys, giving the appearance of a somewhat mixed-up fairy tale village. After touring the area, dine at the 8 Westin Shanghai Restaurant, the first five-star international hotel to make its debut in the elegant Bund.
¡¡¡¡From the Bund area, head North and cross the Garden Bridge to find Suzhou Creek (formerly the site of the British Embassy) and an impressive red-roofed colonial edifice that is the Russian Embassy.
¡¡¡¡The international flavor of the region is strong here, and you can find cuisine of various kinds throughout this area. If you linger until evening, you can either enjoy starlight dancing on the water from the terrace of a caf¨¦, or you can meet the waters up-close-and-personal with a cruise. The boats leave from the 9 Cruise Terminal off of Zhongshan No. 1 Road and head East, providing stunning views of the city¡¯s waterfront by night, and then head all the way to the mouth of the Wusong and three layers of city lights. A full evening¡¯s cruise may take as long as three hours, but the succession of stunning views are well worth the time. After that, it¡¯s back to the hotel, because there¡¯s another full day tomorrow.
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