Shanghai

Today we set off on a tour around China. I'll be giving talks at 7 universities, and we will also be seeing some of the famous sights of China. The first destination is Shanghai, where I am visiting
the East China Normal University.

Shanghai is a very modern city striving to outdo even Hong Kong in the intensity of skyscrapers. The first activity my host and his son took us on was a ride on the Shanghai Maglev train, perhaps the most spectacular transportation system in the world. This is a train that rides not on wheels but on a magnetic field, and reaches a speed of 430 km per hour on it's brief (7 minute) trip to the Pudong Shanghai airport. You don't really get a sense of the speed until the train in the opposite direction goes by, which happens in a brief flash that you only notice in retrospect.


Maglev Track


Maglev Train


Speed
There are more traditional style areas as well, although at least the ones we visited today have the "Old Town" feel of renovated or reconstructed buildings for tourist consumption. This is an artificial "money tree" where, for 5 yuan, you can purchase a
charm for future riches.


Money Tree


Yuyuan Bazaar


Shanghai Food Store
We had dinner in this restaurant, which boasts over 500 dishes. These are snack type dishes, each costing 5-15 yuan. You go around and pick what you want from the counters, and the amount is taken off a debit card you purchase. The sign in the window is probably better translated as "Spreading Chinese Food Culture"!


Yuyuan Bazaar at Night
The area along the river on the old city side is called the Bund, and is a promenade for viewing the spectacular skyline of the new city on the other side of the river, especially at night. The building-with-balls is the Oriental Pearl Building, the tallest building in Asia and 3rd tallest in the world.


Night Skyline
We finished the sight seeing day with a river cruise, to view both old and new cities ablaze with lights.


Old City from the River