Shanghai
Our last stop in China was Shanghai, the artificial metropolis of the east. We had been to Shanghai before in 2004, so this time we did not linger long. (Click on each image to see the high-resolution version) We stayed near the Yu Garden (豫园), the most well-known Chinese garden in Shanghai. But it is small and crowded.
Yu Garden (豫园), with the still-under-construction Shanghai Tower in the background
Yu Garden (豫园), with the still-under-construction Shanghai Tower in the background
Yu Garden (豫园)
Yu Garden (豫园)
Yu Garden (豫园)
One of the interesting features of the Yu Garden is the Dragon Wall, where a brick dragon statues or carvings adorn the undulating tiled ridges of the wall.
Dragon Wall
Dragon Wall
Dragon Wall
Other intricate carvings and little statues decorate the roofs and walls of the buildings in the garden as well.
Rooftop Statues
The other attraction in town is the City God Temple (城隍庙), where people come to worship local (and ambiguous and confusing) deities.
City God Temple (城隍庙)
Deities in the temple. They are confusing because nominally they are Taoist deities, but there were some local supernatural beings too (now removed), and even Taoism itself is a rather vaguely defined religion. Whatever they are, people worship them all the same (do you really need reasoning to worship anyhow?).
Deities in the City God Temple
Deities in the City God Temple
Deities in the City God Temple
Yu Garden and the Old City Temple are in the heart of the old city, now commercialized.
Shanghai Street Scene
Shanghai Street Scene
We hopped to the famous Bund (外滩) as night approached.
The Bund
Across the Huangpu River (黄浦江), the last tribunary of the mighty Yangze, is the neon-lit Shanghai skyline. On the left is the famous bulbous Oriental Pearl, and on the right the tallest buiding is the Shanghai Tower, still under construction at the time of our visit.
Shanghai Skyline
Shanghai Skyline
I must say Shanghai does have one of the pretties skyline among all the cities of the world. But there is little nature to be found in this artificial metropolis. I may still come back, as it is one of the major hubs for international flights. But I am not sure if I will ever stay for more than one night in this neon desert.
