Shanghai: Part 2

Shanghai: Part 2

The Pearl Tower was even better than I had hoped! I’ve been in quite a few iconic tall buildings now (Space Needle, Eiffel Tower, etc.), but this one is my favorite by far. The view is incredible. We went up there on a ‘sunny’ day in the late afternoon which made it even more beautiful. You could see the Bund below and the city spreading out on all directions. The room was circular, like the Space Needle, and there were arrows pointing to different cities and provinces. I took a picture of the arrow pointing to Chengdu in the Sichuan Province.

Next stop, Chengdu!

Outside Pearl Tower

Glass floor in the Pearl Tower

There was a glass floor on one of the levels, which was super fun to walk on. Surprisingly, I wasn’t scared at all. In fact, I think everyone in the group walked on it. Some people even laid down on the ground and took pictures that looked like they were flying.

Standing on the glass floor

View from Pearl Tower

After spending some time at the top of the tower (and checking out an arcade near the top), we went to the base of the tower to check out the Shanghai Municipal History Museum. I didn’t realize how big it was going to be! It kept going and going and going. It was a pretty fun and interactive museum. It was full of dioramas and replicas of old Shanghai. I took many, many pictures. You could really spend quite a bit of time in there. If you like old cars, architecture,  or your interested in 1920’s Shanghai, you will love this museum. It’s quite entertaining and has something for everyone.

Diorama of old Shanghai

If you ever go to Shanghai and only have a short time to spend there, I would definitely recommend the Pearl Tower. There are some tourist attractions that I’ve been to in other cities that are pretty boring and disappointing, but this was not one of them. You’ll be especially lucky if it’s a beautiful day like it was when we went. The views of the city are incredible. The only thing to watch out for are the marked up prices for food and beverages in and directly around the tower (and the Bund for that matter). Of course, its China-expensive, so it’s still probably way cheaper than anywhere in the US.

Yuyuan Garden, Shanghai

I believe we went to Yu Yuan Garden next (we packed a lot into our short time in Shanghai, so I may be mixing up the exact order of events). If you have ever been to the Lan Su Chinese Garden in Portland, Oregon, I would say that it’s actually pretty similar. Except this one’s not a replica. Its right in the heart of Shanghai in a (touristy, but cool) shopping area. The area looks kind of like China town, haha. It’s a fun place to hang out and eat Coldstone Ice Cream.

The garden itself was very beautiful. The Shangahi program director, You Sha, has been there many times and said she still feels like she hasn’t seen the whole garden. It’s not actually that large, but with lots of winding pathways, fake and real doors, and tiny courtyards, it feels quite large. After being so jetlagged, it was nice to be in such a relaxing place.

Yuyuan Garden, Shanghai

Yuyuan Garden, Shanghai

Yuyuan Garden, Shanghai

Soup Dumplings!

After spending some time in the garden we ate Shanghai Soup Dumplings for lunch. I know I’m not supposed to eat wheat, but I had to make an exception for these. It was worth it. They were so delicious. I think they make them by putting frozen soup inside the dumpling before steaming it. When you bite into it you have to be careful not to get soup all over. It was so delicious, it’s making me hungry just writing about it!

Well, I’ve got to go now. I’m headed to People’s Park to check it out and take lots of pictures! I’ll write more later!

再見! Bye for now!