One of the first trips that the USAC group went on was to see the Bund and Pearl Tower. These are both popular tourists sites, which I enjoyed very much. This area was a taken over by foreigners after the Opium Wars, and many western style buildings make up a majority of the architecture. Foreigners who held control of this area mostly consisted of Americans and the English, but France, Italy, Russia, Belgium, Germany, Japan, and the Netherlands were also present. After the Chinese revolution, most of the foreigners left this area, many bronze statues were removed, and the buildings were put to new uses.
I thought this area was quite beautiful and I enjoyed seeing the marine vessels carrying goods on the Huangpu river with the amazing skyline in the background. Fortunately, the Bund was not too crowded, as the weather is not very inviting in January!
The Pearl Tower's main purpose is for broadcasting television and radio programs, but is sought out by tourists due to its amazing observation levels. This tower was once the tallest building in China, until the construction of the Shanghai World Financial Center in 2007. Standing at 1,535 feet, it a site that no one should skip while visiting Shanghai.
Connected to the upper observation level, there is a see through walkway that will give an adrenaline rush to the bravest of individuals. I was hesitant to step out onto the plexiglass, but I knew it was safe when I saw others out there. I could only stand out there for a few minutes, as it was quite cold and nerve-racking!
Below you can see photos I took while visiting the Bund and Pearl Tower, as well as a diagram of the architecture that was built by foreign powers.
呼吸到 Hūxī dào Breath taking
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Nice pictures, Tim. :D
ReplyDeletewhat is the weather like right now, similar to what we have here in Minnesota?
ReplyDelete-Cody
Thanks Tao!
ReplyDelete@Cody-The weather has been in the mid 30s-40s Farenheit (China uses celcius). It feels even colder though, because of the windchill and the moist air!
Hey Tim, this is Chad Kromrey, I was sitting in on your Chinese course while completing my minor. Not sure if you remember me, but Li Xingbo told me to check out your blog and I think this is awesome. Everything you talk about makes me miss being in China a lot and I hope I can travel to Shanghai and Nanjing someday too as i have only been to Beijing and Hong Kong. I hope everything keeps going good. My advice is enjoy your time there as much as possible because you will miss the peoples' kindness and the amazing food after the first week you leave. Trust me the temptation to return never fades away either I cannot wait to make it back there!
ReplyDeleteHave Fun, Good Luck
-Chad