Shanghai

Shanghai Day 4 (17 May 25): Longhua Temple and City God Temple – From the Oldest to the Guardian Temple

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We initially planned to visit Yuyuan (豫园) in the morning and spend some time strolling along Yuyuan Old Street before visiting People’s Square in the afternoon. The staff at our hotel’s lounge, whom we spoke to last night, highly recommended that we visit Longhua Temple, which is popular amongst the locals. We changed our plan today to prioritise Longhua Temple and leave Yuyuan as an option if we had the time.

Longhua Temple (龙华寺) – The Oldest Temple in Shanghai

As Longhua Temple is slightly further away from our hotel, we made it our first stop of the day. Getting to Longhua Temple is a breeze; we hopped onto the metro Line 2 and changed at Jingsu for Line 11. Longhua Station is well served by both Lines 11 and 12. There are signs in the metro station that point to Longhua Temple (in both English and Chinese). One cannot miss the ancient wooden tower upon emerging from the metro station.

Layout of Longhua Temple

At 1,700 years old, Longhua Temple is the oldest temple in Shanghai and one of the oldest in China. The temple was first built during the Three Kingdoms era in 242 AD and has undergone several rebuilds over the years. Today, the present design of the temple was inherited from the Song Dynasty (960-1279), and Longhua Temple is the largest temple in Shanghai. Entry to Longhua Temple costs RMB 10, which includes a set of three incense sticks for devotees to use during prayers for prosperity and safety. Upon entering the grounds of Longhua Temple, the first thing we saw was the wooden seven-storey Longhua Pagoda. We saw locals walking around the pagoda with unlit incense in their hands. Upon asking, we were told this is a customary procedure when praying in the temple. When in Rome, do what the Romans do. We followed the locals in their prayer procedures. As we walked round the temple, I could catch a glimpse of the interior of the pagoda. The interior of the pagoda appears to retain its original structure, dating back to 977. Other than a set of stairs that lead to the upper level of the pagoda, there seems to be a statue of a man inside the pagoda. We entered the Longhua Temple grounds after doing our three rounds around Longhua Pagoda.

Longhua Temple comprises four main prayer halls, arranged in a straight line along a north-south axis, with several smaller prayer halls situated at the sides of the main halls. Legend has it that it is here the Laughing Buddha attained his Buddhahood. The first prayer hall, the Maitreya Hall (弥勒殿), houses the Maitreya Buddha (also known as the Laughing Buddha) in his manifestation as a monk wearing a cloth bag. The gold-painted Maitreya Buddha, with his signature kind smile, seems to welcome visitors to his temple. The next hall in line after the Maitreya Hall was the Four Heavenly Kings Hall (天王殿). The main Buddha installed in this hall is the Maitreya Buddha in his Buddhahood appearance. This version of the Maitreya Buddha features a calm and kind appearance, a notable departure from the Laughing Buddha image popular in Chinese culture. In addition to the Maitreya Buddha, this hall is also home to the Four Heavenly Kings. The third hall, located behind the Four Heavenly Kings Hall, is the Mahavira Hall (大雄宝殿). This is the main prayer hall in Longhua Temple, where the Buddha, seated on a lotus, and his two disciples, Manjusri Boddhisattva (文殊菩萨) and Samantabhadra (普贤菩萨), are installed at the centre of the prayer hall. The Buddha statues installed in this hall exude a calm and solemn look, as though they are patiently listening to the sorrows of visitors. The Three Sages Hall (三圣殿) is the final hall, the furthest away from the entrance of Longhua Temple. The Buddhas installed here are the Amitabha Buddha (阿弥陀佛), Guanyin Bodhisattva (观音菩萨) and Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva (大势至菩萨). The Buddha statues here had a gentle smile on their faces, as though reassuring visitors that everything will be alright.

After visiting and offering our prayers in the four main halls, we spent the rest of our time at Longhua Temple retracing our footsteps back to the entrance and visiting the side prayer halls. A hall beside the Three Sages Hall had the statue of Thousand Hands Guanyin (千手观音) installed. Instead of having only one statue, there are three statues of the Thousand Hands Guanyin with their backs against each other, which seems to represent seeing all from all directions. In addition to the Guanyin statue, this hall is also adorned with carvings of Bodhisattvas and Gods cast on the walls of the hall. The other hall that I like is the Arhat Hall (罗汉堂). In the centre of the hall is a dark brown wooden statue of Guanyin, with her lifelike merciful appearance. There are an impressive 500 smaller arhats on the walls surrounding the Guanyin statue in the centre. The two side halls between the first and second main hall are the Drum and Bell Towers, where statues of Guangong (关公) and Earth Store Bodhisattva (地藏王菩萨) are installed respectively. After paying respects to all the Buddha and Bodhisattva statues in the prayer halls, we wandered around the grounds of Longhua Temple. We found a huge hall filled with people quietly sitting in rows copying Buddhist sculptures. Copying these sculptures is a Buddhist practice that trains one’s patience and a calm mind. It was a spectacular sight to see so many people sitting quietly in a large hall doing their things calmly. Leaving Longhua Temple after spending 1½ hours here praying and walking around, we headed for lunch in one of the shopping malls nearby.

City God Temple (城隍庙)- Temple of Guardian God

No visit to Shanghai is complete without visiting the City God Temple and Yuyuan Old Street. The City God Temple has been regarded as the guardian temple by the Shanghainese. Entry to City God Temple costs RMB 20. The City God Temple is served by Yu Garden Metro Station on Lines 10 and 14. The City God Temple is compact compared to Longhua Temple. There are three entrances to the City God Temple, the main entrance facing the road, the side entrance that is directly linked to the Yuyuan Old Street shopping arcade and a back entrance at the second prayer hall that serves more like an exit (we are not too sure if this is also used entrance as we did not went up close to explore this area). As we came from the Yuyuan Shopping Arcade, my friend and I used the side entrance. From the side entrance, we immediately arrived at the second and largest courtyard in the City God Temple. This is where the main prayer hall is located, housing one of the two City Gods in this temple. We later learned from one of the staff members that Shanghai has three City Gods, two of which are located in this City God Temple. After offering our prayers, we proceeded to the back of the temple and arrived at the third courtyard. In a relatively small prayer hall, the second City God is housed. At the sides, we found smaller shrines housing Guangong and WenCang (the God of Wisdom).

After offering our prayers, we retraced our footsteps and headed back to the second courtyard to offer our prayers to the gods installed in the side shrines there. The God of Fortune and Guanyin were among the more popular gods in the second courtyard, where we saw more people praying. We headed to the first courtyard after praying and shopped for some charms for my family members. The staff advised us to return to the ceremonial hall located between the two City God halls to have our charms blessed. The cleansing ceremony involves a Taoist priest chanting and sprinkling holy water onto our charms. We had pretty much covered everything in the City God Temple in about 45 minutes.

Yuyuan Old Street (豫园老街)

We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering through the labyrinth of Yuyuan Old Street. I thought this was a great place to dive into the vibrancy of Shanghai, with many locals coming here to spend their weekends wandering through shops to buy souvenirs or to eat from the many food street stalls. As we were here on a weekend, we even spotted some local artists coming here to promote their films and shows. We also saw a traditional Chinese dance performance in one of the many open spaces within the shopping arcade. The main Yuyuan Old Street is essentially a huge shopping arcade, housed in ancient Chinese buildings that feature numerous shops, mainly selling souvenirs and snacks, as well as a small number of gold shops. Yuyuan Old Street is also where the locals come to buy gold, where the gold price is generally lower. Most of the gold shops congregate in the area across the road from the main shopping arcade. Despite being a highly touristy spot, we found that the prices of items on Yuyuan Old Street are generally cheaper than those on East Nanjing Road.

Back to Pudong – Our Attempt to Visit Oriental Pearl Tower

We returned to our hotel to offload some of the stuff we bought from Yuyuan Old Street and headed out across the Huangpu River via the metro to Pudong. Since we had some time before dinner, we wanted to visit the Oriental Pearl Tower, something I had wanted to do 30 years ago when I first visited Shanghai. Back then, the tower had just been completed and had not yet been opened to the public. To get to the Oriental Pearl Tower, we alighted at Lujiazhui Station (since the ferry service had stopped for the day), one stop along Line 2 from East Nanjing Road Station. We emerged from one of the shopping malls and walked the circular overhead pass connected to the mall to arrive at Oriental Pearl Tower. The ticketing booth for the tower is not located on the ground floor of the tower; instead, it is found about 20 m away from the tower. However, by the time we arrived at the tower, admissions had ceased as the tower was closing soon. Other than taking pictures with the tower up close, there was nothing much we could do here.

Dinner Hunting on East Nanjing Road

Since it was way past dinner time, we returned to the Western part of East Nanjing Road (opposite People’s Square Station) to look for dinner. I thought I saw some restaurants on this stretch of the road a few days ago when we walked to this part. We came across a stretch of roadside stalls selling snacks and purchased some tasty lobster dumplings. Most of the restaurants at this hour (it was already approaching 10 pm when we arrived) seem closed. We settled our dinner at a BBQ restaurant in one of the small alleyways; we spotted some restaurants that were still open till late at night. As it was getting late and we had an early flight the next day, we headed back to our hotel on the Bund after dinner. The shops below our hotel were still open, so we bought some street snacks to take back to our room to eat while we packed our luggage for our departure tomorrow morning.

Shanghai Day 3 (16 May 25): From Jing’an District to French Concession

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Shanghai is a large city with 18 districts. Today, we planned to visit the sights a little further away from the Bund where we were staying. As it was raining in the morning, we started our day around noon, after the rain stopped.

Jing’an Temple (静安寺) – The Golden Roof Temple

Our first sight today is Jing’an Temple, the principal temple regarded by the Shanghainese. Jing’an Temple is one of the most expensive temples in China, with a construction cost of RMB 2.8 billion. Jing’an Temple is well served by the Jing’an Temple Station, which is an interchange of Lines 2, 7 and 14. Admission to the temple costs RMB 50. Huge shopping malls and small shops surround the temple, creating a bustling scene. However, as we entered the temple grounds, the bustling of the surroundings faded into peace and tranquillity. The only sound came from visitors tossing coins into the two-storey tall furnace in the centre of the courtyard. The roofs of the temple and the mystical animal adorned on them were gold-plated. The bright yellow walls painted on the temple walls enhance the illusion that the temple is made of gold. After offering our prayers, we proceeded to the main prayer hall, which housed a 15-ton, pure silver Buddha. The Buddha statue sits in the middle of the hall, solemnly blessing those who came to offer their prayers. Behind the silver Buddha statue are three painted wood carvings of Buddha. I find the centre carving more significant as it depicts the birth and attainment of nirvana of Buddha.

There are two towers on the facade of the temple: the left is the Drum Tower and the right is the Bell Tower, both of which are accessible from within the temple. Exiting the main prayer hall from the back, we walked on the second level of the adjacent building and came to the Bell Tower. Legend has it that a well is located beneath the Bell Tower, allegedly linked to the sea, with water sprouting from the well. It was believed that the water brought evil, and the locals built Jing’an Temple to ward off these evils. Both the Bell and Drum Towers are closed to the public these days. As the door to the Bell Tower was left ajar, we were able to peek inside the Bell Tower, where we saw a huge bell (hence the name Bell Tower) hanging over what seemed to be a well. The two towers were linked by a central structure, which was formerly used as the main entrance to Jing’an Temple. It is here that we got a great view of not only the inside of Jing’an Temple, but also the outside. The contrast between tranquillity and bustling is especially pronounced here. A gold-plated Laughing Buddha called the centre building on the second level home, together with the statues of the four heavenly kings, guardians of heaven in Chinese mythology. We felt a sense of happiness by looking at this Buddha. The drum tower occupies the left building (seen from the main road of the temple). Compared to the Bell Tower, the Drum Tower appears dull. Peeking through the windows, we could see the solo drum placed inside.

We headed back to the ground level of the temple and found a 3.8m Burmese white jade Buddha statue in a room along the Drum Tower side of the temple. The Buddha statue exudes a compassionate expression. At first glance, one would think that the robe on the jade Buddha was made of cloth, but this is actually part of the jade used for the statue. There is another hall opposite the Jade Buddha statue, where we find a 6.2m tall statue of Guanyin (the Goddess of Mercy), made from a 1000-year-old camphor wood. The lower level of the former entrance has another statue of Guanyin, installed in front of the now-closed entrance. We spent the rest of our time here at Jing’an Temple, exploring the many rooms open to the public, and discovered a prayer room with three Buddha statues located at the back of the temple. As this is a secluded part of the temple, we were the only ones here offering our prayers to the Buddha statues. Before leaving the temple, we spent some time tossing coins into the large furnace in the middle of the courtyard.

Before heading to our next sight, we had lunch in one of the restaurants nearby Jing’an Temple. We were initially attracted by the pastries and rice dumplings sold at the front of the restaurant. Since it was past lunchtime, we settled in for a meal at this restaurant. We only found out that this restaurant is a Michelin one-star establishment after eating there. With our stomachs filled, we are off to our next sight – the French Concession.

French Concession (法租界)

The French Concession was an area administered by the French Government for almost 100 years. To date, the area is still filled with buildings left behind by the French from yesteryear. We were drawn to this area by the former site of the French Concession Joint Courts (法租界公审会廨旧址), which appears to be the only notable attraction in this vicinity. Little did we know that there were more historical buildings in this area. We took the metro from Jian’an Temple Station to Dapuqiao Station and walked along the streets. Our first impression of the French Concession is that the streets in this area have a rustic charm reminiscent of China in the 50s. The trees planted on both sides of the street reminded us of the Champs-Élysées, which we had visited in Paris. Despite heavy traffic, the streets of the French Concession remained peaceful. Our plan was to visit the former site of the French Concession Joint Courts and then head to Tianzifang. As we were walking along the street, we discovered Tianzifang was just to our right. Since we were already here, we made some last-minute changes and took a detour to Tianzifang.

The streets of the French Concession is lined with trees
Despite the busy traffic, French Concession exudes a sense of calm

Tianzifang (田子坊)

Tianzifang is very well concealed from the outside. Gates surround the area, giving it a residential appearance. We would have missed it if not for the sign hung on the outer gates. Tianzifang is essentially a shopping district comprised of traditional residential buildings that do not conform to any city planning regulations. Walking in Tianzifang gave us the impression that these former residential buildings were built on sites at the will of their former owners. These buildings were not uniform either; we saw different facades of these buildings, some with their bricks exposed, while others were plastered in cement. Some of these buildings even span across the pavement below. It is this irregularity that gave Tianzifang its character and charm. Relinquished of its former role as residential buildings, the buildings in Tianzifang have been repurposed to house boutique shops, souvenir stores, bars and restaurants. Walking in Tianzifang not only felt like strolling through old Shanghai, but it also felt like navigating a maze. Although we are not big shoppers, we still managed to spend an hour browsing through the shops and eventually found a shop selling locally designed T-shirts, which were reasonably priced for their high quality. Generally, we thought the prices in Tianzifang were lower compared to those on East Nanjing Road.

Sinan Open Air Museum (思南露天博物馆）

Leaving Tianzifang, we continued our leisure walk to the former site of the French Concession Joint Courts, which lies across the street. When we arrived at the building, it seemed to be a police station and closed to the public. We did not bother entering the premises or asking if the building was open to the public. Seeing it was getting late, we headed to our final destination for the day – Xintiandi. As we followed the directions on our AMap app (China’s equivalent of Google Maps) towards Xintiandi, we came across some European buildings that were very well-preserved. Unknowingly, we have wandered into the Sinan Open Air Museum. Walking amongst the buildings here felt like we were transported to some small town in Europe; we almost forgot we were in Shanghai. Sinan Open Air Museum does not display relics. Every building, every street lamp, every cobblestone street is a relic that showcases European influence in Shanghai’s history. These buildings were once residential mansions but have been converted into restaurants and cafes. As there were not many people walking in this area, the stroll in the Sinan Open Air Museum felt peaceful.

Xintiandi (新天地）

Leaving Sinan Open Air Museum and 15 minutes walk later, we arrived at Xintiandi. Xintiandi is a relatively small area compared to Tianzifang, primarily comprising restaurants and bars, as well as a handful of shops, housed in stone and brick buildings. As it was dinner time, Xintiandi was especially lively with diners chatting and the clinking of wine glasses. Several large shopping malls occupy the land adjacent to Xintiandi. Filled with luxury boutiques and billboards so bright that they illuminated the street. As there wasn’t much for us to do here, except watch people eating and drinking, we didn’t stay long and headed back to our hotel via the subway.

Night View of the Bund

We returned to the hotel around 8:30 pm, before the lounge in our hotel closed. Our butler had pre-arranged for us to visit the rooftop terrace. The staff at the lounge escorted us to the rooftop terrace, where we were treated to a stunning night view of the Bund and Pudong area. Being located on the Bund, facing the Pudong area, the rooftop terrace of our hotel provided an unobstructed view of the buildings in Pudong, illuminated by neon lights. From the roof terrace, we were also able to catch part of the buildings on the Bund dressed in their orange garb. In contrast to the large crowd below at the Bund, the view up here was peaceful.

After visiting the roof terrace, we headed to the famed Jazz bar in the Peace Hotel. Our butler had made a reservation for us at the bar to watch the world’s oldest band perform. We were privileged to be given front row seats with an unobstructed view of the band performing. As we did not have a good shot of the Bund, we headed out to the promenade after the jazz performance to take some pictures of the Bund. The buildings on the Bund were especially beautiful at night with the orange light cast onto them. The promenade was bustling with life, with visitors taking pictures of the Pudong skyline and street vendors trying to sell their photography services despite being late at night. We returned to our hotel to rest for the night after taking our fair share of pictures.

Shanghai Day 2 (15 May 25): Day Trip to Hangzhou – Heaven on Earth

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There is a Chinese saying: while there is Heaven above, there are Suzhou and Hangzhou on Earth (上有天堂，下有苏杭). This saying compares the scenery of Hangzhou and the gardens in Suzhou to heaven. Since we had some time in Shanghai, we decided to take a day trip to Hangzhou.

From Shanghai to Hangzhou

Hangzhou is approximately 179 km from Shanghai, and the fastest way to travel from Shanghai to Hangzhou is by high-speed train, which takes about 1 hour. Shanghai has two train stations: Shanghai Station and Shanghai Hongqiao Train Station. Although slightly farther from where we stayed, we took the train from Shanghai Hongqiao station as there are more connections between the two cities here. Three train stations serve the city of Hangzhou: Hangzhou Station, HangzhouDong Station, and HangzhouXi Station. Hangzhou Station is in the centre of the city, but connections between Shanghai Hongqiao Station and Hangzhou Station were few. HangzhouXi Station is far from the city, while HangzhouDong Station offers more connections and is closer to the city. Train tickets can be bought at the train station or via Trip.com. We purchased our tickets through the Alipay app, which includes a link to the Trip.com microsite.

Shanghai Hongqiao Train Station is well-connected to Metro Lines 2 and 10, both of which pass through East Nanjing Road Station, where our hotel is located. It took about 50 minutes on the metro from our hotel to the train station. We set out from our hotel at 7:00 a.m. to catch our 8:15 a.m. train, taking into account the transit time between our hotel and the train station, as well as any other potential delays that might occur along the way. Our train to Hangzhou departs from level 2 of the train station. There are marked signs in both Chinese and English throughout the station that guide us to our destination. We were also not required to collect any tickets before boarding our train. Our passport details have been entered into the train ticketing system. We just need to scan our passports at the manned counter to gain access to the platform. The ride on China’s high-speed train was very smooth and comfortable; we were even given a bottle of water and some snacks for the duration of the ride. To get to the city from the HangzhouDong train station, we can take the metro or hail a cab. As we have limited time in Hangzhou, we went for the cab option. Getting a Didi (China’s Uber equivalent) was super easy. Although we didn’t have a local number, we were still able to use Didi through the Alipay app. There are designated areas in the train station for Didi pickups. At the pick-up point, a large display shows the cabs already pulled in, and we just need to look out for the car’s plate number and head to the parking lot.

West Lake (西湖)

Visiting Hangzhou without coming to West Lake is like going to Paris and not visiting the Eiffel Tower. West Lake is the main attraction in Hangzhou, and it is this lake that gives Hangzhou its title of “Heaven on Earth.”

The West Lake upclose

Baochu Pagoda (保俶塔)

The first sight we visited in Hangzhou was Baochu Pagoda, one of the two pagodas in West Lake. Perched on top of a hill, we thought scaling up this pagoda would give us a great view of the entire West Lake. As our Didi ride came to a stop, we were dropped off at a neighbourhood-looking area. It took us 30 minutes to travel from our drop-off point to Baochu Pagoda. The walk to Baochu Pagoda requires a short hike up a small hill through a forested area. Occasionally, we saw groups of elderly people having fun in the open spaces along the path. As we walked along the path with signs pointing to the pagoda, the forest scenery gave way to rocky formations. The pagoda is not far from a pavement that seemed to wedge between narrow rocks.

Past the rocks, we arrived at an open area, where we could see the pagoda sitting in one corner. From here, we were treated to a view of West Lake. We could see the mountains surrounding the lake as though they were protecting it. The view would be better if not for the trees from the forest below, which partially block the view. Nonetheless, we were able to see the Broken Bridge from one of the many viewpoints here. We wasted no time and approached the Baochu Pagoda. The moment we arrived, we were disappointed to find that the slender pagoda was closed to the public, and we were not able to climb to the top of the pagoda. Since we made it up here, we visited a nearby rock and pavilion before heading back down. As we walked down the staircase next to the pagoda, we noticed that this path was an easier climb. This is when we realised that we should have put the Baochu Pagoda car park as the drop-off point.

Broken Bridge (断桥)

Our next stop was the Broken Bridge, about a 10-minute walk from the Baochu Pagoda. We had a brief rest at Starbucks on the southern part of the lake to escape the heat. The weather was rather humid when we did the climb to Baochu Pagoda. After resting briefly, we walked across the road to the Broken Bridge. The Broke Bridge was essentially a series of three sandbars connected by bridges. This place was given the name “Broken Bridge” as these bridges connecting the three sandbars appear to be broken when viewed from a distance during winter due to the snow. The Broken Bridge was the setting in the Chinese folklore “Legend of the White Snake” (白蛇传), centred around the romance between a man and a White Snake Spirit. Walking on the sandbars of the Broken Bridge brought us close to the West Lake; it felt like walking on the lake itself. We could see Baochu Pagoda sitting atop the hill we were on moments ago, as though she was flexing her beauty on the shores of the lake from the Broken Bridge. Locals taking their leisurely walk along the bridge, boats pulling off from the sandbar, paddling on the lake, and occasionally some locals feeding the ducks on the lake are common sights along the sandbar. Walking on the Broken Bridge was mostly relaxing, but we had to avoid the many tourist trams along the way. As our next stop, Leifeng Pagoda, was a distance away from the Broken Bridge, we initially wanted to take the tourist tram (costs RMB 80 per person). We managed to find one where the seats facing the back were empty. Unfortunately, the driver was on his way for his lunch break. We continued our walk towards the end of the sandbar, looking out for the next tram with the last row empty. Soon, we found ourselves at the end of the sandbar. We spotted some buses making a U-turn. We approached a lady who appeared to be a staff member, and she recommended that we take one of these buses to Leifeng Pagoda, which costs only RMB 2 per person.

Leifeng Pagoda (雷峰塔)

The bus ride to Leifeng Pagoda took only 10 mins, saving us time and a lot of walking. To get to Leifeng Pagoda from the Broken Bridge, we rode the bus for eight stops and alighted at Sutinankou (苏提南口). While the Baochu Pagoda was often described as the beauty of West Lake, in contrast, the bulky appearance of the Leifeng Pagoda was often associated with a monk. The entrance to Leifeng Pagoda costs RMB 40 per person. We visited the basement level first, followed by heading to the ground floor and taking a lift up to the top floor of the pagoda, and slowly making our way down the pagoda. The basement of the Leifeng Pagoda exhibits its original structure. Leifeng Pagoda was originally built in 977 AD as a monument to house the hair of Buddha. The pagoda collapsed due to excessive brick theft and nearby construction work. The pagoda we see today was rebuilt and reopened in 2002. Leifeng Pagoda is also the setting of the story in “Legend of the White Snake”, where the white snake spirit was trapped under the pagoda for years until her son released her. From the original structure on display in the basement, I wonder if the locals linked the collapse of the pagoda to the efforts of the white snake’s son in saving his mother. In addition to the original structures, the basement also features the original bricks and some Buddhist relics.

We headed to the ground floor to take one of the lifts to the top of the pagoda. The lift only stops at level 5 of the 7-storey pagoda; visitors must walk up the remaining two levels. As we emerged from the lift on level 5, we were captivated by the golden underdome of the level, but didn’t spend time looking at it. Our goal is to go to the top of the pagoda. At the top of Leifeng Pagoda, we were treated with an unobstructed view of the West Lake. This offers a far better view of the lake compared to the hills where the Baochu Pagoda is located. From here, we can see the Baochu Pagoda, seemingly emerging from the ground like a needle being stuck, as well as the numerous bridges on West Lake and the islets within the lake. Most of the visitors on this level focus on the view of the lake, and we found fewer crowds at the side facing the hills behind the pagoda. Although not as scenic, the hills stretching to the horizon evoke a certain tranquil vibe. It is a pity that today was a hazy day.

On our way up, via the lift, we saw numerous carvings on each level. We were able to take a closer look at them while walking down the pagoda. Each level depicts carvings of different scenes. The most memorable ones are those on the 5th floor and the 1st floor, depicting the birth and enlightenment of the Buddha, and scenes from “Legend of the White Snake”, respectively. These carvings, other than being a work of art, tell a story on their respective levels. The carvings are intricate, and one can spend hours looking at them. I thought the RMB 40 for the Leifeng Pagoda was worth it, as we got a better view of West Lake compared to the hills of Baochu Pagoda.

QingHefang (清河坊)- The Historic Commercial Centre of Hangzhou

It was already 3 pm by the time we were done with Leifeng Pagoda. We spent the remaining 4 hours in Hangzhou shopping on the iconic Hefang Pedestrian Street (河坊街). As we were feeling a little peckish, we hailed our ride using the Didi app in Alipay, which took us to Hefang Street in 20 minutes, instead of taking the bus (which would have taken us 1 hour). Hefang Street, one of the ancient streets in the Qinghefang commercial centre, is an ancient street where the business and political centre was located. Qinghefang comprises three streets: Hefang Street (河坊街), Wushan Square (吴山广场) and Southern Song Imperial Street (南宋御街). Today, these streets still preserve ancient buildings that have been repurposed as shops selling souvenirs to visitors. Walking along Hefang Street is like stepping right into the pages of history. Despite the numerous shops around, we thought the shops sold mostly the same things; it felt like these shops were copied and pasted, with the same order of shops selling the same things repeated over and over as we walked through the street.

We tried to cover every street on Hefang Street and found ourselves in front of an ancient gate building with the Chinese words “Drum Tower” (鼓楼) inscribed on it. This tower was used to mark time and announce important events in the past. Today, visitors can only walk under the Drum Tower to a street filled with restaurants and eateries. We traced our footsteps back to Hefang Street and came to the Southern Song Imperial Street. Compared to Hefang Street, the Southern Song Imperial Street sees less foot traffic and feels more peaceful. This street is shorter than Hefang Street, with mainly art galleries.

We had 1 hour left before our train back to Shanghai departed. Instead of the HangzhouDong Station, we managed to find a train that departs from Hangzhou Station, about a 25-minute walk from Hefang Street. As we still had some time, we chose to walk to the train station. Along the way, we encountered the peaceful and tranquil side of Hefang Street. We arrived at Hangzhou Station in time for our train, which took us back to Shanghai in one hour. We shopped for food below our hotel before returning to our room to rest for the night.

Shanghai Day 1 (14 May 25): Hello Shanghai -Marvelling the sights in Pudong and the Bund

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This is a continuation of our cruise from Shanghai to Fukuoka. We were primarily in Shanghai for the cruise and decided to spend a few more days exploring the city after our cruise trip ended. The last time I was in Shanghai was almost three decades ago, and I thought it was a good time for me to return to the city. Our cruise ship was already docked when we woke up this morning. After having breakfast at one of the restaurants onboard, our Royal Genie (butler) met us at 8.30 am to escort us off the ship, ensuring that our disembarkation was smooth. After meeting the driver that we arranged with our hotel for land transfers within Shanghai, we made our way to the hotel for check-in. The plan today was to take it easy and visit the sites near our hotel.

The Bund

Our hotel is situated on the bank of the Huangpu River on the Bund. The Bund is an iconic stretch of Shanghai, where the old financial centre and activities for the rich and famous are located. Our driver pulled up at the iconic Peace Hotel, where we would call home for the next four nights. At the hotel, we met our butler, Gordon, who gave us a brief orientation of the hotel. Before heading to our room for in-room check-in, Gordon gave us a tour of several suites, including the River View Suite and the Japanese Suite, one of the seven national suites. The highlight of the brief tour was a visit to the Sassoon Suite, the hotel’s Presidential Suite. Perched on the 10th floor, the Sassoon Suite was originally the apartment of Victor Sassoon, the hotel’s original owner. This suite has a vantage point of the Huangpu River and directly faces the Pudong district across the river. Entering this suite, we felt immediately transported back in time to 1920s Shanghai. The suite is very well restored to its original setting. Gordon told us most of the decor we saw in this suite was restored based on the old photos of the suite. We were also told that this suite is the only one with a terrace and that President Obama was a guest in the Sassoon Suite during his visit to Shanghai. After the tour, we were escorted to our room for check-in, where our luggages were already being delivered to the suite.

Our Private Tour of the Iconic Peace Hotel

Fairmont Peace Hotel itself is an attraction on the Bund. Its green roof has been an icon on the Bund since the 1920s. Naturally, many significant events took place at the hotel. With such a rich history, the hotel offers complimentary scheduled historic tours of the hotel and its museum, conducted in both English and Chinese. Gordon organised a private historic tour of the hotel for us. We met up with our guide, Richard – the hotel’s historian, at the reception. Our tour began at the hotel’s museum, one floor above the reception. Richard took us through the exhibits in the small museum, from the famous persons who had stayed in the hotel and the suites they had occupied, to the silverware and menus crafted for specific events, to the important events and meetings hosted at Peace Hotel. Richard then brought our attention to a bill that was dated in the 1930s. Although the amount stated in the bill seems small compared to today’s standards, considering inflation and the cost of living at the time, Richard mentioned that the bill was easily equivalent to a year’s salary for a typical Shanghainese in the 1930s. Of the exhibits, the one that intrigued me the most was a small metallic disc. Richard pointed out this was a metallic vinyl record, which stored music played in the Jazz bar back in the days, and a memento for guests. I jokingly remarked that this was the predecessor of CDs.

After the tour of the museum, we were brought to the octagon hall, where Richard directed our attention to the large dove sitting in the centre of the hall. This dove is made of 1,500 liuli (琉璃) crystal and weighs more than 1,000 kg to symbolise peace. We were drawn to the metallic murals hanging on the walls of the octagon hall, where Richard pointed out that they depicted the old times in Shanghai. Our tour continues through a hallway where a collection of movies and TV shows that were shot in the Peace Hotel. Our tour concludes at the small hall at the end of the corridor. Richard explained that this was the original main entrance of the hotel, but it had been closed permanently due to feng shui reasons. The significant structure in this original entrance was the split stairs, which are one of the original features since the hotel was built. We were shown a picture of Charlie Chaplin on the stairs.

East Nanjing Road – The Ever-Busy Street

After our tour of the hotel, we returned to our room to rest a little. Soon, hunger pangs hit us, and we headed out to the restaurant that Gordon recommended near the hotel for lunch. After lunch, we wanted to purchase a stored-value metro ticket for Shanghai, which would provide convenience when taking the metro around the city. However, the nearest subway station to our hotel does not sell them, and we had to go one station further to People’s Square Station to get them, which is further down East Nanjing Road. Since we had the intention to stroll along East Nanjing Road, we took this opportunity to walk along the street towards People’s Square Station. East Nanjing Road is always crowded with people, regardless of the day of the week. East Nanjing Road is dotted with buildings that were left behind from the World War era, when the city was divided and ruled by different nations. As a result, we see some buildings with a distinctly European architectural style and others with a distinctly Chinese style. Walking along the street feels like walking in history. There are many smaller shops along East Nanjing Road, mainly selling famous Shanghai snacks and souvenirs, as well as eateries and cafes. We also spotted several larger department stores, where most of the luxury brand goods are housed, and fashion boutiques along the road. After getting our transport cards from People’s Square Station, we had the option of taking the metro one stop back to East Nanjing Road Station or walking back. As we were a bit tired after walking, we hopped onto one of the tourist tram rides (RMB 10 each) and saw East Nanjing Road from a different perspective.

Pudong (浦东) District

We wanted to catch the sunset on the Shanghai Tower, so we headed to the Pudong Area, Shanghai’s financial centre. There are two main ways to access the sights in Lujiazui (陆家嘴): by metro or ferry.

Crossing Huangpu River

Instead of going underground, where we would miss the iconic sight of having both the Bund and Pudong area in one frame, we opted for the Shanghai Ferry ride across the Huangpu River to Lujiazui. Jingling East Road Ferry Terminal is the nearest ferry pier to East Nanjing Road. To get to the ferry terminal, we headed for the Bund and walked along the promenade. The ferry terminal is a stone’s throw from a lighthouse-looking tower along the promenade. Crossing the Huangpu River via the ferry costs RMB 2, payable with a Shanghai metro card or Alipay. Shanghai Ferry has been transporting Shanghainese since 1911, over 100 years ago. The ferry was the only means for Shanghainese to reach the Pudong area before the tunnels and bridges were built. Today, the Shanghai Ferry primarily serves sightseeing purposes, and the last ferry service across the river concludes at 6:30 pm. The best view of the Huangpu River from the ferry was from the back of the boat on the upper deck. We saw a beeline of people rushing for the upper deck and did likewise. Fortunately, we were able to secure a great spot at the back of the boat to enjoy the view of Shanghai’s iconic landmarks. As the ferry slowly pulled away from the pier, we were treated to a view of the buildings on the Bund. The view was the best in the middle of the river, where we were able to capture landmarks on the Bund and Pudong in one frame.

Shanghai Three Towers (上海三件套)

The ferry docked at Dongchang Road Ferry Terminal, and we are officially in the Pudong district. The Pudong area used to be farmland, where no one wanted to stay. Fast forward decades later, the Pudong area is one of the highly sought-after areas with skyrocketing property prices. Pudong had been transformed from farmlands to the city’s financial centre. In the centre of the financial centre lies the Shanghai Three Towers (上海三件套). Our original plan was to catch the sunset from the top of the Shanghai Tower and then return to take night shots of the three towers. Since we were walking past, we took the opportunity to take pictures of the iconic three towers. There is a specific spot where locals gather to take pictures of the three towers is the small open area adjacent to Jin Mao Tower. It is even charted on the Chinese equivalent of Google Maps, as Wang Hong da ka jing dian (网红打卡景点), which translates to a social media influencer’s picture-taking spot. One will not miss the spot, as we saw locals placing their phones on the ground, taking pictures of themselves with the three towers. This is the spot where we can capture the tops of all three buildings – Jin Mao Tower, Shanghai Tower, and Shanghai World Financial Centre, all pointing towards each other in one frame. We tried to follow the locals’ lead and took some pictures before dark. After taking our fair share of pictures, we headed to the Shanghai Tower to view the city from high up.

Shanghai Tower – Night View of the Icons at the Top of Shanghai

Several towers in the Pudong area offer a view of the Huangpu River and the Bund. On the one hand, I wanted to visit the Oriental Pearl Tower, as I had seen it for the first time 30 years ago. However, this shorter tower may not provide the best view of the Bund. The other tower is the taller Shanghai Tower, which features the highest observation deck in the country. The Shanghai Tower is approximately 632m tall, making it the third-tallest building in the world. Although it is not the tallest building in the world, the Shanghai Tower’s observation deck, at 546m, is higher than that of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, at 452m. There are two prices for the entrance to the Shanghai Tower. RMB 180 only got us to the observation deck on level 118, while the more expensive RMB 268 ticket includes entrance to the light show on level 126. We bought the more expensive RMB 268 ticket, thinking we would be able to look out into the city at the tower’s highest vantage point. Our first stop was the observation deck at level 118, where a lift sped us up over 500m in under 3 minutes. The view from the observation deck on level 118 was stunning! The limits of Shanghai city seem to stretch beyond the horizon. From here, we were able to see the bend of the Huangpu River and the entire stretch of the Bund, as well as the Oriental Pearl Tower situated next to the river. The view of the city at night was especially beautiful. As we were walking around, we were telling ourselves, “This is just the beginning, the view on level 126 would be better”.

We took another lift up to level 126. Entrance to that level is scheduled at a specific time, probably for crowd control purposes. Our excitement for level 126 turned to disappointment upon arrival at level 126. Instead of the floor-to-ceiling windows we saw on level 118, there were walls enclosing this level. In the centre of the level was a large structure, dubbed the Intelligent Eye of Shanghai. This is the damper of the tower, installed to counter the lateral movement of the tower due to wind or earthquake. Unlike the damper in most buildings, which is typically spherical, the damper on the Shanghai Tower resembles the eye of a dragon. We were urged to spread out for a light show. This is when we realised the timed entrance to this floor is actually for the light show. As beautiful as it might be, we felt a little bored since we weren’t exactly into light shows. The light show lasted about 10 minutes. We felt paying the extra for access to level 126 without the view of the city was not worth the money. Unless one is into light shows, I’d rather spend the additional money on food.

We descended the tower for dinner after the light show. We only managed to find a restaurant at the tower that was still open. After dinner, we returned to the photo spot to take night shots of the Shanghai Three Towers before returning to our hotel via the metro to rest early. We had an early start tomorrow, catching the high-speed train to Hangzhou.