China Chronicles: Shanghai Part 1

Alas, the culmination of anticipation for our biggest vacation yet in Korea has come to pass.  It was a mere five months ago when I had uttered the phrase, "Let's go to China" into Kelly's ears.  The sweet, sweet allure of such an idea, festering in our hearts and minds built up increduously.  We applied a lot of resources and energy into planning for this trip.  Now, like the sweet fondness of childhood memories, China has too passed into memory only to be remembered by pictures that will allow for fabricated memories of the true accounts.

The journey begins July 24th, 2010.  A date that has been circled on the calandar and at the heart of attention since April 5th, 2010 when we finally bought our plane tickets.  We arrive at Incheon Int'l Airport at 8:00 for a 9:30am departure.  Despite a peculiar flight itinerary (a connetion in Taiwain and Hong Kong, ultimately to end up in Shanghai), which will be considered next time we use this particular travel agency, we arrived in Shanghai at a decent hour.

   

Our adventure begins upon immediate arrival of Shanghai.  When leaving an airport to go to an inner-city, there are usually 3 options.  These options include bus, taxi or train.  Shanghai offered all of these options, but there was a 4th dimension to the Shanghai metro system that proved too alluring even for the shallowest of billfolds.  It is called the Maglev.  This train operates on magnetic levitation and can reach speeds of 431 km/h.  These speeds help create very smooth, pleasant trips from the airport to nearly central Shanghai in just 7 minutes (as opposed to about 45 minutes to an hour via subway).

When finally arriving in Shanghai, we hired a taxi to take us to our hotel.  A brief but detail explanation of our hotel is in order, as it has quite a historical footprint in Shanghai and China.  The name of our hotel was called the Astor House Hotel.  Our friends at Lonely Planet recommended it for us, and we decided to spoil ourselves a little bit with this hotel.  We didn't know what we were getting ourselves into until we arrived.

According to the hotel, (which what it says I base as fact because it knows it's own history better than I do) it was constructed in 1846 with its original name as Richard Hotel.  It was the first well known, luxurious hotel run by Western businessmen in China as well as in the Far East and has a long history and proud significance.  The first electric light in China was lit there; the first telephone of China was installed there; the first stock exchange of China was declared open there; Western films were first shown there after they were introduced to China.  There also have been many distinguished guests who have stayed at this particular hotel.  Some include President Grant in 1879 and Albert Einstein in 1922.  This. Place. Was. Awesome.

 

It was a very old, but very nice hotel.  Our room was the executive business suite and we utilized everything we could.  Including mini-bar and terrycloth robes.  What was most appealing to us was its location.  We were right on the Bund with about a 20 step walk to.....

...this view.  The Shanghai skyline boasts of fantastic modern architecture.  There are three towers worth to note here.  On the far left is the Oriental Pearl Tower.  This is a unique tower where a tv and radio station are held.  It is well lit at night and very cool.  To the right of that with the bright,white crown on top is the Jin Mao Tower and the behemoth blue "bottle-opener" behind the Jin Mao Tower is the Shanghai World Financial Tower.  The Shanghai World Financial Tower, up until recently, was the second tallest tower in the world (now third).  It is China's tallest, boasting a ridiculous 492m (1, 614 ft) height.  I mean, this thing is big.  It was recently completed in 2008 so it is a very young tower, as well.

Oriental Pearl Tower (468m: 1,535 ft)

Jin Mao Tower (421m: 1,380ft)

Shanghai World Financial (494.4m: 1,614.2 ft)

Shanghai World Financial and Jin Mao together.

Amongst the behemoths stand other beautiful buildings in the cluster of central Shanghai.

This is a view from the observatory in the Shanghai World Financial Tower.  It cost us $50 USD, but it was worth being in the world's tallest observatory @ over 100 floors up. 

The Jin Mao Tower appeared to have been of equal hight of the Shanghai World Financial from the ground, but it's a much different story looking at the roof of the 7th tallest building in the world.

There is still much more to be said about the remaining nature of the city of Shanghai, including the Western European influence in the early 19th century to today.  This, however, remains for the next posting later this week.  Stay thirsty, my friends.