Sweet Shanghai

Things always seem to come full circle and that was certainly the case in this latest adventure in China.

It seemed like ages ago that we were in a taxi with Professor Rhea headed from the Shanghai Pudong Airport over to Hongqiao Airport to catch our flight to Guiyang and it was decided that the driver would cruise through downtown to show us the Bund.

First glimpse of The Bund

A little taste of Shanghai and a glimpse of what was yet to come, I was hooked and looked forward to our last days in China simply because they involved exploring one of the world's largest cities that I knew was full of art and wonder.

Shanghai's famous skyline 

Lizzy's friend, Melissa, graciously invited us to stay in her apartment and I looked forward to reuniting to rehash our weekend at the Miao Village as well as commiserate with teaching stories as Melissa was an English Teacher at a private school.  

We landed in Shanghai and had no trouble finding a taxi to Melissa's apartment.  It was a beautiful day and Melissa decided we must head to the Shanghai Aquarium and enjoy the sunset at the new Shanghai World Financial Center.

Shanghai Aquarium

The Shanghai Ocean Aquarium is AMAZING.  The highlights included viewing a sawfish and the room full of jellyfish.  And, as a bonus, there were penguins.

Sawfish 

jellyfish

jellyfish

Penguins!

After the aquarium, we walked over to the Shanghai World Financial Center.  With 101 stories at a height of 492 meters (about 1,600 feet), it is no surprise that the Shanghai World Financial Center is one of the tallest buildings in the world.  It's easy to find in the Pudong skyline as its design resembles that of a bottle opener!  Floors 94, 97 and 100 are home to observatories.  Lizzy, Melissa and I purchased tickets for all three and headed up in the most space-agey elevator we've ever been in.  Lights pulsing, electronic music playing, it was quite the experience.  Being at the top was exhilarating. Glass tiles in the floor allowed views straight down to the ground.  Wow.

View from the Shanghai World Financial Center

Shanghai World Financial Center - looks like a bottle opener

Melissa was an awesome host and she showed Lizzy and me her favorite restaurants and brunch spots. We ate killer Thai, Indian and Chinese food, of course :)

Lizzy and I explored The Bund and we even took the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel.  What a crazy experience that was!!!

Lizzy and I posing in front of the flower wall on The Bund

The futuristic sightseeing tunnel

We planned to stay our last night at the Ramada Pudong Airport Shanghai (the same hotel we stayed our first night in China) so we would have the convenience of the hotel's shuttle.  We hauled our luggage out to the street in front of Melissa's apartment and hailed a taxi in no time.  Of course, we did not want to hang out at the hotel ALL day so we took advantage of the Maglev train and sailed on in to the city for one last day in the city.  Maglev stands for magnetic levitation and our particular train reached a maximum speed of 310km/hr (about 192mph)!  Maglev technology moves vehicles with magnets instead of wheels resulting in a smoother ride.  Shanghai's Maglev is one of only two commercial Maglevs in the world.  The other is located in Japan.

Maglev Train

That last day was one of my favorite days of our entire trip.  Per Melissa's recommendation to satisfy my art cravings, I visited the Power Station of Art.

As its name implies, it is a modern art museum in a renovated power station.  

What I love about the Power Station of Art (or PSA) is that it is the first public contemporary art museum in China.  It opened in October of 2012 and not all galleries were full but I was able to view Andy Warhol: 15 Minutes Eternal, the largest Andy Warhol retrospective to ever travel to Asia.

As I wandered through the galleries, I was amazed that most of the pieces were on loan from the The Warhol museum in Pittsburgh.  I could not fathom all of those works being transported across the world.

Ice cube sculpture on the deck at PSA

PSA was arguably the most amazing art spaces I have ever visited.  The expansive galleries were the perfect space for contemporary art and the fifth floor deck was a showcase for a few sculptures, a cafe, and an amazing view of the city.

Our last days in Shanghai were the perfect end to our whirlwind teaching and traveling experience in China.  Thanks for following along with this once in a lifetime opportunity.

Natalie


Travel tips:

• See Shanghai
• Take the Maglev - it runs from the city center to the Pudong Airport
• The Shanghai subway is inexpensive and easy to navigate - cabs took much longer
• Always carry your camera