Experiencing The Beauty of Both Old and New in Shanghai

On our fourth day of traveling across Asia, we were scheduled to depart for Shanghai. Our flight was scheduled early in the morning, so we had to check out at five AM. By six in the morning, we were already checking in for our flight at Taipei Songshan airport. The trip was really short, so by nine, we were already in Shanghai. We first checked in at the Fraser Residence, ate our breakfast and alloted the day for us to rest.

Since we were in Shanghai, we couldn’t afford to miss going to the most prominent Starbucks place in the world, the second biggest one! So 6 in the evening, we found ourselves heading to the Starbucks Roastery Reserve.

The 30,000-square-foot Reserve Roastery is considered to be Starbucks’ global flagship. Opened in December 2017, the space houses two high-ceiling floors of gifts, activities, food, beverage, and attractions, all seemingly engineered for social media. The location’s opening marked the birth of Starbucks’ ever-expanding “Reserve Roastery” concept, with one in Seattle, the company’s headquarters, opening in early 2018.

For our second day, we went to see the French Concession. It was the first place we saw that housed Shanghai’s most beautiful architectures. Of course, we took lots of pictures in this place before we explored Tianzifang. Tianzifang is an area which combines the culture of China and the modernity present today. It’s pretty exciting to see the marriage of old and new cultures. I think that this road symbolized the people of China – there’s still the influence of their ancient tradition, but they are going with the flow of advancements.

For our third day in Shanghai, we went to the Waibaidu Bridge and explored The Bund till evening since we heard that it’s also a sight we can’t miss. Unfortunately, we visited Shanghai at a wrong time. Our third day in China was enjoyable but for the succeeding days, the whole city was packed with locals and tourists alike! We did not know that it was a holiday for the Chinese. The city was filled with people because Chinese from the provinces flock to Shanghai during these times.

Of course, what will our trip be without including Disneyland? For our third day in Shanghai, we went to the theme park to take our kids for some fun!

On our last full day, we went to Yu Garden to buy some souvenirs in the bazaars.

Yu Garden or Yuyuan Garden (simplified Chinese) is an extensive Chinese garden located beside the City God Temple in the northeast of the Old City of Shanghai at Huangpu Qu, Shanghai Shi. It abuts the Yuyuan Tourist Mart, the Huxinting Teahouse and the Yu Garden Bazaar.

The garden is accessible from the Shanghai Metro’s Line 10 Yuyuan Garden Station.

After buying souvenirs, we had lunch at Yang’s Fry Dumpling at M2 Mall. They have the best Jheng Jian Bao in Shanghai! This chain restaurant offers several different fillings. Pork is the standard, but shrimp is also a local favorite.

Shanghai is a modern and cosmopolitan version of China. It is clean, fast-paced and diverse. Shanghai developed into a center for trade and investment and expanded into a thriving metropolis.

According to a recent national survey, Shanghai is regarded as the most international place in the nation, followed by Beijing, Hong Kong and Macau. As a key economic center, Shanghai is heavily favored by young people.

Shanghai is an exhilarating Chinese city that offers an ancient and futuristic mix of East and West. To fully appreciate the beauty Shanghai offers, I recommend visiting the tourist spots on weekdays. Avoid Shanghai during public holidays and every single Chinese holiday as the city is packed with tourists.