Zhujiajiao - the Venice of China

About an hour and a half out of Shanghai depending on which bus you take is the Zhujiajiao which is an ancient water town dating back 1700 years. The town has been referred to the "Venice of China" with 36 bridges crossings the river and various canals that weave throughout the town.
Many of the older buildings date back to the Ming dynasty.
 Today the town contains a large number of art galleries and handcraft shops as well as many restaurants catering towards the tourists. Wandering down the many cobbled paths it is easy to catch a glimpse of everyday life in Zhujiajiao away from the tourists with locals chatting to neighbours while going about their daily business.
 Throughout the town the pungent smell of the stinking tofu can be smelt which is tofu that has been fermented in a brine that contains fish and then deep fried. The smell is like rotten garbage and I preferred to try one on the many stalls selling red pork belly, pork hock as well as the pig's trotters.
 A canal ride on one of the many "gondoliers' was a great way to explore the charm of Zhujiajiao.

View from one on the bridges

The canal

Boats ready to take you up the canal

One of the 36 bridges

Tea House

Tree lined canal

Tree lined canal

One of the 36 bridges

Local Dog

Rooftops

Pork hocks and belly

Shanghai Bird Market

Across the road from the Dongtai Rd Antique Market is a large Bird Market selling everything for the birds that Chinese men like to keep in cages. Most of the birds have the ability to sing and the men take the birds in their cages to the parks to undertake singing competitions.

The market was loud due to the high pitch of the crickets you are able to purchase to feed your birds and also some of the birds were singing.

                                                                             Crickets

Mealworms for purchase

Birds for sale

Grasshoppers to feed the birds

Birds for sale

Birds in the park

Dongtai Antique Market

Close to Shanghai Old Town is Dongtai Rd and several side streets selling antiques and bric- a-brac. Some of what is classified antique is most likely to be reproductions and only those in the know would be able to pick the difference.
The streets are virtually closed to traffic but it doesn't prevent the odd motorbike zipping through the streets. Many of the stall holders have their wares spilling out on the street and even if your not interested in buying the packed displays certainly makes an interesting street to walk down. Again you need to bargain quite hard for the items but I found the sellers to be quite cheerful compared to some of the sellers in the fake markets.

Dongtai Rd

"Antique Clocks"

Calligraphy brushes

Chinese figurines

Bird cages

Biscuit tins

Shanghai's Old Town

In the midst of modern Shanghai there is an area that still retains architecture from the Ming and Qing dynasties. Mainly a tourist precinct now it is a lively area with wonderful old buildings. Most of the old buildings contain souvenir shops and tea houses for the tourists. Nearby are vocal markets that cater for locals rather than the tourists.

The Old Town also contains the Yuyuan gardens built in 1559 to 1577. The gardens contain many rooms that create the illusion of space. The gardens also contain many water features and rock formations. Although plants are minimal the gardens would be spectacular when the cherry trees are flowering. 

On my attempt to get back to a particular street I stumbled upon a local food market and it was interesting to watch locals picking a chicken and then have it killed and feathered in order to take home.

Shanghai Old Town

Huxinting Teahouse

Yuyuan gardens

Yuyuan gardens

Yuyuan gardens

Yuyuan gardens

Shanghai Old Town

Shanghai Old Town

Local market

Street food vendor

Local market

Choose your Chicken

Pudong, Shanghai

The working week was spent on the other side of the Bund which is known at Pudong. Full of modern skyscrapers and crowded subways you could easily think you in New York. The subway was easy to use and yes another city that can get a smart card to work on trains and buses!
Although Shanghai sky is extremely polluted and we managed to see blue sky only once, the streets are very clean and quite colourful with hanging baskets of petunias on lightposts.and numorous street plantings of annuals. Parks and gardens are very manicured and early in the mornings buzzing with people doing Tai Chi and men taking their birds to the park in bamboo cages to enter singing competitions.

Pudong

Year of the Dragon garden sculpture

Petuinas on the lamp posts

 
Century Park

Century Park

Century Park

Century Park

Oriental Pearl TV Tower

View from observation deck at the Oriental Pearl TV Tower

Century Park

Kite seller

Tai Chi in the park

Birds in the park

Shanghai

Arriving at Shanghai airport we decided to take the fast train called the Maglev closer into central Shanghai to save an hour in travel time and not to mention a taxi ride that has you fearing for your life as traffic lights and lanes don't mean anything in Shanghai! The train covers the 30 kms in a little under 8 minutes and can reach speeds of 430 kph. The only time you realise you are going so fast is when the train going in the opposite direction speed pasts your window and causes you to jump out of your seat!

Maglev train

We reached the maximum speed

   

Our hotel was overlooking the Bund which is a large promenade along the Haungpu River. The Bund is very popular with Chinese families who stroll along the Bund and at night many large riverboats conduct dinner cruises.

The Bund has many historical buildings and it is such contrast to the other side of the river which has modern and cutting edge skyscrapers.

As per our normal trips away we walked and walked discovering many side streets that showed Shanghai's past. The main shopping area -Nanjing Road is full of touts trying to get you to buy a copy watch or bag and another scam that is prevalent is young couples asking you to take a picture of them and then asking you where you are from etc. After striking up the conversation the couple then invite you to a tea ceremony that is only held on that day for which you get charged a hefty amount for the tea. We were asked quite a few times and happily took their photos but that was it.

Nanjing Rd 

Historic buildings along the Bund

The Bund 

Historic Buildings along the Bund

The Bund at night

The Bund at night

Army marching along the Bund

Nanjing Rd Shopping District

Kite flyers on the Bund 

Side street of Nanjing Rd

Financial district light show