People, People, Everywhere

Being in a country with 1.3 billion people, the first thing one notices in Shanghai is the sheer number of people. 

9/11. Never forget

Ten Trip Thoughts on China

1. Facebook and Twitter are still blocked in the country, but I noticed some Chinese kids in the hostel lounge accessing Facebook. When I asked them how they did it, they told me to install a sofware to circumvent the Great Firewall of China

2. I was able to tweet using tweet-to-email service but I could get updates from people I follow; with Facebook, I can monitor and reply on my wall activity through email 

3. The last time I was in a really large crowd was in 1995 World Youth Day; being around 500,000 Chinese can be a bit agoraphobic. Maybe because of the sheer number of people, jostling people out of the way seem to be an accepted behavior.

4. I'm guessing that 99.999% of the crowd in the 2010 World Expo is Chinese; I can only see a handful of foreigners loitering in the expo venue

5. It pays to learn a city's subway system. It's a fast, efficient way to travel. Cheap too. 

6. I had reservations going to China because of the Rizal Park incident that happened prior to the trip, but my fear was unfounded. I did not encounter any hostility or discrimination from the Chinese.

7. I am starting to think that I have an "Asian" face, because I get mistaken for a local in almost every city that I visit in Asia, including Shanghai. People would just assume that I speak the language and would still continue talking to me even if I am staring blankly at them, miming that I can't understand a word they are saying.

8. Going up the Pearl Oriental Tower on a Sunday evening is not a good idea. The jostling crowd and the din ruins the experience.

9. I rediscovered the history lessons I took in high school and college during the trip; visiting the French Concession and the Bund district made me remember and appreciate the significance of the "spheres of influence" that Western powers had in the late 19th century over China. Those tidbits of history would have remained as insignificant factoids until you visit a place that puts a "face" on it. 

10. The Expo is like the Miss Universe pageant, only nations "compete" with the looks of their pavilions. The pavilions from other countries may dazzle with their over-the-top architecture, but in the end, a visit to your country's exhibit will remind you why you call it home. 

Hostel Review: Blue Mountain Youth Hostel

On my last trip to Shanghai to see the 2010 Expo, me and my friend chose the Blue Mountain Youth Hostel as our temporary residence in China.

It was in fact my second time to stay in Blue Mountain, the first was last year during the solar eclipse expedition. The hostel is located in Qu Xi road, which intersects Lu Ban road. COnveniently enough, the Lu Ban subway station (Line 4) is just across the road from the hostel. It also turned out that the site of the Expo is just about 10 minutes away. The free shuttle bus stops at the corner of Qu Xi and Lu Ban, which ferries tourists to Gate 1 of the Puxi site (Puxi is where the corporate pavilions are, the country pavilions are across the river, at the Pudong site).

I actually like the vibe of the hostel. The concierge desk is very welcoming, with helpful staff who can give you directions to the sites and what-not. The common room is right next to the concierge, where the guests can hang out and trade stories with other travelers. There is a snooker table, a TV and DVD player plus several stations for free Internet access (there is free WiFi as well). There's a ref filled with beverages that you can buy (a bottle of Tsingtao is 5 RMB), and you can also order food as well (lunch would set you back about 30 RMB).

Blue Mountain has several options: you can get the 4-person or 6-person dorm type rooms or you may opt for the double ensuite rooms. The bathrooms for the dorm dwellers are shared. For the ensuite (where we stayed) they provide you with basic toiletries, plus towels that they change every day. The room is air-conditioned and there's a TV as well (alas, all Chinese channels). The rooms are cleaned everyday, and the sheets changed daily as well.

Useful info: Twin private ensuite costs about $30 a day (each, for 2 guests), while a 6-bed mixed dorm would cost $17/day. The hostel is located at 2F Building No. 1, 1072 QuXi Lu. You may take the Line 4 subway and get off at Lu Ban station.

pics, from above: the common room; one of the private ensuite room; Internet access stations; outside the hostel at QuXi Lu

The Bund

The Bund is a section along the Huangpo district in Shanghai, previously a British, then American, settlement, given as concessions to foreign powers during the 19th century. It is now home to several banks, malls and several historical buildings. Among the interesting buildings I've seen are the site of the International Opium Commission, the Peace Hotel, and the HSBC building.

How to Get there:

The Bund is opposite the Pudong district, so from Pudong it may be reach via the sight-seeing tunnel. If by subway, take Line 2 then get off at East Nanjing Road station.

Lupu Bridge

Lupu Bridge is the second longest arch bridge in the world. The bridge, which spans the Huangpo River in Shanghai, is 3,900 meters in length, including the 550-meter span over the river. It links the Luwan district with Pudong area.

Visitors can climb up the arch - 367 steps and 100 meters above Huangpo River - for 68 RMB.


pics, from top: Lupu Bridge at night, as seen from the Swiss pavilion in the Expo; the bridge as seen from the banks of Huangpo River 

Riding the Maglev

One exciting experience when going to Shanghai is the chance to ride the Shanghai Transrapid - the first commercial high speed (magnetic levitation) rail line in the world.  

The line connects Pudong International Airport to downtown Shanghai (at Longyang Station, Line 2). With a top speed of 431 kph, it can whisk passengers the 31km distance to and from the airport in 7 minutes, although I only noticed that it topped at 301 kph.

Fare is 50 RMB for the economy class, 40RMB if the passenger has an airline ticket; VIP passes would cost 100RMB. The service is open until 9:40 pm, and trains leave every 15 minutes (20 minutes after 7pm)

pics, from above: the maglev train arriving at Longyang Station; inside the cabin; the highest speed the train reached during the 7-minute trip

Oriental Pearl Tower

Keeping with my tradition of visiting the notable skyscrapers and towers of cities that I visit, I did not pass up the chance to go up Shanghai's iconic Oriental Pearl Tower. The 468-meter tower is located at the Pudong district, near the banks of Huangpo River.

Since we only paid the 100 RMB entrance we were only able to climb up to the 263m level. The observation deck, located in one of the spheres, affords a 360-degree view of Shanghai. The view deck has a part with glass floors that gives vertigo-inducing experience.

Useful Info: Entrance fee is 100 RMB, 280 RMB if you want with a meal at the revolving restaurant at the 267m level. You may want to avoid going up the tower during weekends, as the number of visitors will ruin the experience.

Performing Cities

Performing Cities is the theme for the Philippine Pavilion at the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai. Accented by a montage of hands - emphasize the "human dimension" in urbanization, the pavilion is draped with white diamond-shaped tiles that glow at night.

Inside the pavilion has a fiesta atmosphere, with a menagerie of exhibits, artworks, performances, videos and booths that celebrate the Filipino culture and urbanity.

A restaurant called Travel Cafe Philippine awaits hungry visitors, and booths around the pavilion sells Philippine-made souvenirs such as pearl jewelry, Ninoy shirts, compact discs of Philippine musicians, and handicrafts. 

2010 World Expo National Pavilions

The national pavilions of different countries in 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, China

Better City, Better Life

I flew to Shanghai last Friday to see the 2010 World Expo, despite some initial misgivings after that unfortunate incident in Manila last week that caused some consternation in China and HK.

The Expo, also know as the World's Fair, is being held at two sites straddling Huang Po river, the site itself bisected by the mighty Lupu Bridge. It features national pavilions, which presents an opportunity to advertise the beauty culture and technology of each individual participating country.

After being advised that day sessions are mostly packed with visitors (500 thousand visitors throng the site every day), I decided to visit in the evening. Entering the Expo site from the Puxi site, which holds the corporate exhibitors, I took the ferry across the river to the Pudong site. I then visited various pavilions along the way: Australia, Belarus, Switzerland, New Zealand and the Philippines. Some pavilions, especially the large ones, have long lines snaking from them, and it would take 2-3 hours to get through, so I skipped those.

The China pavilion is quite impressive, but I did not get inside too, as it needs a special ticket, and only 50,000 are given every day, at 9 am in some location in the city. I contented myself gawking over it from a distance.

Other national pavilions that I find impressive include Great Britain (called the Seed Cathedral for resembling a dandelion), Spain, Latvia and Thailand. Some have great facade but are disappointing inside, like Switzerland (nothing to see but TV screens with people talking on them). Of course my favorite is the Philippines, for its joie de vivre. I will cover this in a separate blog post.

Useful Info:

website: http://en.expo2010.cn/. The expo runs from May 1-Nov 1. Single day admission costs 100 RMB, and night sessions cost 90 RMB.

It would take more than a day to visit all the pavilions, as the site is very large (5.2 square kilometers), and very crowded in some areas, so it would help to plan the pavilions you want to visit.


pics, from above: pavilions of China, Spain, Great Britain, Serbia, and the Philippines