by Eloy Lasanta and Zetazot (World of Darkness | World of Darkness: Shanghai | Resources)
The landscape of this vast city spreads far and wide, encompassing everything from historical landmarks, to new business districts, to some of the largest attractions and skyscrapers in the world. In addition, Shanghai has a different educational systems, healthcare and transportation. That and a complete walkthrough of the city will be covered in this chapter.
Area: 6340 sq km (2473 sq mi)
Population: 16.7 million
Country: People's Republic of China
People: Han Chinese
Main Language: River Mandarin
Shanghai experiences an average annual temperature of 58 F (14 C). July is the high for the city at 80 F (27 C), while January has the lowest temperature of 37 F (3 C). The city also receives 45 inches of precipitated rainfall annually, heavy in June and very little in December.
Due to harsh economic reform, there have been many radical changes in Shanghai, and the rest of China, in the past decade. In 1997, the ruling Communist Government pulled all but 10% of its funding from the state owned factories, in an effort to make the industrial units financially self-sufficient by the year 2000. The companies being thrust into this situation, could not sustain the capital and were forced to lay off workers left and right. By 2003, an estimated 45 million workers are unemployed, 30% of them homeless as well. The state refused to give job referrals and rejected any claims for healthcare, which lead to the death of many ex-employees from severe illness.
Shanghai, the capital of industry in China, was hit harder than any other city. Only the most important factories, and those that acquired foreign investors, still have their doors open, while hundreds of empty warehouses and workshops lay desperately vacant and dank on barren streets, dubbed Broken Hearted Streets by the locals.
The gap between rich and poor grows larger every day, as demonstrations, protests and riots by crowds of the unemployed break out on the streets almost daily. Coupled with corrupted officials serving anonymous taxes that go nowhere but to their own bank accounts, it’s no wonder that only 40% of the population lives at or above the standard of living.
The police of the World of Darkness only infrequently fall on the side of justice, and this principle goes double for Shanghai. The law enforcement of the city works on the same basis as other countries, with officers who serve districts (precincts) and the same laws pretty much apply, as China’s Constitution is similar to the US. There are of course a few differences worth noting.
For petty crimes, such as theft, the culprit may be sentenced to publicly confess his crimes before his fellow workers. This public humiliation is normally enough deterrent for future offenses for the honor-bound Shanghainese. Also, there are penitentiaries that some criminals are sent to be reformed, working off their time in the fields or working in factories.
The death sentence, also, is not only reserved for those who commit violent acts, as in the West, but also bribery, corruption or embezzlement. This law is extremely severe on foreigners. And on occasion, death sentences by firing squad are carried out in public or even televised. Certain rebellious cops will openly fire on and kill criminals without the need for a firing squad and, of course, are given only a minor reprimand.
During Mo King Zhenyu’s initial takeover of Shanghai, many factors were taken into consideration. The crime syndicates of the city were a huge one. Someone controlled a large chunk of Shanghai’s vice and had to be taken down. Days later, Zhang Fuwen, supposedly a Resplendent Crane jina, was branded a vile akuma and run out of the city by the Silent Mandarins themselves, who he had cozied so close to in the past. In addition, all of his associates were hunted down and massacred in the name of the Flesh Court.
Many new Tongs, Triads and Yakuza syndicates have moved in, cementing the gaki’s stance in the city and leaving all the lesser Chinese gangs to be controlled by the Flesh Court much easier than before. Now, Yomi has no more control over Shanghai’s gang, leaving the playing field open for just about anything.
Rattlesnake Coffin Triad: Currently the most powerful in Shanghai, this triad was founded on by usurping several of Zhang Fuwen's old territories. Tiger Scar, a merciless Scorpion Eater and demonologist, rules it with an iron fist, dealing in weapons, prostitution, drugs and death, but has no dealing in the slave or immigration trades. This Triad also stands as the only one not controlled, in any way, by the Flesh Court.
Shanghai Green Triad: The past leader of this Triad, Xiao-Wei, was killed by Yakuza assassins. The new leader, Wu Jing-Lian, is a prominent businessman in Shanghai, owning many nightclubs and bars all around the city. The SGT deals primarily in prostitution, but also deals in the slave trade as well. The Hidden Economy has many contacts with this Triad for vessels (see Kuei-jin Chapter).
Wily and Obedient Cat Tong: This is just one of a thousand different Tongs that spread across the Middle Kingdom, yet has its power mostly in the Old City of Shanghai. Because of the ejection of the Blood Circle by Mo King Zhenyu, this Tong has pledged their allegiance to the Flesh Court. Extortion is the game they play, yet they also deal in trivial recreational drugs as well. Their main purpose is being the look outs for the Wan Kuei of Shanghai. They are often, however, too immersed with their own doings as their name implies; they are wily, but how obedient can a cat really be?
Silk Tiger Clan: Yoshida Ozaki left his touch on Shanghai during the wars, establishing many different places of power for the Yakuza. Thin Black Feather, the Bishamon chieftain from Tokyo and Ozaki’s right-hand man, currently leads the Silk Tiger Clan in Shanghai. It deals in immigration, gambling, prostitution, assassination, and weapons, but is much smaller in comparison to other Yakuza locations.
Shanghai International Colleagues Association: This slightly larger Yakuza organization is a constant rival for the Silk Tiger. It was originally founded by the Yamaguchi syndicate during the initial takeover by Japan. has stood tall and proud on Shanghai’s street for decades, never letting the overconfident Chinese push them out. It runs in the same circles as the Silk Tiger, but to a much larger extent, also dealing in Opium and immigration. The organization is run almost entirely by mortals, leaving the Silk Tiger ashamed of being beaten out by them on many occasions. However, due to the recent crackdown on the Yamaguchi satellites of the late 1990s, the Silk Tiger enjoys better relations with their colleagues on the home islands.
For more information on Asian crime, read Killing Streets.
Housing in Shanghai has been a crucial concern to the governing bodies of China since 1949. In the last few years, the population of the city increased by an average of one million people every year and is anticipated to rise again. So certain things are being done to ease the problematic homeless situation.
In 1951, government-financed communal living quarters were built over some of the existing slums of the area. These became slums themselves, albeit well populated ones. But the Chinese executives still insisted that these buildings continue to stand. This decision stuck until 1997, when Shanghai entered the running for selection as the site of the World Expo in 2010.
The slums of Shanghai are not easily moved, however, containing thousands of people in just a few small streets. The government is still intent to continue with their plans of Greening the City, replacing the city’s gutters into leafy, public parks.
Self-sufficient households are collected into suburban neighborhoods, not very different from those in other countries. Those with enough money are also known to live in luxurious hotels instead of costly homes.
Shanghai is a huge, vibrant city full of wonder and amazement. However, many people travel through its borders, too many for every citizen to have a private car. This makes transportation quite a lucrative business opportunity for those looking for work.
Taxi: For those who enjoy the convenience of Taxi rides will feel right at home in Shanghai. The pedestrian crowded areas and often jam packed traffic sets the stage for Taxis and other public transportation. But there are huge differences in the quality of the rides you may get in Shanghai.
Drivers for Da Zhong, the largest taxi company in Shanghai, drive turquoise taxis and are used regularly by the city's wealthy. Da Zhong's drivers are professionals and their cars are always new and thoroughly cleaned. Qiang Sheng Taxi, signified by yellow taxis, occupies the second tier. Just as professional, but not as clean. The light green taxis hail from the Bashi Taxi Company, which provides slightly over average service. The white taxis, from the Jin Jiang taxi company, deliver only average service, but are a favorite for locals and foreigners alike. They are more familiar with the ever-changing area and most often speak English. Blue and red taxis are all small companies who have not found their own colors. They are usually avoided by locals, because of their inexperience and sluggishness.
Subway: If taxis aren’t for you, why not try a ride on the Shanghai Metro? The three subway lines that run through the city are easily charted and effortlessly maneuvered. Even remembering the names of the lines is painless. Line 1 runs north and south, with sixteen stops, through central Puxi (west of the river). Line 2 runs east and west, with fourteen stops, running underneath the Huangpu River and is the only subway that runs from the Pudong to Puxi. The last line, the Pearl Line, runs north and south as well, with nineteen stops, but runs further north than Line 1.
The Docks: Shanghai, using the now heavily polluted Huangpu River as their main transport mechanism, was forced into being a port city by century-old injust foreign treaties, but China has matched the Westerners' ways as well. The city has massive docks which are separated into several wharves and harbors lining the Huangpu and used for every type of import and export imaginable.
Air: Shanghai is served by two airports. Lung-Hua Airport, the older of the two, lies a few miles south of the city and is used mainly for domestic flights. The Hung-Ch'iao International Airport, southwest of Shanghai, is the busiest in China.
There are thousands of small health-care clinics spread throughout Shanghai; most of them associated with factories, schools and government offices. These facilities serve the public, as well as teach fresh medical students both western and eastern styles of medicine, most training to become “Barefoot Doctors”, doctors that are astute when working in rural areas. Then there’s SARS…..
Shanghai functions as the leading city in higher education and scientific research. Fu-tan, Chiao-t'ung, and T’ung-chi are just a few of the numerous universities that Shanghai has to offer, along with many technical and musical colleges. Many factories have also implemented work-study programs, which has been going very well.
A Branch of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China's leading scientific research and development body, is located in Shanghai. Since the late 1970s, extensive research investments have been made in such high technology areas as nuclear energy, computers, laser technology, and satellites.
In the recent decades and the increase of tension throughout the World of Darkness, military training has become mandatory for all Middle School, High School and College students. Everyone must be ready to join if the People's Republic is ever to enter war again. The current political climes suggest that India and Taiwan's days of reckoning is not in the immediate future, but when the political will changes, there is no doubt that a way will be found.
The natives call it Luwan. To the rest of the world that holds onto the shattered, decaying past, it is the French Concession. Once the Concession covered an area extending from the Bund to Xiangyang Road. Today, the area known in the city as the French Concession has become thriving center for the fashionable and hip to hang out. The district is a throw back with its old western buildings. The buildings hold a charm of an era that few remember in modern Shanghai.
The broad streets are lined with trees that hide many of the magnificent facades of the buildings built during the last half of the Nineteenth and the first half of the Twentieth centuries. The buildings reflect their foreign heritage by being in a style more at home in Paris or London than anywhere in the PRC.
The cultural influence that was once exerted by the West can still be seen in some of the landmarks that still survive in this historic district. Long home to the city's radicals and the base of the Chinese Communist party, the district is still very outward looking and cosmopolitan in nature and style.
For those who rather enjoy the nightlife or avoid stale historic sites, the Concession offers some of the trendiest stores in Shanghai and a thriving, yet subdued nightlife. Although they may not be as wild as other clubs in the city, the bars and pubs here offer a quieter environment to relax and exchange ideas. More than one plot was hatched here.
At 7 Xiang Shan Lu still stands the residence of Dr Sun Yat-Sen, who is widely considered to be the father of modern China. Between founding the Kuomintang Republican Party in 1905 and dying in 1928, Yat-Sen sought to replace the Manchurian Qing Dynasty with a democratic government. The large suburban house he once lived in sits in a cul-de-sac and has been faithfully preserved to this day. Many of the doctor's personal belonging have be collected here. During the day visitors may see the house with its original furnishings, books, and other personal belongings.
The very European-looking Xintiandi building? contains the site of the First Congress of the Chinese Communist Party at 76 Xingye. The meeting was held here in secret in July 1921. The small room where the meeting was held is still open to the public to visit. The attendees of the Congress fled the house when a suspected spy of the French authorities visited, and they finished the congress on a pleasure boat on a lake. Little did they know that they would be the founders of the People's Republic of China in just under thirty years.
The Shanghai Conservatory of Music is also located in the Concession in the same compound as the three residences of the famous Soong sisters. These sites form the cultural heart of this famous district.
This has always been the most famous road in the district and is named after a famous French general, Xaifei. The streets around Huaihai road contain a wealth of glorious old houses, villas and alleys. The board streets and Fuxing Park help give the French Concession an almost airy feel in the cramped, Closter phobic city that surrounds it. The park is meeting place for people to relax and unwind from the daily stress in life. Many can be found there practicing Tai Chi or flying kites.
In the city of Shanghai, where you can walk down to your favorite coffee shop one day and the next day it has been turned into a mini-mall, few structures remain constant. While other developing Asian countries show the face of constant construction, Shanghai takes this phenomenon to a new height. The Old City, also called Chinatown or Nanshi, is the only neighborhood that lies fallow. Almost all buildings in the area are small pre-1949 houses.
In 1843, when the British arrived, the Old City was little more than a walled fishing village. It served as the residence to those Chinese who did not work for foreign employers and live on their property. It was also the only area of Shanghai where Chinese law was observed. Although, throughout the years, very little has changed about the area, except that wall has come down (in 1911) and the streets have been widened slightly to attract tourists. Although, their alleyways are still as cramped as ever.
The Old City of Shanghai has a wide array of shops, stores, gardens and temples. These relatively old buildings have been built in the Ming style. You can find all types of items for sale for inexpensive prices.
This garden, with its beautiful pavilions, miniature lakes, bridges and rock formations, is a testament to the creativity of traditional Chinese architecture. Yu Yuan Gardens is the heart of the Old City, first built in 1559, having been destroyed and rebuilt repeatedly until its final restructuring in 1961. Its most recent reincarnation boasts beautifully sculpted walls resembling dragons surrounding the small, quaint architecture. It is one of the most picturesque and specifically Chinese-designed sites that Shanghai still has to offer. The Huxining Teahouse and Yu Yuan Market adjoin the garden.
This store can be found beside the Yu Yuan Gardens and sells numerous kinds of traditional Chinese arts and crafts and souvenirs. The Market sells a huge jumble of items including chopsticks, Chinese medicine, walking sticks, fans, silk umbrellas, bamboo and rattan furniture, goldfish, pottery, plus much more. Also, merged with the Market is a small indoor mall that is air-conditioned and encloses various traditional Chinese restaurants. Several delicacies such as xiao long bao, pigeon egg dumplings and spicy cold noodles can be bought at any of the indoor or outdoor eateries.
Laochenghuangmiao is a major yet relatively inactive, Taoist temple in Shanghai. During the Ming Dynasty, Zhangshouyue, the head of Shanghai County, dedicated a temple to the local city god. Since then, the City God's Temple has been destroyed several times and the current temple was built in 1926. During the resistance against Japanese invasion during World War II, local merchants built a new City God's Temple in the Foreign Concession. The "former" temple is known as the Old City God's Temple. The Old City God's Temple and the enclosed Yu Yuan Gardens are not only famous tourist sites but also popular shopping attractions. There are boutiques, shops selling local specialties, as well as large jewelry stores, department stores and local snack restaurants to be found here.
This district, south of the Old City, deserves special mention as it constitutes 30% of the bad neighborhoods, or slums, in Shanghai. This is the worst part of town to take a long walk, alone at night. This is the headquarters of many gangs, Triads and Tongs that you don’t want to meet in a dark alley.
When the Second World War ended, many Westerners felt the need to leave Shanghai’s International Settlement and return to the security and familiarity of their respective homelands. Those who remained attempted to recreate the Shanghai that existed before the war, but found themselves increasingly at odds with the native Chinese when the International Settlement and eventually the French Concession returned to Chinese control. The hopes for recreating any resemblance of the old Shanghai burst when the Communist took control of the city and force ably evicted any remaining foreign nationals.
What was left was valuable waterfront property, in the form of the Bund, for the locals to restore or remold as they saw fit. It was the first time in nearly a century that the Chinese could completely control the destiny of their city. Buildings ruined or in ill repair from the war were demolished to make room for new structures. The much of the original architecture of the International Settlement survived surrounded by the new Shanghai that was built around it. This is what gives the district its modern character, with its odd combination of the old and new.
A number of banks built at the turn of the twentieth century line the Bund. Giving it a distinctive somber character. The China Merchant’s Bank stands above the rest with an interior of black ironwork lining the second floor galleries and art deco lamp fixtures.
Throughout the International Settlement, the clock tower of the Shanghai Customs House can be heard chiming at the top of every hour since 1925. For ten years it chimed “The East is Red” after 1966, but it has returned to more conventional caps. Although much of the original building is hidden behind newer additions, the original character of the building can often shine through.
One of the major English language newspapers of the time was printed at this site. During the 1990’s, American International Assurance took a 30-year lease on the building that they had once rented a number of floors on during the 1930’s. They immediately began restoring much of the lost splendor of the building while modernizing it.
Sir Ellice Victor Sassoon, a Sephardic Jew, built two of the Bund's most famous hotels, the Palace and the Cathay, in 1906. Back in the day they were magnificent hotels. Sir Sassoon himself lived on the top floor of the Cathay. Its distinctive green roof was a landmark in the district. Sassoon hosted some of Shanghai’s wildest parties in the Cathy’s many ballrooms. Often he would host masquerades with such divergent themes as a shipwreck or the circus. The Cathy and Victor Sassoon’s antics helped create the legend of the Shanghai of the roaring twenties. It was from the rooftops of both of these hotels that the foreign community sat and watched as they drank champagne and gossiped while the Japanese bombed the rest of the city. Although the buildings have aged with time, people can still book rooms and visit the rooftop gardens. Sassoon’s penthouse suite is open to the public as a tourist attraction.
The oldest building on the Bund was once the British Consulate, but today is used by the Shanghai Municipal Government. Oddly enough, access to this public building is still tightly restricted. Across the street is Huangpu Park, once known as British Park. When the British controlled the International Settlement, there were a number of restrictions on who could visit and enter the park. They included prohibitions against Chinese, women, dogs, and casual dress. These rules were all abolished with the coming of the Communists who renamed the park. Today it is open to the public and has a small open market surrounded by Socialist themed statues.
At the beginnings of the Hongkou district is the Waibaidu Bridge or Garden Bridge. It was the first bridge to link the north and central parts of the city when it was built in 1907. This modest iron structure separated the Japanese occupied sections of the city and the International settlement during the early stages of the Second World War. The Japanese required all city residents crossing the bridge to bow to the sentries stationed there. If the guards deemed them to be insufficiently submissive, they would be beaten, prodded with a bayonet, or even thrown off the bridge. Needless to say, many Chinese quickly avoided the bridge and continued to use the traditional ferry system that linked the two halves of the city. The Russian Consulate is the first building past the bridge. The People’s Liberation Army stations guards outside the building and the only ones allowed in are those holding a Russian passport.
Behind the building stands the Puijang Hotel. It was once the Astor House. It was the first luxury hotel in Shanghai when it was built in 1860. Before the building boom of the 1920’s it was the place to stay for the foreign community. The building has deteriorated over time, but the lobby has a collection of old photographs that recall the heyday of the hotel. Wooden pillars and massive crystal chandeliers surround the pictures. The wooden paneled walls are in sharp contrast to many of the marble buildings that dominate the Bund.
The Bund is home to some of the darker corners of Shanghai’s history as well. The Bridge House Prison was home of the Kempeitai, the Japanese Military Police that controlled much of the city during the Japanese occupation of the Second World War. This building stands empty and in disrepair and the local Shanghainese want little to do with the building that holds so many horrific memories. However, it is protected by the Communist government as a historical landmark, leading the public to try and forget it even exists. If you were to ask a local where to find it, many will deny it existence all together, even if it’s right in front of their face.
Although considered part of Shanghai, the Pudong New Area is literally a city unto itself. With its own police, public works, and administrative departments, Pudong is the largest industrial and commercial city in China. Only a hundred years ago, the area was low laying farmland… now it's the largest boomtown in the People's Republic. For the most part this transformation has happened in the last fifteen years. If you are looking for the old China you’d find in a dusty book, Pudong is not the place to be.
The past ten years witnessed explosive economic growth in Pudong as well as an enormous change in the appearance of the district with modern skyscrapers replacing the fields. Pudong New Area has become the landmark of Shanghai as one of the major international economic centers of the 21st century.
This sprawling city hosts over 1.6 million people who work and live within the greater Shanghai municipality. It has also become a new “International Settlement” of sorts for modern Shanghai with the influx of thousands of western investors and their employees. They moved here to take advantage of the Special Economic Zone setup on April 18th, 1990 by the Central Chinese Government to encourage foreign investment in China.
To support this massive influx of visiting foreigners, Pudong now hosts some of the most luxurious hotels in Shanghai. Like much of the district these buildings are modern in their construction and the amenities they offer. Welcome to one of the most wired places in all of Asia.
Pudong is not just a city of just hotels, factories, banks and offices. Shanghai’s premier airport, the Pudong International Airport opened in 1999 and is gradually taking all the flights away from the aging Hong Qiao Airport. In time this will become the “gateway” to the city and the land beyond for most foreigners.
Also as part of the vast economic development lavished on Pudong, the Chinese have also sought to make the district a cultural center. The Shanghai Science and Technology Museum was built in March 2001. The Pudong Area Library can accommodate 12,000 browsers. Construction began in 2001 on the Oriental Art Center. When it is completed the Center will showcase a collection of Asian art that will be the envy of the rest of the world and a concert hall to display the finest musicians in the city.
Sports also play a role in the cultural life of Pudong with the major sports stadium, Yuanshen Sport Center. Shanghai’s children weren’t forgotten with the development of the district. The Pudong New Area Children’s Palace boasts a 600-seat theatre and a massive outdoor playground. It can accommodate over 3,000 children at the same time.
Although little of the rural area that was once Pudong is left, the modern city that has replaced it is a modern showcase of what is to come in the growing nation of China.
The Jade Buddha Temple (Yufo Si) was built during the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty (A.D. 1875-1909) and burned down in the early 20th century. In 1918, Jade Buddha Temple was rebuilt on Anyuan Road in the style of the Sung Dynasty. The temple is composed of several compounds such as the Halls of Heavenly Kings, the Main Hall, the Hall of the Sleeping Buddha and the Hall of the Jade Buddha. There are monks currently living in the Temple and the Temple houses the Shanghai Buddhist Institute. Here many ancient statues, paintings, a complete set of Buddhist scriptures (printed in the Qing Dynasty), and over 7000 other rare scriptures are kept.
Longhua Temple, first built in 242 A.D during the Three Kingdoms Period, is the largest and oldest temple in Shanghai. The temple was destroyed and rebuilt many times. The present temple was built during the reign of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty. The temple still keeps the original features of Chan Buddhist sect of the Sung Dynasty. Buddhist scripture, gold seals and Buddhist statues of Tang, Ming and Qing Dynasty are kept in the temple. The temple is dedicated to the Maitreya Buddha, the Buddha of the Future. In the Hall of Heavenly Kings, stands a statue of Maitreya Buddha's bodhisattva form, while in the Maitreya Hall is a statue of Maitreya Buddha's incarnation known as the "Cloth bag monk". The secondary statues in Longhua Temple are also different from other temples. In other Buddhist temples on the two sides of a hall are either 18 arhats (monks), who preach Buddhism or 20 "guardians of Buddhist Law" (heavenly beings). However, in the Halls of Longhua Temple, the arhats and "law guardians" stand together.
Standing opposite the temple, the Longhua pagoda, according to historic documents, was built as early as the 3rd century. The present pagoda, which is octagonal and seven-storied, was built in the restoration of 977. Built of wood and bricks, this pagoda, with upturned eaves and hanging bells in the corners of the eaves, is the only pagoda in Shanghai city.
The temple is still visited by large numbers of people. At night on every New Years Eve the ceremony of "Striking the Longhua Evening Bell" is conducted here and is well known at home and abroad. Each time, large numbers of people, Chinese as well as foreign, come to listen to the ringing of the temple bell.
Jingan temple is a famous and active Buddhist temple in Shanghai. Temples have been built on this site dating back to the eastern Wu Dynasty in 247 AD. The current temple was rebuilt in the Qing Dynasty. The halls of Jingan Temple are loosely translated as follows: the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Hall of the Three Saints, the Hall of Virtuous Works and the Abbot's Chambers. The Abbot's Chambers include rooms for the chanting of scriptures. As Jingan Temple is a very active temple regular Buddhist prayer chants take place.
After a long history of alternating attention and neglect, Taoists of the White Cloud Temple enlarged the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones, the Hall of Patriarch Lü and the Hall of Patriarch Qiu. The hall is divided into the front and the back parts. The middle line of the front part consists of the Hall of the Thunder Patriarch and the library; the eastern line consists of the guest rooms and the Hall of Patriarch Qiu; the western line consists of the dining room, the Hall of the Big Dipper, etc. The middle line of the back part is the Great Hall of the Three Pristine Ones; the southern is the Jiazi Hall; the northern is Hall of the Four Heavenly Ministers; the eastern is Hall of Salvation from Misery; the western line includes the Hall of Patriarch Lü, the Jade Emperor Pavilion, and the Bells and Drums Pavilion, etc.
During the chaotic years between the end of the Qing dynasty and the Republic of China, the White Cloud Temple fell into disrepair and disorder. After the liberation, the purity of a Taoist temple was restored to the White Cloud Temple. But during the "Cultural Revolution", the temple was once again damaged, and all the scriptures, paintings and calligraphies collected were destroyed. After 1978, the Taoist nature of the White Cloud Temple resumed and all kinds of religious activities were conducted smoothly.
After ten years of unremitting efforts, today's Xujiahui has become Shanghai’s commercial and important public activity center, also one of the areas that reflect the prosperity of Shanghai. In addition, Longhua Tour Town, Hengshan Rd. European Style Leisure Street, Yishan Rd. Construction Material Furniture Street and many community shopping centers as well as chain convenience shops are fast developing and have become important component of the district commerce.
Here gather such famous commercial buildings, such as, Grand Gateway, Oriental Department Store, Pacific Department Store, and Pacific Digital Plaza, which constitute Xujiahui commercial circle. Today's Xujiahui commercial circle is prosperous and full of people, where you can feel the rush of modern commerce. Xujiahui's commercial buildings have both magnificence and delicate fine styles. Modern shopping buildings stand beside each other offering a wide array of products that have attracted thousands of foreign and domestic customers.
With a unique design composed of balls and columns, the tower has become Shanghai's newest landmark and a big magnet for tourists. The designers set eleven beautiful spheres of various sizes up from the green grassland to the blue sky with two giant spheres shining like two rubies. The whole design is rich in poetic and pictorial splendor, which gives the tourist the impression that pearls of various sizes are dropping onto the emerald plate.
The Oriental Pearl Tower consists of three large columns, the space module, the upper sphere, the lower sphere, five small spheres, tower base and the square. The tower is equipped with three-dimensional lighting installation, which makes the whole tower very colorful and beautiful.
The sightseeing floor in the brilliant upper sphere is the best place to get a bird's eye-view of Shanghai. On a clear day one can see the Sheshan, the Chongming Island and the Yangtze River. In the upper sphere, there are also the Revolving Restaurant, the Disco Hall, the Piano Bar and twenty KTV rooms. The Space module, with a height of 350 meters, towers into the sky. Inside of this is set the Sightseeing Floor and a luxurious Conference Hall and Coffee Bar.
In the five spheres is the space hotel with twenty comfortable suites, 140 to 230 meters above the ground. Guests can sit in sofas and enjoy a bird's-eye-view of the city aloft from the bustling life in the streets. Each ball has a suite and three standard rooms on two levels connected by a winding stairway.
The suite has a private lounge overlooking the Huangpu River and a booming Pudong. Three other rooms share two lounges facing the main section of the Bund and the city's old districts. Guest can also rent telescopes to look over the various sights in Shanghai.
The space city is in the lower spheroid of the Oriental Pearl Tower and the science fantasy city is in the base of the tower.
The Oriental Pearl Tower serves various needs in tourism, dining, shopping, entertainment, boarding and broadcasting. It has already become one of the symbolic buildings and tourism resorts in Shanghai and is considered one of the ten best views in Shanghai.
At one time this park was the racecourse and sports arena for Shanghai’s upper class and many Westerners before the Second World War. The racetrack was a den of gamblers and playboys; any decadent vice could be gotten here if the price was right. All of the corruption was hidden under the glamorous green façade of the park. The park was a secluded place to get away from the claustrophobic city life for a select few as much of the park was closed to the general public. During the war, parts of the park were used as haven for refugees. Once the Japanese took the city, the park took a darker turn as it was used as an internment camp. They also used it for public executions. By the end of the Second World War, many people avoided the park.
Called Renmin Guangchang by many at the turn of the twentieth century and even today, it was renamed the People’s Square to reflect that it was newly opened to the entire public when the Communists took over.
The park itself is a green island surrounded by the massive sea of the Shanghai metropolis. Trees and gardens have been planted through out the park in stark contract to the urban jungle that surrounds it. It is further accented with abstract sculptures and Socialist memorials. The Square has been expanded and renovated in the last few decades when many of the aging buildings that once surrounded the park were torn down to make for more space. Today the Square covers over 140,000 square meters in the heart of Shanghai.
Surrounding the Square are some of the most impressive buildings in the city. To the north is the Municipal Government Mansion. The Shanghai Grand Theatre lies in the northwest corner. On the east side is the newly constructed Exhibition Hall for City Planning. It is a massive modern glass shrouded building meant to impress any who see it. Still, the Exhibition Hall pales in comparison to the Shanghai Museum. The Museum is perfectly smooth and symmetrical and was built to resemble a Chinese cooking pot. At night, steam billows out of the museum and reflects off the glass walls of the Grand Theatre in the pageantry of the night-lights of the city.
Even with all these modern structures, some of Shanghai’s old character shines through. In the northwest corner of the square is the odd Bird and Flower Market. The open stall market sells trinkets, plants, fish, and all sorts of birds to those who visit. You can find many hidden wonders in this traditional market.
The Shanghai Museum was redesigned and moved to its current location in the People’s Square in 1995. Inside, the museum houses a comprehensive collection of some of China’s finest relics and artifacts - paintings, bronzes, sculptures, ceramics, calligraphy, jade, imperial furniture, coins, seals and minority art. It is one of the most impressive new buildings in Shanghai and is a huge tourist attraction.
There are lots of ways to get around in Shanghai – bus, taxi, car, bike, but trains have always been the favorite of the modern Chinese. The Shanghai Train Station is the northern most location in Central Shanghai, but is connected to the entire city by the 2 subway lines and train track that run through it. It is a large place, often covered by graffiti.
The Children’s Palace, which was established in 1953, provides after school education for the city’s gifted children. It offers many different extracurricular activities including music, dance, art, model making, science, technology and computer science. The palace also hosts many art performances and science and technology contests, which attracts thousands of youngsters.
Boating along the Huangpu River, one may view a glimpse of the yesterday and today of Shanghai. On one side of the river is the Bund, which is regarded as a landmark as well as the birthplace of Shanghai. With a length of 1 km, the Bund is dotted with various grandiose, solid buildings of western style dating back to the early 20th century. Due to these imposing buildings, the Bund is also reputed as "an international exhibition of architecture". Compared to the west, east of the Bund is a newly developing Shanghai.
Originating in Dianshan Lake in Shanghai, it runs its way for about 114 meters and finally flows into the East China Sea in Wusongkou. With a width of 400 meters, the river is an important transporting waterway.
Now, a 646.7-meter-long sightseeing tunnel, connecting the bund to the Oriental Pearl TV Tower is complete and was opened to the public in October 2000, through which visitors can experience a marvelous trip under water.
The Chinese used to consider Nanjing Lu the busiest street in the world, with its multitude of people, cars and bicycles. But the government closed off a large section to cars, cutting down on some of the chaos. Between Henan Lu and Xizang Lu, it is now a pedestrian walkway, full of shops and restaurants and people-watching opportunities.
