Shanghai is another world compared to Beijing and almost another culture. There are no Hutong’s and almost nowhere will give you a sense of traditional China. Shanghai is a major city and finical capital and it shows. But it does have its own charms.
I was in Shanghai for a over week and tried to explore as much of the city as possible. I did not find the things that I loved about Beijing here in Shanghai. It was almost like visiting another country or the difference between New York City and Williamsburg Virginia. Shanghai has what feels like no history and no traditional culture. It’s a major city and it feels like major city. Don’t get me wrong though, I still liked the city very much. I just want to make it clear how different and modern the city is.
While in Shanghai I soaked up the luxuries that come with major cities. I visited shopping malls, and fancy food courts. I visited the major gardens and tourist spots and then I lived the city a little bit. What I mean by that is after all the need to see stuff was done I took my time and just relaxed in one spot for a little while. I visited the grocery store and bought food, I ate at a few of the places near my hostel daily, and felt like I was becoming part of the town. The people in the shops started to recognize me and most probably assumed I moved into the area. Things became better then, more comfortable. I had found favorite places and favorite foods. I just sort of fell into city life for a moment and it was really nice.
I never found the parks of Beijing, I didn’t see people playing music in the streets, or fan dances in the parks. The culture of the people in Shanghai was very different or just better hidden from me. It wasn’t better or worse it just reflected the facts of city life. If I were offered the chance to live in Shanghai would I do it? Absolutely. Sure things would be different but it was still a wonderful place to visit and tons of areas to explore. Shanghai’s large expat/foreigner community makes it easy to get around town and find familiarity easy for locals and tourist alike.
