Shanghai is a relatively young city, having grown from a sleepy fishing village to a colonial port city in the mid to late 19th century. In the same period, cities like Malacca, Singapore and Rangoon followed similar paths to urbanization.
As a colonial city born of the Opium War, Shanghai served as the West’s gateway to China. Hong Kong was just a backwater compared to Shanghai then and it seems that the city, in its heyday, was the original "Pearl of the Orient." (I’m sure some scholarly readers will write in to contest this, but the moniker imagine was used for Shanghai at the turn of the century when Manila was still recovering from the Spanish-American, Filipino-American Wars.)
The city was then divided into separate districts or "quarters" for the British, French, American and eventually, the Japanese. The local Chinese were banned from entering these enclaves and the parks that served them.
Today, things have changed immensely. Immense is the word for a city that is close to 10 times the size of Metro Manila. The historic core is as large as Manila’s but the rest of the Chinese metropolis is made up of over 200 towns. Governance, however, unlike Manila’s, is integrated and focused on overall fast-paced development; free from a lot of red tape. If it’s new and urban-related, it’s in Shanghai.
The district of Pudong is the best example. This new technopolis is around the size of the whole Metro Manila. Cutting edge is the only way to describe it, with every shape and form of modern architecture that you could throw money at. One thing you can’t throw anything at, or even catch, is the new Magnetic Levitation train, or Maglev for short. This new space-age train floats on a magnetic field and hits a top speed of 450 kilometers per hour. Our LRTs would look like they’re standing still! The train negotiates the 41-kilometer journey to the Pudong Airport in under eight minutes, which is shorter than waiting at some stoplights in Manila.
The major draw, however, of Shanghai is the city center. Colonial buildings stand shoulder to shoulder with some of the world’s tallest and techie-est skyscrapers. Our group went up the Pearl Tower to view the city and its storied river. Next to the Pearl is the Jin Mao Tower, all 88 stories and 421 meters of it. The building is currently the fourth tallest in the world! Being built right across it, however, is the World Trade building, planned to be the world’s tallest by the time it’s completed (although work on it has been temporarily suspended).
Back down on the ground, make sure to take the river cruise to appreciate Shanghai’s famous bund or waterfront. Manila has its muelles, Singapore has its quays, but the Bund in Shanghai is a destination all its own. The 2010 World Expo, in fact, is coming to the bund and work on the site is already starting. The old port is going to be moved to make way for what will surely be another showcase for modern architecture in six years. (Manila should think about rationalizing its ports and revitalizing the old south harbor area.)
The bund (from the Indian word for revetment) is also defined by all the heritage buildings lovingly restored up and down its waterside boulevard. The bund itself is really a linear park, much like Mayor Atienza’s Baywalk, but longer. (We could actually extend ours to the south harbor and into the Pasig.) Locals and tourists enjoy the bund and benefit from the free and easy access to the river.
Of course, a Pinoy visit to any foreign city would not be complete without hours and hours of shopping. This, Shanghai provides generously. Suburban tiangges here provide unimaginable bargains on branded or what looks like genuinely-branded goods. Offerings of cheap clothes, watches, golf sets, jewelry, bags and shoes boggle the mind without really hurting your pocket. One trip to the flea market is worth the entire trip (just make sure you’re not overweight at the airport!).
In the center of the city itself is another paradise for shopping – Nanjing Road. This pedestrianized street is heaven for strollers and shoppers. Like Wangfujing in Beijing, Nanjing Road is the main shopping street and magnet for people, events and tourists. The pavements are extremely comfortable for walking, security is good and amenities like cafes, shelters, street sculpture and signage are all provided with the pedestrian in mind. Only bicycles are allowed to cross at points.
Finally, the nightlife in Shanghai is as exciting as Manila’s. Manila’s chi-chi set makes trips to Shanghai a must-do every few months. I may not get around as much, but if I did, I’d put Shanghai on top of my list.
One of the places all the beautiful people go to is Xintiandi, Shanghai’s sosyal Eastwood. Located in the old French Quarter, Xintiandi is a complex of conserved colonial-Chinese "Shikumen" (stone-gate) houses converted into bars, restaurants and retail outlets. This district never sleeps, is well-lighted and extremely accessible.
My stay in Shanghai was short, there was much more of the city I wanted to walk around in (it is a walking city with good sidewalks). As with Beijing, motorcycles are banned and rail transport is plentiful. The air is clean in Shanghai and more, it bristles with the city’s catchy optimism. Construction is everywhere, but the Shanghainese make sure to keep their architectural heritage while striking a clear and dizzying pace to a progressive urban future. We could do no worse, but when? In the meanwhile, Shanghai beckons (and so does the shopping)!