4 Days in Shanghai: A Writer's Exploration of Art, Culture, and Conversations

May 2017 was the first time I travelled to China. My mum was working in Ningbo back then, and I stayed with her for over a month. We explored lush green parks, fairytale-like lakes, picturesque mountains, and villages you never get to see on the news. Chinese cuisine has been my favourite since childhood, and I tried mouthwatering dishes from different regions as well.?

I fell in love with China’s gorgeous landscape and serene Buddhist temples on that trip itself. I loved how the temples were usually near or overseeing a lake. Visitors queued at the carts outside temples to buy roasted sweet potatoes and boiled eggs. Other temples offered a delicious vegan meal for a small donation at their premises.?

The overall efficiency of the country during that visit also blew my mind. There was nothing you couldn't find or get made in China, and orders were processed at high speed! So, when the opportunity to travel to Shanghai for four days presented itself two weeks ago, I grabbed it with both hands. This article chronicles my trip and illustrates places to visit on a short trip. I hope you enjoy reading it!?

DAY 1: Seafood, City Lights, and Silver?

Just like Ningbo's quaint villages and cleanliness, Shanghai’s skyscrapers, sights, and greenery surprised me on the very first day. The drive from the airport to our hotel in Huangpu took more than an hour. Despite thousands on the roads, there was no traffic noise — electric cars and motorbikes had taken over the city. I noticed how pollution levels were lower than in Ningbo, even though there was more traffic here. Unlike Ningbo, every sign in Shanghai was in English and Mandarin.?

By the time my husband and I arrived at our hotel, it was around noon. After a 12-hour flight, exhaustion took over, so we had a long nap after settling our belongings. That evening, we set out to walk around People’s Square, the hotel’s neighbourhood, and find a quiet place for dinner.?

I wasn’t aware that Nanjing Lu, Shanghai’s primary shopping district, was right around the corner. This booming high street is one of the busiest in the world, boasting malls and eateries. The Shanghai Grand Theatre, two museums, and People’s Square park were also nearby. Hand in hand, we strolled down the streets, savouring spicy seafood skewers, bite-sized dumplings, and Chinese dried fruits along the way.?

Unlike in Spain, where paying by cash or card is still the norm, we had to pay for our purchases with a QR code powered by the Alipay platform. Surprisingly, even homeless and impoverished people had a placard around their necks with a QR code – you couldn’t get away with “I don’t have cash on me” around here. But going cashless made perfect sense, given that transactions depended on mobile phones. It made me think of what’d happen if you lost your phone or had it stolen.?

The brightly lit high-rise buildings, sculptures by the Bund, and the Huangpu river’s Instagram-worthiness explained why locals and visitors would stop to pose and click away. I heard people speaking French, Arabic, German, Punjabi, Turkish, and Spanish whilst we were strolling - reminding me how small the world truly is. It was a realisation grounded in how much other countries depend on China’s economy and labour for keeping their economies alive.?

People’s Square was awe-inducing: Shops such as M&M’s world, LEGO, and Miniso world were filled with adults and children. Harry Potter-themed kits were particularly popular, and available at a fraction of the price in Europe.?

The malls were covered in ads for luxury clothing and beauty brands, and shoppers carried endless bags of purchases. Despite the originals selling at a fairly lower price, the demand for knock–off merchandise was evident. That night, at least 10 different people approached us with: “Do you want designer clothes, bags, and shoes?” Apparently, there was a separate market for replicas where even imitation LEGO kits were available!?

Right before we reached our dinner destination, a silver workshop piqued my cat-like curiosity. The artisans making pure (999) silver jewellery in the front had caught my attention, and I spent a good 15 minutes watching them craft bracelets, bangles, and necklaces. In Spanish, there’s an idiom to describe precision put into work: “Trabajo Chino”. It’s considered a great compliment. What I saw that night was nothing short of extreme precision and skill: Trabajo Chino at its finest!?

There were traditional Chinese dragons and flowers, Buddhist prayer necklaces, modern chandelier earrings with gold plating, and cups and spoons crafted in silver. Later on, I did research and learnt that China is the world’s second largest producer of silver. The craftsmanship and intricate designs made sense.?

Dinner that night was at Lost Heaven, a restaurant serving Yunnan and Burmese cuisine in Huangpu. Their food was beyond anything I had tasted so far - each dish was herby and flavourful without the use of excess chillies and sauces, and light to digest. Dim lights, and dark tables and chairs, coupled with burgundy accents gave a romantic and understated ambience to the restaurant. I would love to dine here again.?

DAY 2: Greetings, Culture, and an Unexpected Message?

The next morning, I woke my sweet husband up far too soon - he was still tired from flying the plane - but the explorer in me was eager to head out and see more. After a tad bit of shopping in our area, I befriended a few shopkeepers by exchanging greetings in Mandarin.?

A simple Ni Hao and Xéxé brought big smiles on locals’ faces, illustrating the importance of speaking and acknowledging a foreign language as a tourist. We noticed how shopkeepers and employees seemed to slightly bow their heads when accepting money or expressing a greeting. It was reminiscent of the Hindu culture I grew up with, where bowing the head was a way to show guests respect. I hadn’t expected this similarity all the way in China.

Now, if you’ve never had a traditional Chinese massage, I promise it’s worth it. You’ll find many parlours offering soothing and relaxing massages with different oil blends. The level of service in China is amazing: you can add on services like foot and facial massages on the spot.? After our 90-minute traditional massage that evening, my husband asked if I wanted to have drinks at Bar KEV. We enjoyed cocktails while the DJ played club music. This rooftop on the riverfront was a perfect way to end our evening.?

I came back to the hotel to find a sweet message from Ivy ( Mengying Xia ), a former classmate, on my WeChat app. We’d been in the same master’s cohort at Lancaster University, UK, in 2015 and had sporadically kept in touch.?

She’d read my LinkedIn post about visiting Shanghai, and asked if we could meet. I have been writing on LinkedIn for the past four years and the connections I’ve built and maintained through it keep blowing my mind. I had forgotten that Ivy lives in Shanghai and was delighted, such that we set up a dinner date for the next day.

The excitement of meeting an old classmate made it hard to fall asleep!

Stay tuned for the rest of the article describing day 3 and 4. Out tomorrow :)

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