Bullet Train from Shanghai to Beijing

This was our first experience with a bullet train. We had toyed with the idea of taking an overnight train, but the bullet train was about the same price and it was twice as fast.

We had tried to purchase our train tickets ahead of time, but the satellite office we went to seemed really sketchy, so we decided to buy the ticket the day we went.

We arrived at Shanghai's massive Hongqiao Station and stood in line for about 20 minutes, only to find out that they don't take American credit cards, only UnionPay, a Chinese credit card. So we went and got cash, got back in line, and when we got back to the window, somehow all the trains for the morning were sold out. We ended up having to wait 4 hours for the 3pm train, which wouldn't get us to Beijing until after 8.

So we wandered the station a bit...

And finally got on our train. It was smooth and comfortable. The train traveled around 300 km/hr, which is about 188 mph. My favorite part was watching the sun set across the Chinese landscape.

The trip goes by fast and the seats are comfy. Isa and I just played games and watched some tv on the iPad Mini.

When we arrived in Beijing, we took the subway from the train station directly to the Airbnb apartment we'd booked. The location was perfect, but the apartment was ghetto. It was very shady and uncertain coming in in the dark, and when we got to the apartment, no one was there to let us in (which is understandable since we were a few hours late). Our hosts had left a note with a phone number, so I ran through the streets looking for a pay phone, only to find out that the pay phones don't take coins, only UnionPay. I returned unsuccessful, to find Isa and our bags gone.

After panicking for a quick second, I heard noises from within the apartment. Luckily, one of the other guests staying there had come home and let Isa in.

Once inside, we were able to email our hosts and let them know we had arrived. They came over to introduce themselves (apparently they live about 5 minutes away and rent out this entire apartment to tourists). Including Isa and I, there are 5 people staying in this three-bedroom apartment.

We settled in and then went out for a quick bite on a cool lantern-lit street nearby...

...which we found out afterward is Ghost Street, which is on our Beijing to-do list. Check!

China Art Museum, Shanghai

We try not to spend any money on Sundays, so today we went out to the free China Art Museum (which I mistakenly called the Shanghai Art Museum all day) at the world expo center. We had planned on exploring the expo center as well, but it was almost entirely under construction. So we spent almost the whole day at the museum (after we slept in late and had a lazy morning).

We spent a considerable amount of time people watching. As we learned in M50, there is a general lack of respect in China for the arts, and that was very apparent here. People were loud and obnoxious throughout the museum. Kids ran free with toys, people touched works of art, answered their phones, used flash photography, and ignored ropes to get close to various objects to get their pictures taken with them. It was shocking, to say the least.

The exhibits on the elevated floors were ok, but our favorite exhibits were below ground, where the museum continues after you've toured the top.

Here are some of our favorite pieces.

A Few Other Shanghai Sites

We've done all the big things we wanted to accomplish here in Shanghai, so today we did a few of the b-list things that tourists can see if you spend a full week here, like we are.

Xintiandi

We started the day off at an old section of Shanghai that's been gentrified and rebuilt in the last several decades. It's the site of the first national congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC). 

The museum was free (we don't know if it's always free or just today, there was a handwritten "free" sign on the ticket booth window and she still gave us tickets in order to enter). It was very interesting to read about the origins of communism in China and it really makes you sympathize with China and all the difficulties they went through under so many foreign rulers. It really puts everything in a whole new perspective, and it was very worthwhile to go. And I'm definitely not a history buff.

Tianzifang

A little walk (which turned out to be a long walk because I completely underestimated the distance - it's like two kilometers, you be the judge) from Xintiandi is an area called Tianzifang. It's a complex of little alleyways and full of shops, tourists, and art.

Our favorite stop was the candy lab, which we saw in Tokyo on Cat Street and loved. New York seriously needs one of these. Or lots of them. You watch the workers make hard candy right in front of you. It's fascinating and delicious. We bought some apple flavored candies and they're yummy.

Qibao

Qibao was our final stop this afternoon. It's another water town, but closer to Shanghai (accessible via the subway) and much smaller than Zhujiajiao. We wanted to compare the two water towns so we could give suggestions to future travelers.

If you are short on time, do Qibao (pronounced "chibao"). It's easy to get to and small, so you can get out there, explore, and get back to Shanghai in just a few hours. Zhujiajiao is farther and bigger and it deserves its own day. Qibao is also less expensive. The bus to Zhujiajiao is RMB 12 each way, whereas the metro to Qibao is only 4 or 5, depending on where you start. This is a difference of about a dollar, but still. Both are free and open to the public. Overall, Zhujiajiao is way cooler and more fun and totally worth it if you have the time and an extra dollar.

Here are some pics of Qibao, including some (the first two pics) inside Qibao temple and park, which we paid to get in (5 RMB each, which is a little less than $1 and totally worth it).

Xiao Long Bao at Fu Chun's

If you want a truly Shanghai experience, go to Fu Chun Xiao Long restaurant. As newbie white people with practically no Mandarin ability, we were in WAY over our heads. We didn't know this until we arrived, of course, but we knew it as soon as we entered.

The place is a madhouse. Completely packed with locals (so you know it's good) and so full of life and energy that it's contagious. We tried to watch others to understand the process of ordering and seating, but it was totally bewildering.

Luckily, some very kind locals with decent English took pity on us and explained the ropes, which I will explain here:

1. Order your food as soon as you enter and pay for it right away. A local took care of ordering for us, thankfully. The cashier will give you a ticket with your order. Hold onto this ticket.

2. Wander the restaurant until you find an unoccupied table/seats at a table. It doesn't matter if you know the other people at the table. If there are open seats, they're fair game. Sit down and don't move.

3. A busser/waiter will come by to clean the spot you took. Give them your ticket. Stay in your seat or someone else will take it. The food from your ticket will go back to that seat, whether you're in it or not.

4. Admire your food when it comes, but only for a second. It's packed and other people want your seat, so eat fast.

Xiao Long Bao is a special Shanghai-style dumpling. Well, it's not technically a dumpling; it's a steamed bun, but it's commonly referred to by westerners as a dumpling, so I will too. It's steamed and filled with pork and soup. It is ridiculously delicious, but there is a proper way to eat it so as to not burn yourself on the piping hot soup inside.

1. Pick one up with your chopsticks.

2. Bite the top end off and let the steam out. Wait for at least 10 seconds.

3. Sip the soup out of the opening. Love it. It's like chicken soup mixed with heaven.

4. Take a bite out of the dumpling. Savor the pork and soup together. Mmmmm.

5. Finish it off and repeat.

It's fun. You absolutely must go to this restaurant if you're in Shanghai. It is a crazy amazing and memorable experience. We got two baskets of Xiao Long Bao and a thing of fried pork for a total RMB 26, which is about $4. See below for a video of the whole experience.

The Bund

The Bund is a term meaning the river bank. It is on the edge of the major river that runs through Shanghai, the Huangpu. It faces Pudong/Lujiazui so it doubles as a cool attraction in itself and the best viewpoint of the famous Shanghai skyline. It does not disappoint.

We actually stopped by the Bund twice today, because we wanted to see the skyline in the daytime and nighttime. Our daytime trip was quick, as we wanted to get over to Yuyuan Gardens with enough time to properly explore it, but here is a pic in the daylight...

The river is insanely busy with boats, mainly barges and other commercial shipping vessels. Far busier than I've ever seen the Harlem River or even New York harbor. It's ridiculously difficult to get a picture with no boats.. You've got to have a lot of patience. Which I do.

Isa and I spent a few hours walking almost the entire length of the Bund in the evening, and it was fun to see the skyline change from the different angles.

Shanghai did an amazing job on both sides of the river with its lighting and atmosphere. We fully enjoyed our time in both places.

From here, we took the metro over to the other side of Shanghai to eat at one of the craziest, most yummiest restaurants ever: Fu Chun Xiao Long Bao. SO good. SO fun.

Yuyuan Garden

Today was packed with three very fun, very different experiences. So they each get their own post.

Yuyuan garden is an amazingly elaborate maze of a Chinese garden. As soon as you enter, you get lost and disoriented, but it's ok because everywhere you turn is pretty.

The ponds, pavilions, and gardens are beautiful, and the whole place was very fun to explore.

Can you spot Isa in that last pic?

One of our favorite things about the garden were the rockeries. Tunnels and multiple levels carved out of rocks give you fun things to explore and offer different vantage points to view the surrounding towers and gardens.

The garden empties into a crazy pedestrian tourist area with very cool architecture.

We found some yummy food... Isa had an egg tart which tasted part eggy and part custardy seated in a flaky crust. I had some sort of hybrid egg roll burrito that was so yummy and cheap that I went back for a second one.

At sunset, we headed over to the Bund, which is our next post...

Zhujiajiao Water Town

Before heading out to Zhujiajiao, I need to tell you about pork rolls because they're amazing. Picture juicy, soft ground pork in savory gravy, wrapped in doughy goodness and steamed to perfection. Then price them at 25 cents each. They're filling enough that Isa ate one and she was full. Safe to say we have found our breakfast for the rest of the time here.

Zhujiajiao is a water town (think canals of Venice) on the outskirts of Shanghai. It's an hour bus ride out there from Peoples Square. There are several water towns around Shanghai, but from reviews, this is the best.

Many other water towns charge admission, which to me makes it seem fake, like a designed tourist attraction. Zhujiajiao (pronounced, "ju-jia-jow") allows free access everywhere except actual attractions like temples and other historical buildings. To me, that made it feel more authentic. There are a few main pedestrian streets full of vendors and packed with people.

But Isa and I wandered off into streets, canals, and alleys away from all the people too.

We took lots of pictures of boats, bridges, and canals...

Isa made a few friends...

And we had a great time people watching and enjoying the atmosphere.

Shanghai People's Square

We spent almost the entire day in People's Square, divided mainly between two museums, the Urban Planning museum and the Shanghai museum. With some food and wandering the park between them.

First up, Urban Planning. 

So interesting and very well laid out. You go through the history of Shanghai and look at pictures and scale models of the changes that had to be made as the city grew.

By far the coolest thing in the museum is the scale model of Shanghai.

You can also view it from above on the next floor. The lighting changed from daytime to nighttime if you stand around for a few minutes.

As you continue upstairs, you get further into the future, so the top floor has plans for where Shanghai is headed, and it includes interactive games and displays. They're fun.

We went out to grab lunch, where we employed our non-verbal pointing technique which seems to work quite well. We ended up with some kind of pita/burger thing (found it! Rou jia mo 肉夹馍 and Isa had a Cong You Bing or green onion pancake, 葱油饼) and it was wonderful (Isa's was just ok). We wandered the park, which has a small amusement park and a few gardens.

Then over to the Shanghai museum. We learned that in Chinese architecture, the square building represents earth, and round buildings represent heaven. So this museum was designed with a square base and a round upper level to represent the connection between Heaven and earth. The museum was interesting. We stayed for a few hours (wow Isa!) and visited every floor and every exhibit. It had everything from jade to coins to calligraphy...

After the museum, we wandered over to Nanjing road. This was a different section than where we went on our first night, but just as colorful (if not more so) and fun.