Our USAC group toured the city today for the new students in Session 2. We started the morning along the Bund, walking along the river. Every time I visit this area, I am in awe of the different architectural styles here. Buildings often showcase multiple influences, from the classical orders of columns to the sweeping roofs found in traditional Chinese architecture capped by European domed square bell towers. The buildings are now home to various high end stores like Chanel, banks, such as the Bangkok Bank of Thailand, and various other businesses and luxury hotels. We then took a ferry across the river to the Pudong district to see the Shanghai World Financial Center Observatory. In 2009, this building was certified by the Guinness World Records as the world's Highest Observatory. The Financial tower is the tallest in China and the third tallest in the world, with the 100th floor being the 55m observatory deck at 474m above the ground. The observatory deck has a transparent glass-floor walkway. It was amazing to see the city laid out under my feet. In the afternoon, we visited the Shanghai Museum. This museum houses various mediums of ancient Chinese art, including pottery, calligraphy, and currency, and stone carvings dating to as far back as 500 B.C. These pieces were extremely well-preserved. The building itself is organized a central atrium lit by a glass covered low geodesic dome up above and surrounded by symmetrical double stairs on all sides. Next, we headed to the Former French Concession to visit the area of Tian Zi Fang. A "Concession" is a territory within a country that is not controlled by the state that owns it. The French Concession was established in Shanghai in 1849 and is home today to many cafes, bars, and restaurants as well as Tianzifang, a small neighborhood of old residential buildings called the "shikumen", which literally translates to stone doors. These stone framed houses with wooden doors are a symbol of the East Meeting West in Shanghai as they reflect a combination of Chinese and foreign styles of architecture. Comments are closed.
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CHINA 2013
I am visiting China for 3 months this summer to visit relatives in Wuhan and study abroad at Shanghai University. Archives
August 2013
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