Page 31 - Explore Magazine Winter 2018

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48 HOURS IN

SHANGHAI

Jerome Cargill, a client of helloworld Waipukurau, explores
the cosmopolitan sights and tastes of the “Pearl of the Orient”.

DAY
DAY 1 2

AM: Staying at the very affordable and fairly basic Hao Du Hotel AM: Day two started early with a metro ride to the French Concession
in the Huangpu area of central Shanghai, it was easy to get to all area for “Hands-On Dumpling Delights,” a walking food tour with Untour
of Shanghai’s best spots. While there is a metro station only a few Food Tours. We sampled all kinds of dumplings, from street stalls frying
minutes away, I set out for a morning of walking to take in sights like up potstickers to hole-in-the-wall shops serving boiled jiaozi (Chinese
People’s Square and the Bund. The waterfront boulevard known as dumplings). The must-try dumpling is the xiaolongbao (steamed bun). This
the Bund features a series of historic buildings along the embankment is a soup dumpling that, while somewhat difficult to eat, is perhaps the
of the Huangpu River. The architectural styles are diverse, but all are tastiest mouthful I experienced in China. We finished with a cooking class
incredibly impressive. On the other side of the river are the majority of where we prepared our own Cantonese steamed shrimp dim sums with
Shanghai’s skyscrapers, which means the Bund is the perfect spot for the support of a local Chinese chef.
everyone’s iconic tourist photo of the city.
PM: Our tour group continued into the afternoon with a visit to the
PM: In the afternoon I made it to the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition fascinating Propaganda Poster Museum. Somewhat hidden in the
Centre. This is a fascinating experience for anyone interested in the basement of an unassuming apartment building in residential Shanghai, it
machinery behind a city with over 24 million people. On the third floor features hundreds of posters from the last century. It gives a real insight
is a large-scale model of urban Shanghai which is nearly as impressive into the political change the country has experienced, from a unique
as the expansive city itself. The transformation of the city and its perspective. Afterwards we found the nearby craft beer bar, Daga, on
modernisation is well-documented, along with a transparent vision and Fuxing West Road. The bar contained a lot of Western influences but there
plan to continue to improve the quality of life. I finished the day with an was a heart to it that felt authentic and uniquely Chinese. A bit like the
adventure among the neon lights of Nanjing Road, the main shopping overall cosmopolitan experience of Shanghai.
street, and its many side roads.

HELL
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