The Wonder of Shanghai
If you are looking for a holiday somewhere exciting, vibrant, modern and exotic, then Shanghai is the perfect destination. Officially the most populated city in the world, this hub of economic activity is possibly the fastest changing place on earth.
You may not be able to find a great deal of peace and quiet in Shanghai, but you will certainly never be bored. It is the industrial, technological and social capital of China and has become one of the world's most important cities. Strewn with fascinating examples of modern and classic architecture, most of which play an important part in furthering its economic dominance, Shanghai is simply breathtaking and is impossible to fully appreciate until you have seen it for yourself. Here is where China first met the West, and witnessing just how far this amazing city has developed from its humble beginnings as a small fishing village is an experience like no other.
Known as the Bund, Shanghai's historic waterfront area is synonymous with the city. With development starting in the 1840s, the Bund now offers fantastic views of Shanghai's most important Renaissance, Gothic, Baroque and modern buildings. The Bund is also home to several culturally significant statues and monuments. A unique and thought provoking concrete tower, the Monument to the People's Heroes was built to commemorate those who died in Shanghai during the Opium Wars of the nineteenth century. Another interesting sight is the statue of the city's former communist mayor, Chen Yi, which is the only bronze monument on the Bund. The waterfront is perhaps best seen at night, as the various building's sympathetically designed lighting joins the decorative illuminations which float on the nearby river.
Away from the overwhelming pace of life in central Shanghai, however, there is another side to the city which, if you are willing to seek it out, you will find extremely rewarding to explore. Away from its decidedly capitalist centre, there are many hidden examples of Shanghai's simpler distant past. Along with the traditional markets and gardens, the Jade Buddha Temple is also well worth visiting. One of the city's only Buddhist monuments, featuring a two-metre high statue of the Buddha, the temple has become an increasingly popular destination for visitors.
Shanghai is a city unique in its modernity and, although its frantic nature and business-obsessed culture may not be to everyone's taste, it is a place of such interest and significance to the modern world that the chance to make a visit is not something you should miss out on.
You may not be able to find a great deal of peace and quiet in Shanghai, but you will certainly never be bored. It is the industrial, technological and social capital of China and has become one of the world's most important cities. Strewn with fascinating examples of modern and classic architecture, most of which play an important part in furthering its economic dominance, Shanghai is simply breathtaking and is impossible to fully appreciate until you have seen it for yourself. Here is where China first met the West, and witnessing just how far this amazing city has developed from its humble beginnings as a small fishing village is an experience like no other.
Known as the Bund, Shanghai's historic waterfront area is synonymous with the city. With development starting in the 1840s, the Bund now offers fantastic views of Shanghai's most important Renaissance, Gothic, Baroque and modern buildings. The Bund is also home to several culturally significant statues and monuments. A unique and thought provoking concrete tower, the Monument to the People's Heroes was built to commemorate those who died in Shanghai during the Opium Wars of the nineteenth century. Another interesting sight is the statue of the city's former communist mayor, Chen Yi, which is the only bronze monument on the Bund. The waterfront is perhaps best seen at night, as the various building's sympathetically designed lighting joins the decorative illuminations which float on the nearby river.
Away from the overwhelming pace of life in central Shanghai, however, there is another side to the city which, if you are willing to seek it out, you will find extremely rewarding to explore. Away from its decidedly capitalist centre, there are many hidden examples of Shanghai's simpler distant past. Along with the traditional markets and gardens, the Jade Buddha Temple is also well worth visiting. One of the city's only Buddhist monuments, featuring a two-metre high statue of the Buddha, the temple has become an increasingly popular destination for visitors.
Shanghai is a city unique in its modernity and, although its frantic nature and business-obsessed culture may not be to everyone's taste, it is a place of such interest and significance to the modern world that the chance to make a visit is not something you should miss out on.
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